Catholic church and a neverending need for money?

Question

Why is it that the Catholic church always seems to need more money? I personally attended Catholic mass every week for 14 years. Unfortunately, we moved and all the Catholic churches down hear do is ask for more money. I was perfectly fine with donating a small sum of money every week to the collection plate. However, when the priest started asking for more money for programs such as the "Bishop's Annual Appeal," it became unbearable. I guess my question is: Where does all this money go and why does the Church, a supposedly non-profit, tax-free organization, need so much of it?

Answer 1

A typical parish can easily have an annual budget of over $1 million.

Every Catholic parish has a finance committee and annual financial reports where all incoming and outgoing monies are fully disclosed.

Every diocese has annual financial reports where all incoming and outgoing monies are fully disclosed.

All "special' appeals also have annual financial reports where all incoming and outgoing monies are fully disclosed.

You can easily find out where the money God has given you to give back is going.

Ask your parish office for a copy of the annual report.

Go to your diocese's website and view their annual report.

Go to the website of any 'special' appeal and view their annual report.

If you feel you can do a better job, please feel free to volunteer for the finance committee. They would probably be glad to have you.

Believe it or not the average Catholic parish run on a shoestring compared to the average Protestant church which insists on its members to contribute a minimum of 10% of their earnings,.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

I'm a practicing Catholic and think I can speak to this with some understanding. I know that sometimes it may seem frustrating that they are asking for money. Realize that the Church is asking you to give only what you can... and not any more. If you can help, it would be great. A lot of people think that it's required to give, but it's not. As Catholics, we need to pray and give what we can... And giving, may not always mean cash... It can also mean giving your time/energy/sweat to a community service program. Donating to a small amount each week is perfectly fine. Don't feel guilty that you don't give any more than you do.

As for the "Bishop's Annual Appeal", the money goes to the many programs that the weekly collection does not support. For example it may go to Catholic Charities to support the many programs that are not funded by th government. Just because it is a non-profit, doesn't mean that they ever get enough money to do what they want to make this world a better place. It doesn't hurt to give a little more if you can. It's not a big deal.

A lot of the money that goes to the collections, go directly to fund that specific parish. Every other week, there is a second collection which will go to whatever organization they are saying it goes to. The church and non-profit organizations are funded through our generosity and often times do not have enough funding.

Anyway, I do hope this helps. It sounds like you are doing what you can. And don't feel pressured to give any more than you feel you can.

Answer 3

There were a lot of lawsuits and the church has to pay for that. Plus its a huge pyramid scheme. The priests get a cut and has to give a certian amount to the Bishop and so on. Some priests spend the money on themselves and some put it into the church. Some Bishops spend on themselves and some put it into the diocese. They priests have to pay associate pastors and all the parish employees. They have to put away for their own retirement, some have parents and such dependent on them and they may have other personal expenses. Some play the stock market. One thing I know is they are not spending much of it on churches. Old crummy churches falling into disrepair and no matter how overcrowded they get they never build a new one. Always claim they don't have money when everybody knows they should have plenty. Maybe they just don't manage it well.

Answer 4

Let me offer you a very small suggestion: Get on the finance committee for the parish. Then you will get to see where the money goes. You will be very surprised at how much money a parish needs to operate and how little money the parish actually operates on. Some parishes really have no money and are on shoe string budgets.

The Catholic Church's wealth is mostly in land, property, and art, there is very little liquid wealth. You would be surprised at how much the people who work for the Church get payed on average. It is often below the poverty line. There are some exceptions here and there but those are abnormalities.

As far as you putting money into the plate...you need to support your local parish...everything else is above and beyond. Also if you do not have the cash flow, don't worry about it!!

Answer 5

You only give money if you have an overabundance...Giving comes from the heart. I am Catholic and yes it bugs the heck out of me when i need to hear a compelling sermon and they go off taking about fund raisers...I get to test my own faith on these days. But the last time I checked no one was holding a gun to my head. Use temperance and prudence when giving. One person put it quite nicely to me once. Give 10 percent because in reality God lets you keep 90. I also just got back from Mexico. I went to daily Mass and asked the local Americans how they knew which poor destitute beggars to give money too? It really disturbed me. They said some of the women begging on the street were part of a scam where even children were loaned to them to raise more funds. They said the money i was giving out would be better served if i gave it to the church that provides food and clothing during all the church services outside in the patio area. My point, give what you can...dont feel guilty and let God work on the hearts of the people with the big bucks...and dont forget the old saying "Too Much is Given Much is Expected"...if you dont fall in that category...just be yourself...

Answer 6

It still surprises me that most people on YA think that only the "Catholic Church" asks for money.

It would appear that the churches that most Christians who are not Catholic don't have to pay for heating their buildings, pay for the gas for their churches vehicles, pay for water, pay for the electricity, give money to the poor, provide funds for families that can't buy food, provide counseling for those in need, providing burial for homeless or destitute (only the Catholic Church does this, by the way) etc, etc.

But, then those that think this way also don't think that Catholics are Christians either...

In response to your question though, The Archbishop's Annual Appeal, only happens once a year. Also even if you do tithe to your parish, a percentage does go to the archdiocese to support their programs as well as a percentage from that going to the Vatican. The MAJORITY of your tithe goes directly to the church that you attend, and not directly to the Vatican, as some here would indicate. The Archbishop's Annual Appeal uses funds collected to pay for programs that affect the entire Diocese that your parish belongs to. I know that our diocese supports a homeless shelter that gets funding from our Archbishops Annual Appeal, so that could be where part of where your money goes to. There are many other programs that your parish and diocese support.

My parish has about 3,000 families, some of which cannot even afford to provide for their families. There are programs that are available that our parish that provides help for them, and these programs get their funding from the tithes of the parish.

Talk to your Parish council if you want more information as to where and how your money is being used. I know a portion of our tithe is being used to pay the bills of our parish. I also know that a portion of our tithe goes to the diocese to support their programs that affect the entire diocese.

Answer 7

I think you should (and anyone else) should have already known the answer to this question, seeing as how you had already donated money multiple times already in the past.
I'm sorry if i sound a bit critical, i myself am just as guilty of having done the same and much worse. But, i think your question raises an even more important issue that happens all the time not just involoving individual charity,the church, or many other supposedly good deeds performed by so many. It could even apply to the current and impending breakdown of the modern democratic society.
IT's our tendency to think we are so humane and of benefit to the world by "throwing money at the issue",which i'm not denying is an element that is definitly necessary to have whatever is trying to be achieved get accomplished, due to the greed within the world(unfortanately), in a perfect world every step in the effort would be carried out, regaurdless of money. But, then the real kicker is, the often less noticed reprocussion that occurs in connection to the "money only "good" samaritian/taxpayer/news-media informed American/protestor/..etc..etc.., is now wanting someone to cater to their every little suspicion and doubt they have that their hard earned green babies are really going to always be applied to what they were told it was needed for, well WAKE UP, of course your monies are many times used and abused, and the only one(s) who are to blame is the one(s) who claim they care so much they gave (possibly ,all they could or had to give). But, look if you have a problem with how others run things, whether it be your house,church,country or even world, THEN GO DO IT YOURSELF,BE IN CHARGE( if u could do things better) , help more people , fix it or just be another type of problem called a "complaint"./ hater/sooth sayer/pain in the F***ing ***.
When i give a homeless guy some change or "help"(maybe a ride,bed,etc) i gave money not caring if food , beer ,smokes or a F***ing crack rock was what his result was, if i did i would bring him and the food together,etc. even if it was going way out of my way(otherwise,whatever he used my money for i know he must of needed it, and i was happy to know i helped. i ain't any better than anyone else and never fit into any others' shoes but my own.
So, to finish, talking God this Jesus that is a bunch of phoney *** cosmetic crap, i think those closest to truth are those least hidden behind labels.i'm no orthodox believer, and no hater to those that are(some of the best people I've met are they, the worst come in every form)

Answer 8

Religion and Church are busness. IF you recall templars were first bankers. There are no free lunches anywhere so you have to pay.
Greed is natural to all humans and busnesses. Church needs to exist so they need money. UNlike some churches that self managed Catolics have a very big hierarchy. And much of that money goes back to vatican for generating new dogma's and doctronis.
Remember at some point Catolic church was selling indulgencies to make money. Church organise Crusaids , wars on ppl, taken over thier proeprties and so on...

If you do a search how much money Vatican has you will find that only in US Vatican has in gold several billions of dollars.
Vatican has its own banks, its own investments and stocks.
Amasing that this days some1 still thinks Church is the GOD temple. Just pure busness that works on ppl bleives.
THerefore GOD and money exist.

Answer 9

My impression is that one gives what one can. Unless anybody is pointing a gun to you, you don't have to empty your pockets every time a priest asks for money, and I doubt that that;s the case here, right?
The Catholic church covers needs for people and causes that nobody would cover otherwise, so I understand the need of so much money. Try to relax and for God's sake, don't go changing your religion on such a lame excuse!

Answer 10

You're not forced to give. That's why it's called a "donation."

Still, it's good to put in your part for the upkeep of the church, etc.

Besides, show me one organization that DOESN'T ask for money. Money is necessary because there are payrolls to fill, insurance to pay for, retirement funds (or would you rather kick the nuns out onto the Dole?), operating expenses (lights, heat, water, maintenance), and then all of the charity programs.

Name a disaster, and Catholic Charities is there to help. That takes money.

If you're bothered by an entity's need for money, just stop buying anything at all.