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Mass
offerings
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
Catholics have long believed that having Mass celebrated for a loved one
is the greatest gift a person can give. When making such a request, it
is a custom to make an offering which is then given to the priest who
celebrates the Mass in question. The suggested “offering” is established
by bishops of an ecclesiastical province. The Diocese of
Lafayette-in-Indiana is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of
Indianapolis, along with the dioceses of Gary, Fort Wayne-South Bend and
Evansville.
In the ancient Church, the faithful brought gifts to the Sunday
assembly, especially bread and wine for the Eucharist. What was not
needed for the celebration of Mass was used for the sustenance of the
priest. Over the years, monetary offerings came to be substituted for
bread and wine. Eventually, the offering for Mass made by the faithful
came to be standardized. It was termed a “stipend.” By the 11th and 12th
centuries, the custom of Mass stipends had become widespread, although
there were always some who opposed the practice as a charge levied for
services rendered. That would be simony, a sin against the First
Commandment of the Decalogue. Nonetheless, in 1974, Pope Paul VI upheld
the priest’s right to accept Mass stipends.
Over time, legislation governing stipends became quite complex, in large
part as a check against abuses, such as the unnecessary multiplication
of Masses. Regulations on the number of stipends which can be accepted,
how the intention of the donor was to be safe-guarded, norms on the
ability of priests and the bishops to transfer or reduce Mass
obligations, and careful classifications of stipends based on the form
of Mass celebrated were put in place.
Impatience with the complexity of the regulations on stipends, coupled
with continuing concern over the public perception that Masses were
being sold, led to significant revisions of and reductions in the law on
stipends in the 1983 Code of Canon Law promulgated by Pope John Paul II.
That code explicitly recognizes that the offerings of the faithful are
praiseworthy, but moved away from the term “stipend” in favor of the
more exact term “offering.” This new term is meant to leave no doubt
that offerings given in connection with the celebration of Mass must be
freely given (Canon 945). The amount of the expected offering is to be
determined by the bishops of an ecclesiastical province. While a priest
may accept an offering which is larger than the established amount,
provided it is not coerced, the poor and needy are never to be denied
because of their inability to provide the customary offering.
During a provincial meeting held in May, the bishops of the state of
Indiana were asked to address the “stipend” or offering suggested for
having a Mass celebrated for a special purpose. The last adjustment
dates to 1965. Prior to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican
Council, parish Masses were classified as Low Masses (no music) and High
Masses (celebrant, organist, singer). The offering for a Low Mass was
$2, while the offering for a High Mass was $5. The Low Mass-High Mass
classification was eliminated by the council. At that time, the offering
for every Mass was set at $5 in the Ecclesiastical Province of
Indianapolis. If inflation were applied to that figure, it would be $31
today. That, however, is not the issue. Even though Mass offerings are
part of the overall compensation a priest receives for his ministry,
there is a more fundamental reason why the suggested Mass offering at
this time has been increased.
With the diminished number of priests, the ability to satisfy Mass
requests, especially at the time of death, has been impacted. Funeral
home memorial donations designated for Masses are pooled and divided by
the suggested offering of $5. The same is true of bequests for Masses
left in last wills and testaments (I bequeath, for example, $500 for
Masses to be celebrated for the repose of my soul), a practice utilized
by many Catholics. It has become increasingly difficult to “satisfy” the
number of Masses requested, specifically because Mass offerings, under
normal circumstances, are to be satisfied within a period of one year.
In view of this reality, the bishops of Indiana decreed on May 1 that in
the future the suggested offering for a Mass in our state will be $10.
This will become the norm in our Local Church starting July 1.
Some, perhaps, have never thought of requesting that Mass be celebrated
for a special intention. In reality, each celebration of the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass effectively embraces the entire human family,
living and dead. The liturgy itself demonstrates that Mass is celebrated
for many intentions. Clearly Masses are not limited to one person or one
intention. No Mass is my deceased parent’s Mass or my Aunt Molly’s Mass.
The “intention” spoken of in Canons 945-958 of the Code of Canon Law
refers to holding up to the Lord a special intention in addition
to the intentions included in every Mass: the Holy Father, the diocesan
bishop, the clergy and “the entire people your Son has gained for you”
(the Third Eucharistic Prayer).
One way to understand Mass offerings is to equate them to a donation or
bequest made to any charitable institution in the name of some person,
living or deceased. A donation is made and a card recognizing that fact
is sent to the family of the person so remembered. The money is then
used to further the work of the organization. In a similar way, a Mass
offering is totally gratuitous. The only obligation a priest assumes in
accepting an offering is to include the intention requested in a Mass
which he celebrates.
Catholics believe there is great value in “having Mass celebrated,” as
it is customarily phrased. This is not limited to one who is deceased,
of course. Masses are requested for those who are ill, those who face
various difficulties, for the end of legalized abortion, etc. The “gift”
or stipend offered for raising such a person or intention up to the Lord
admittedly can be misunderstood. As viewed by the legislation of the
Church, however, Mass offerings (stipends) are rooted in the earliest
practices of Christianity. They are gratuitous gifts offered for the
welfare of the Church and its priests in a pattern similar to a memorial
donation made to the Red Cross or other charity. Canon 946: “The
Christian faithful who make an offering so that the Mass may be applied
for their intention contribute to the good of the Church and by their
offering take part in the concern of the Church for the support of its
ministries and works.”
It is hoped the change in the “offering” expected for a Mass will allow
for a more expeditious satisfaction of funeral home memorial donations
and bequests. |
