DC Prelates Kvell Over Reduced Donations - Grab Your Hankies

From the Washington Post we read how the DC chancery is bemoaning the drop in donations received by the Archdiocese.  Well, boo-hoo!  Cry me a river!  Just what the blankety-blank did they expect?

The Post is correct in citing the McCarrick-Wuerl-Bransfield debacles as causes for the drying up of local donations.  What they fail to mention is the utter lack of credibility that the Archdiocese of Washington still has.  When the current prelates waxes eloquent about Fortunate Families, when faithful Catholic reporters are stonewalled when questioning the Rossi mess, we Catholics in the pews understand that the swamp in the DC chancery is still fetid and deep.

So they can whine all they want.  Until these prelates understand that they are called to be priests before progressive "social-justice warriors", I hope and pray that the money flow continues to decrease.  That mens don't toss one penny towards the Archdicesan Appea.  Regrettably money - or lack thereof - is the only language they understand.  In the meantime, to obey the Church's sixth precept, we should direct our donation dollars to a traditional religious order, a pro-life charity, etc.

Good News For Donors

Many good Catholics are in a moral quandry when it comes to donations.  On the one hand, their local parishes may be rather decent, but their diocese - not so much.  Moreover, we have recently learned that at their November meeting last month, the USCCB voted to increase the amount of money that they assess from the US dioceses.  Thus, not only might good Catholics see some of their money going to a lackluster diocese, but they would then see a portion of that be remitted to an absolutely corrupt USCCB.

For that reason, I was delighted to be informed that the Code of Canon Law allows donors to specify how their donations are to be used.  I am referring specifically to Canon 1300.  Accordingly, a friend suggested some language for a letter attached to such donations and I post it (with my own modifications) below:

Dear Father PASTOR,

Please note that we are donating (AMOUNT OF DONATION) to (NAME) parish and that all thid money must stay within the parish. Please respect our wish that no part of this donation is to be transferred to the (LOCAL DIOCESE) nor should it be included in the calculation of any diocesan assessment. We are happy to support your work because we have confidence that your leadership is faithful to the Catholic Church and her timeless teachings. 

(end sample latter)

In the Archdiocese of Washington, the suggested letter can be coupled with another strategy that I mentioned in July 2018.  The Christmas and Easter collections are (for the time being) exempt from the archdiocesan assessment.  Save all the money you would have donated throughout the year and then give it on one or both of those days.  Now I might suggest adding that letter to your contributions.

I can only think of one down-side to this strategy.  We are speaking of Canon law here, and as we've seen with Canon 915, the bishops' track record of obedience to canon law has been, uh, rather selective, shall we say.  However, if you're donating to an honorable pastor, I would hope the strategy proves sound.