The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-21
STIRRING UP THE PEW HOLDERS

L
| The parish priest in these states has two
evils to complain of he has the pews to
| rent with no one to take them; he has
pews rented with no one to pay for them.
Yet this revenue from pews is his only
stable support all other sources of reve
| nue. are casual and precarious. If some
| thing could be done to secure a competency
| for our laboriDg clergy, the position of a
priest would be more inviting. Want of
| organization, want of fixed aud stringent
discipline, above all, want of liberality
| among our people result in a hand to-
| mouth existence for the priest. People
give little, and that little very seldom,
and this little they give 30 seldom they
give as a charity. Then there is NO order
or method of giving. Priests rent pews to
people outside their parish and seldom en-
quire if they hold pews in their own
church. In the case of marriages and
bsptisme matters are regulated more salts
factorily, yet many abuses are found even
here.
Bishop Rosecrans has enacted q law in
his diocese to remedy the evils of tardy,
insufficient and refractory church support.
He has published the following:
All Catholics, no matter of what age they
may be, provided they have any proper in
come, permanent or transient, are bound to
rent pew or seat in their church. Failing to
comply with this obligation they must be ex-
cluded from participation in the Sacramento
Except in the case of large cities he re
quires that there shall be sufficient pews
to accommodate all the congregation. This
will necessitate the Sub division of large
parishes, thing greatly to be desired in
every diocese in the land. Bishop McQuade,
of Rochester, will not allow any church to
be built by one of his priests in future
with seating capacity of over one thou
sand (; and he gives as his reason that one
Thousand souls are quite sufficient for the
care of one man.
It is urged against this law of Bishop
Rosecrans that it is a stretch of episcopal
prerogative. The Church says simply,
"Support your pastors" and hence the
faithful are free to furnish this support at
the time and in the manner they choose. |
This is not the case. Councils legislate
for the whole Church and leave to synods |
and to bishops the enactment of such sub
sidiary lave as will give to their legis alton |
effect. The Bishop is q law-giver in his |
own diocese and even in cases where be |
summons his clergy to his aid in synod, he |
is still the sole fountain of diocesan legis-
lation. The laws of a bishop in his own |
diocese are binding where they are not |
eral laws of the Church. If Bishop Rose.
crane finds that the people do not support
their clergy, be not only has power to
int1ict pu nish mont, but he can make such
as will effectually prevent a
relapse into the same abuse. When the
|
can support his laws with penalties, even
to the extent of accommodating the dis
obedient.
A correspondent further objects, that
ibis law will bring money matters into the
to an alarming and scandalous
extent, and give to the administration of
The Sacraments a color of worldly buei.
less. From time immemorial confessors
rave insisted that the payment of debts,
'r at least promise to do 80, shall pre-
;ede absolution, yet there never has been
much serious objection to the practice. We
nave no sympathy with those whose relig-
ons susceptibilities are SO refined and
ethereal that the jarriDg sound of the word
money from the pulpit throws them into a
woon. There is at present too little busi
less in our religious affairs the result is
We are marvel to men Of business in the
world. With obligations hanging over US
which We cannot meet, and necessities
lamoripg for supply which we see daily I
in is folly to speak of the sem i
itiveness of the people.
1t scandaliEes the people to be always !
larping on money. 1t also scandalizes peo- q
lie for priests not to pay their debts. III
candal must be given willy -nilly, then we
refer the scandal that gives us enough to
at and wear, to that which starves us.
ones clergy is business trans
ction and should be made the peoples
usiness more than it is.