VATICAN - Pope: churches must never become businesses [AN]

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Redemption is free " when the Church or churches start doing business, then it is said that salvation is not so free …". “There are two things that the people of God cannot forgive: a priest attached to money and a priest who mistreats people. This they cannot forgive!”

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Nonetheless, they do need to maintain financial records and balance sheets, ensure their cash flow is healthy, etc.
 
Yes, it must be so hard to find that balance, real men of God and men with a good head for management. It is a rare combination. Little bit of the God vs. Mammon thing going on. A lot of really seriously religious people just kind “rise above” (and/or duck out of ) practical concerns and vice versa.
 
"Why does Jesus have an issue with money? Because redemption is free; it is God’s free gift, He comes to brings us the all-encompassing gratuity of God’s love. So when the Church or churches start doing business, then it is said that …salvation is not so free…This is why Jesus takes the whip to hand to carry out this act of the purification of the Temple.

The issue of Church wealth has been one of the big stumbling blocks of the century and its always been a hard one to defend against the critics. This is great that Pope Francis is attacking not only the attitude problem but actually getting into the finances themselves.

One of the areas that the Church has struggled in which it never used to is with volunteerism. In the couple of organisations I’m involved in in a volunteer capacity we regularly put the call out for new recruits but they are thin on the ground. Everyone even Catholics don’t want to work for nothing anymore. People feel they need to be compensated for their work. Hopefully this shake up will inspire people to value volunteer work more!
 
LongingSoul said:
"Why does Jesus have an issue with money? Because redemption is free; it is God’s free gift, He comes to brings us the all-encompassing gratuity of God’s love. So when the Church or churches start doing business, then it is said that …salvation is not so free…This is why Jesus takes the whip to hand to carry out this act of the purification of the Temple.

The issue of Church wealth has been one of the big stumbling blocks of the century and its always been a hard one to defend against the critics. This is great that Pope Francis is attacking not only the attitude problem but actually getting into the finances themselves.

One of the areas that the Church has struggled in which it never used to is with volunteerism. In the couple of organisations I’m involved in in a volunteer capacity we regularly put the call out for new recruits but they are thin on the ground. Everyone even Catholics don’t want to work for nothing anymore. People feel they need to be compensated for their work. Hopefully this shake up will inspire people to value volunteer work more!
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FWIW, Pope Francis has asked some in the religious orders communities to start taking courses in finance. Obviously they are in declining in numbers and must fend for themselves. They are now getting too costly where at one time they provided the “volunteer” work such as teaching, plumbing, painting, etc but now either they or someone else will need to take up the slack for the survival of some of the parishes. I’m in total agreement with you. My ex used to do pro bono accounting work for the local parish a long time ago. One hardly hears that anymore.
 
Before my wife and I were married, we had a wedding rehearsal as is required. The priest absolutely refused to proceed with the rehearsal until he got paid. Everything was at a standstill until my wife’s parents went home to retreive the cash the priest deemed necessary for the rehearsal to occur. Her parents had no idea that we had to pay to play, and neither did I, nor my wife. We all knew that we had to pay the priest for the wedding, but not the rehearsal. I can understand a free will donation to help with the expenses of of the church, but not extortion. Extortion may seem to be too harsh of a word, but I call it like I see it. Incidently, and, not to long afterwards, the priest who was supposed to marry us didn’t, because had become unavailable, as he was busy being in an alcholic rehab center. Incidently, this happened immediately after he was arrested for drunk driving. Yes, it was then we found out that he was an alcholic. Now, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, no, I won’t, in fact. I am absolutely certain that our extortion money was used to fund his habit.
 
I think this dilemma will take care of itself at some point.
Does anyone believe the Church will always be flush with money and property?
I do not. We didn’t start with prosperity and with the persecutions that are ongoing, I can’t see us always being prosperous. But we will go on.
 
clem456 said:
I think this dilemma will take care of itself at some point.
Does anyone believe the Church will always be flush with money and property?
I do not. We didn’t start with prosperity and with the persecutions that are ongoing, I can’t see us always being prosperous. But we will go on.
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All churches own some property and need revenues/income to sustain themselves. But what the Pope is saying IMO is that we shouldn’t be monetarily profiting from them, if that can be done.
 
I wonder if this may be addressing bishop’s conferences in countries who impose a Church Tax on their members, How its implemented and how much clergy should be drawing for salaries from such?
 
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