YOU SHALL HELP TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH
.Ariel D. DutosmeDeacon Program 2009
Its tempting really especially for a diocesan cleric in terms of his faithfulness to live by the evangelical counsel of poverty. Anyway, its (the vow of poverty) not absolute for the secular clergy. But in the other side a question could be posed: Are secular clerics allowed to accumulate wealth in his lifetime as much as he could hold?
The fifth precept of the church admonishes all Catholics in this manner:You shall help to provide for the needs of the church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2041, "The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor."
In the end its not only the Church as collective body who gets the help from the Christian Catholics but the clerics themselves receive a part of the provisions made by them. Situations such as secular clergy owning beach resort or a transportation business or a lending company, a bank etc. may tickle the minds of the public as to how on earth has this particular cleric got to accumulate all the money that came to finance these business ventures.
I wouldn’t condemn them. Who am I to do that? But its interesting to reflect on this phrase: Makauulaw kaayo tan-awon kung ang kura paroko nagbusyad ang tiyan sa katambok unya ang iyang mga parokyano namyahok ang aping sa kaniwang. (to be taken more figuratively than literally). Yes, we must receive gratefully the financial help offered by the parishioners but I bet if the intentio donantis would aim at making some clerics amass properties for themselves. To quote my spiritual director Rev. Fr. Bob Rice, SJ the technical term for the collections made during Sundays is Patrimonium Pauperitatis which is patrimony of the poor. Anyway to analyze it street-wisely, the clerics are avowed to poverty hence the collections are their patrimony.
Money given to Church are a big help to the Church and when we say Church it refers to the People of God not only for some who are in the hierarchy or clergy but to the People of God. The challenge for me is to accept gratefully whatever is given to me and consider it a help not only for myself but to the Church and especially to those member of the Church that mostly need the help where I am entrusted as an instrument of peoples charity. One problem that I see within me is the diligence to be transparent. It maybe not my intention to conceal but I don’t make things transparent at times because of indolence on my part. Its my struggle and I hope that I can grow much in this area.
