Selling a mass card could get you...

Tipsy Mac · 28-08-2009 12:08AM #1

a 10 year jail sentence or €300,000 fine :rolleyes:

The High Court is to be asked to block the part of the new Charities Act which outlaws the sale of Mass cards other than through an arrangement with the Catholic Church.

The Act becomes law on Tuesday next, September 1, and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy was told today that sales of Mass cards, other than by agreement with a Bishop or Provincial of an order of priests, could lead to a 10 year jail sentence or €300,000 fine.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/court-asked-to-review-mass-card-provision-in-charities-act-424150.html#ixzz0PQaJpKMW

Jesus Wept · 28-08-2009 12:10AM

Anyone who buys mass cards should get a 10 year sentence.

The End Of Days · 28-08-2009 12:10AM

Makes sense when you delve a little deeper into the subject.

orestes · 28-08-2009 12:10AM

If you just say sorry to the church though they have to forgive you

K-9 · 28-08-2009 12:19AM

The case seems to be looking for clarification more than anything else. Thought it was a bit mad initially, but it does make sense.

admiralofthefleet · 28-08-2009 12:22AM

my mothers partner used to get them without the signatures donkeys years ago and sign them himself and then go around selling them

bleg · 28-08-2009 12:24AM

But you spend 10 years less in purgatory so it evens out!

G_R · 28-08-2009 12:24AM

The-Rigger wrote: »

Anyone who buys mass cards should get a 10 year sentence.

could ya imagine all the old ladies in the joy:D

Jesus Wept · 28-08-2009 12:34AM

dannym08 wrote: »

could ya imagine all the old ladies in the joy:D

Bernie: What ya in for Agnes?

Agnes: Mass Cards

Bernie: Ah jaysus, it's a disgrace

Agnes: What are you in for?

Bernie: Murder 1

Agnes: Ah jaysus, it's a disgrace

brummytom · 28-08-2009 12:48AM

Mass cards are a fucking theft anyway.

Whatever happened to just saying, "I'll be praying for you"? Now the priest has to pre-sign a load of Allen-press cards, what's the point?

Dartz · 28-08-2009 12:56AM

It's blasphemy....

Diabhal Beag · 28-08-2009 01:01AM

My parents are getting a life sentence so :pac:

An Fear Aniar · 28-08-2009 01:03AM

The whole Mass card thing is such a racket. My mother has spent a fricking fortune on them - she would have been better off giving the money to Concern or Trócaire.

.

Jesus Wept · 28-08-2009 01:39AM

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

The whole Mass card thing is such a racket. My mother has spent a fricking fortune on them

Ah it's not a racket, if just one of them is lucky - you win a priest.

Namlub · 28-08-2009 01:42AM

I'm more or less sure this thread is breaking all sorts of blasphemy laws....

starbelgrade · 28-08-2009 01:47AM

Namlub wrote: »

I'm more or less sure this thread is breaking all sorts of blasphemy laws....

I don't believe in God, or Dermot Ahern, so I'm safe enough.

Namlub · 28-08-2009 01:57AM

Careful now

Biggins · 28-08-2009 10:03AM

As pointed out already by some, I also consider them to just be a money making racket.
Think about it.

Your actually paying someone to say a mass/prayer for you.
Are people so fcuking lazy that they can't say their own fcuking prayers for a person?
I mean come on... If someone came up to me and said "I prayed for you last night" I'd be very honored that they would do so.
If they came up to me and let me know "I paid someone to say a prayer/mass for you" - honestly - the question arises, thanks but jeaus you must be horrid busy that you actually have to bribe someone to do it for you!

There is more good intention directed to heaven within a single persons single prayer that a whole bunch of prayers bought by a bribe!
Heck, even Jesus had the good sense to thrown the money makers out! I guess the lads in Rome today are conveniently over looking that!
More hypocrisy from Rome.

Long Onion · 28-08-2009 10:06AM

They have an excellent place in western christian society, you can buy them for any radical fundamentalist muslims you may have taken a dislike to, apparently when the mass is said, their bottoms bleed.

Hagar · 28-08-2009 10:20AM

Technically you don't buy a mass or pay for anybody to pray for you.
Generally you make a donation for the upkeep of the church at the same time as you ask for the deceased to be remembered at a mass. There is absolutely no obligation to make any donation whatsoever. If you ask but make no donation the priest cannot refuse.

That's the official line folks, believe it or not.

The physical card is nothing to do with it at all, you may as well send a Hallmark card with a holy picture on it.

patrickc · 28-08-2009 10:23AM

in the local shop here there 3.50, in the parish centre there 12 euro

big difference

Sleipnir · 28-08-2009 10:29AM

Selling mass cards is the same as the Catholic Church telling the rich that they would only get into heaven if they left their money to the church a few centuries ago.

Pay us, and we'll say a few prayers for you. As a priest, my prayers go further to get you there! but you do have to pay for that.
Disgusting.

ejmaztec · 28-08-2009 10:33AM

patrickc wrote: »

in the local shop here there 3.50, in the parish centre there 12 euro

big difference

I suppose that most people would draw the line at having mass said in a store-room in amongst boxes of Mars Bars and Taytos.

28-08-2009 10:34AM

This post has been deleted.

Biggins · 28-08-2009 10:36AM

Hagar wrote: »

Technically you don't buy a mass or pay for anybody to pray for you.
Generally you make a donation for the upkeep of the church at the same time as you ask for the deceased to be remembered at a mass. There is absolutely no obligation to make any donation whatsoever. If you ask but make no donation the priest cannot refuse.

That's the official line folks, believe it or not.

The physical card is nothing to do with it at all, you may as well send a Hallmark card with a holy picture on it.

100% true. Sadly however in the real down to earth, every day world they don't operate like that.
I've no problem making donations for donations sake to an upkeep for a building... however, who here knows of any person who has gone up to a priests door and asked their priest to pray for someone and then just left without having handed over anything of monetary value?

You want a mass said for someone? - You have to hand over money.
You want a priest to offer up "good intentions?" - You have to hand over money.

If they want money for "A" "B" or "C" and they request donations, fine, people will give what they can but to sell mass cards which IS by further action of the priest at the subsequent later alter, the buying of prayers, is hypocritical of what Jesus actaully advocated with his preachings.

ejmaztec · 28-08-2009 10:37AM

Scien wrote: »

As far as i'm aware RC Priests in Ireland don't get a Salary so they rely on contributions from Parishiners and their Congregation.
Mass Cards is one of the ways they sustain themselves & their Church financially.

It's a pity that todays generation are quick to frown upon RC Priests today.
The vast majority of them a good people who've done a lot of good work within their Communities.

I met that priest a few years ago, but he got moved to another parish because he was too good at his job.

halfinch · 28-08-2009 10:50AM

Personally I think the families of the deceased appreciate a prayer being said in different chrches around the country. In saying that the mass cards in my local church are €2, charging €12 is crazy and taking full advantage of the situation

Also its tradition in this country

BaconZombie · 28-08-2009 10:51AM

Was there not a story a few years ago about them out-source most the a praying to Africa?

Hagar wrote: »

Technically you don't buy a mass or pay for anybody to pray for you.
Generally you make a donation for the upkeep of the church at the same time as you ask for the deceased to be remembered at a mass. There is absolutely no obligation to make any donation whatsoever. If you ask but make no donation the priest cannot refuse.

That's the official line folks, believe it or not.

The physical card is nothing to do with it at all, you may as well send a Hallmark card with a holy picture on it.

28-08-2009 10:58AM

This post has been deleted.

Biggins · 28-08-2009 11:01AM

Scien wrote: »

As far as i'm aware RC Priests in Ireland don't get a Salary so they rely on contributions from Parishiners and their Congregation...

They get a considerable weekly allowance from Rome, whatever also they get on the collection plate is theirs also I'm told by church collection officials. Non-accountable by the way. They also get a housekeeping allowance. Then they get another an allowance for transport.

I also know of another very good priest that was too good at his job (he spoke the plain truth of the problems within the community, etc), he too was moved to the back of nowhere!
The reason - he was too honest and forthcoming. If you were to ask him of how things were done in the church, he would honestly tell you plain and simple. Even to the extent of not lying upon your asking direct questions about specific areas.
He didn't go out of his way to "reveal all" but if someone asked a question, he would give an accurate honest answer - so he was shifted to the arsehole of nowhere - and for the record, he was much loved by the whole town, even the non-believers who had a great deal of grown respect for him.

I can name one monseigneur who took a public building (kept two sets of accounts books - one real - one factious for the public) and used it for his own revenue lock stock and barrel (a relative of mine was his accountant till they resigned in absolute disgust at the actions of the collared man, illegal and immoral), he then sold the building - kept the money and now still drives an up to date merc, has a girlfriend in another town who has had their son, got rid of the housekeeper that had been around for years and moved his girlfriend in under the guise of the new official "housekeeper". He's still operating quite successfully at fleecing the Irish people to this day from his high office.

Now the above crook priest is the exception I'm glad to say but to say they don't get paid, sorry but they indeed do get "paid", an allowance as Rome re-terms it.

biko · 28-08-2009 11:04AM

Until now, there was nothing to prevent commercial companies from selling signed Catholic Mass cards in shops or petrol stations which promised to say offerings for the dead.

But the priests who were supposed to say the Remembrance Masses were often either dead or untraceable.

The new Charities Bill, which is due to be passed by the Dail and Seanad this month, will make it an offence to sell such bogus Mass cards.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/end-to-bogus-mass-cards-1639915.html

Selling a mass card could get you...

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