Priest & Pre-Marriage Form

sprint316

Hi All,

we're getting married in July and we just had the lcoal priest call over to fill in our pre marriage form.

he was here for about half an hour and was full of chat the whole time - when we were finished, he went very quiet and basically sat there looking at us as we tried to fill in the silence....

(we've just moved into a new house and money is tight and he was driving a volvo XC90 so i think i was right not to pay him!)

we are now wondering if we should have paid him for calling over (we fed him coffee and cakes!), should we have paid him?

BrianCalgary

sprint316 wrote: »

Hi All,

we're getting married in July and we just had the lcoal priest call over to fill in our pre marriage form.

he was here for about half an hour and was full of chat the whole time - when we were finished, he went very quiet and basically sat there looking at us as we tried to fill in the silence....

(we've just moved into a new house and money is tight and he was driving a volvo XC90 so i think i was right not to pay him!)

we are now wondering if we should have paid him for calling over (we fed him coffee and cakes!), should we have paid him?

I dont think so. Part of the job of a priest or minister to visit with new folks in the congregation.

I understand though that to pay th epresiding minister to conduct the ceremony is proper.

philologos

BrianCalgary wrote: »

I dont think so. Part of the job of a priest or minister to visit with new folks in the congregation.

I understand though that to pay th epresiding minister to conduct the ceremony is proper.

Definitely not for visits as Brian has said.

PDN

If you are members of his parish and so are regular financial contributers to the church, then I would see any visits he makes to you as part of the standard pastoral care that you should expect from your minister.

However, if you are not financial contributers to the church, yet for some reason want a church wedding, it would seem that you are expecting this guy to give up his time and drive over to your house for nothing.

As for the car he drives, what relevance is that? If I get a plumber to come out and fix my leaking pipe I don't say, "This guy is driving a nice car - therefore I won't pay him as much as if he were driving a 1990 Ford Escort."

So, the priest is providing his services to help you have the wedding you desire. It is right that you should pay for such services just as you do for any other person providing services (the florist, the caterer, the band etc). If you're already supporting the church as congregants then such services can, in my opinion, be viewed as prepaid by virtue of an informal contract you have with the church and minister.

santing

PDN wrote: »

It is right that you should pay for such services just as you do for any other person providing services (the florist, the caterer, the band etc).

Is this service subject to TAX and VAT like the other services? I don't think so ...
I do agree that those who benefit should be willing to pay, but those providing the service should always do it for free! If both sites do it their duty well, everyone is happy!
Bottomline, Christianity is not a business

philologos

santing wrote: »

Is this service subject to TAX and VAT like the other services? I don't think so ...
I do agree that those who benefit should be willing to pay, but those providing the service should always do it for free! If both sites do it their duty well, everyone is happy!
Bottomline, Christianity is not a business

At the same time those who are considering a role with church services should consider donating to the Church, not specifically to the priest, but to the church. Religious organisations are non-profit by their very nature. That is why they are not subject to VAT and other taxation.

PDN

santing wrote: »

Is this service subject to TAX and VAT like the other services? I don't think so ...
I do agree that those who benefit should be willing to pay, but those providing the service should always do it for free! If both sites do it their duty well, everyone is happy!
Bottomline, Christianity is not a business

If a minister is personally receiving the money then it certainly needs to be included in his tax return. If he is registered for VAT then VAT would apply. If the money is being passed on by the minister to the church then, in all likelihood, the church is registered as a charity and so tax or VAT do not apply.

Why should the members of a church, who finance the activities of the church through their regular contributions, be expected to subsidise the wedding of someone who makes no financial contribution but expects the church to give him a load of freebies to give him the wedding that he wants? That is sponging.

Of course it may be that the OP is a regular attender of, and contributer to, the Church, in which case he has already paid for all pastoral services connected with his wedding.

The Church is not a business, but neither is it there to provide a free ride for those who never darken the doors of the church yet want a church wedding to keep granny happy or because it'll look better on the photos. (I stress that may well not be the case with the OP).

Michael G

sprint316 wrote: »

We've just moved into a new house

Perhaps he was quiet because he was wondering why you think you are entitled to be married in a Catholic church.