The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-05-05
CONSIDERATIONS ON CANON
LAW.


!
from the European idea OF d parish
priest is the necessity on the part 81
our rector of raising all the money loi
all the works for a parish In Euro
,ean countries the first step is to OBJ
tain a fund from a government q mu-
nfcfnalitv. a prince, or from some othef
similar source, through the bishop S IN
Auence. to erect a church, to endow II
with enough for the maintenance of
the requisite clergy. and to provide Tor
the necessary expenses; then the par
ish priest has mainly to look after the
spiritual needs of his people. In this
country a priest goes out to district
allotted to him by the bishop. but i'm
true gospel style without a purse or
wherewith to procure even the ground
on which to fix his own dwelling His
first thought is to interest those for
whom he is to work in the purchase of
ground on which to. build a church,
and. when this is secured, to make con-
tracts for the building. NOminally he
NAV be associated with the bishop and
yicar-gencraI and q. couple of laymen
as co-trustees in the control of the
| temporalities of his parish, but practi-
cally all the burden of raising the
money devolves upon his personal eff
/ forts. the others may act as a check
upon his expenditure of it. His own
| personal emoluments are restricted by
diocesan regulations. under sanction Of
the Plenary Councils. Thus whilst he
may be entitled to certain fixed sal
airy. by diocesan direction, this is to
come from his own exertion, and is not
at all guaranteed to him. Each year
he is TO collect it as best he may II
the revenues derived through his So
licitations suffice to meet it, well and
good: but otherwise he can make no
claim elsewhere for it. If he finds after
all his exertions that he cannot main
tain himself from the income obtained
his remedy is to present the statement
Of his trouble to the bishop, who Is eH-
pected to provide either by the en-
largement of the district, or at times
where this may be thought due TO
some personal reasons. by the transfer
to another more suitable place, whilst
a further experiment may be handed
over to a more ambitious man. All
these needs of every variety for rec
tory and schools and hospitals explain
the numberless ways to which resort
is had by the rectors Of missions for
obtaining the required funds. General
" to them this is the most irksome OF
all their duties. and the most arduous.
az
were forbidden to have recourse to pic
MICS. excursions, fairs and similar en-
tertainments. The proper way for the
obtaining Of the necessary funds for all
parochiaI purposes should be the di-
rect contributions in church from the
people whose benefit is sought-unfOr-
tunately too often this is a utOpian de
pendence, and without the aid of the
other resources many of the important
works of a parish must be stopped
It is however, imperative that nothing
should be done which should encourage |
wrong-do1ng or excess of any kind at
such festivals Evil must not be done
that good may come. Above all no rec |
tor has the right to refuse his ministra- |
lions especially of the sacraments, TO I
those who are poor. Free access must |
be provided for them to Mass and to |
instruction in Christian doctrine. |
Whilst no humiliation must be pur- /
posely caused them because of their |
poverty, yet they cannot reasonably /
of not having all the conven-
fences which are given to others. This /
is the most troublesome of all the
knotty problems presented to our rec
tors. Constant demands are made upon
them for large sums to meet the needs
Of the parish; many, for whose benefit
the work is done. stirk their response
bility for their share of the burden,
which they strive TO lay entirely on
the shoulders of a few willing ones.
Experience for many years in dealing
with parishes in large cities enables US
70 say that generally one-fifth of a con-
gregation bears four-fifths of the bur-
lens of the parish. Yet there is no more
cause of discomfort in a ar
sh than this most troublesome of all
he rector's duties of raising the money
% meet its Indebtedness. 1t is not
wonderful that where contractors are
pressing the rector for money due, he
should in turn be eXtra-pressing upon
ome of the parishiOners whom he con-
iiders able to do much more than they
ire doing. The hardship of this extra
PRESSURE does not usually make itself
cit very much in parishes in the |
arger cities, where such things do not
asily come to the ears of the neigh '
,ors or are not noticed in the midst
f the ruch of many busy lives. This
reSsure becomes a serious matter in
mailer places, where every ones bust
ess is readily canvassed by his neigh
ors, and where greater attention is
aid to the smaller grievances of life.
t is not astonishing that there should /
e frequent friction, which in the
curse of time may amount to serious
lienation on the part of some, even
} the extent of insuperable objection
} the rectors spiritual ministrations.
rom legal standpoint. he has often
one no more than the bulk of the
may applaud him for do
lg. Yet things at times come to such T
pass that whereas no charge can be
rought against him for violation of
ny law, or even of any principle of h
stice, yet the good of souls may re-
lire for administrative reasons his "
ansfer to another field of duty. The h
shop may even be convinced that the
scontented parishioners may have no &c
lid ground for their alienation, yet
may see that this is insuperable III
Id Incompatible with the welfare of -
It few souls The law requires in ~