The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-10-28
NO MORE FEES
At CHURCH DOORS
Papal Delegate in Circular Letter
Requests That the Custom
be Abolished.
Cites Provisions of Councils of the
Church Which Have Condemn
ed the Practice.
The Custom Characterized as Re.
prehenslble and Productive
of Scandal.

D1C11Cl1SlUlC dllu IlOuuCIlVC
of Scandal.
Following is the text OF the letter
sent out by His Excellency, Monsignor
Falconio. Apostolic Delegate to the
United States, asking that the prac-
tice of accepting contributions at
church doors from those who are not
pew holders be discontinued:
Washington, Dec. 20, 1911.
Your Lordship: "On different occa-
sions complaints have been made by
various persons to this delegation of
the custom existing in some places as
to the demand made at the doors of
the church for money contributions to
be given by those who are entering
for the purpose of assisting at Mass
OF at other religious services.
"It was also said that in some To-
calities tickets for entrance to the
church for the same purposes were
previously sold. and especially ON the
occasion of Christmas, Easter, etc.,
and were then demanded at the door
of the church.
"The necessary investigation having
been made, it was found to be only too
true that these practices really exist
in some Of the parishes of the various
dioceses, and I did not fail to call the
attention Of the old.naries to the mat
ter.
Practice Really Reprehensible. t.
"Since there is here a question of a
practice really reprehensible and al
ready condemned, practice, more
over, which would easily spread, and
thus give still greater scandal both to
Catholics and to non- Catholics, have
deemed it my duty to make it the sub
ject of circular letter.
1T has long been known to all how
strongly the Holy See has reprobated
all practices of this kind, their explicit
condemnation having been made by
Plus TX in the year 1862. Not less
explicit are the provisions of the Sec
ond and the Third Plenary Councils Of
Baltimore concerning this matter.
(Cfr. Conc. Plen. Bait. H., No. 397 and
Con. Plen. Bait. Ill, No. 2SS). To
these should be added the fact that the
Sacred Congregation Of the Propa-
ganda addressed to all the Bishops of
the United States a letter dated Au-
gust Is. 1869, which contained the fol-
lowing:
The sacred congregation wishing
completely to abolish and eliminate
church doors, SO that the faithful may
be allowed to enter and to be present
at divine services. does not cease to
exhort your lordship that you devote
every care, if perhaps it has come to
your knowledge that any custom of
this has grown up in your diocese,
that no collectors whatever be placed
at the doors of these churches when
the faithful of Christ are entering the
church for the purpose of being pres
ent at divine services, or Of hearing
the Word of Cod
More Recent condemnations.
" II also wish to add that so recently
as May %. 1908, His Eminence the
Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda
having received complaints concerning
this matter, directed me to take meas
ures to prevent the repetition OF
abuses of this kind, and 1 accordingly
in whose diocese the abuse was veri- :
fed to the matter.
"After all that have here set forth
your lordship, to whom ecclesiastical
decorum and the good of souls is above
all other considerations, will, I am
sure, be more than ever convinced OF
the necessity of completely eliminat-
ing all evils of this kind. l therefore
request you to command all rectors
OF churches in your diocese to discon-
tinue all these practices, if they have
already been introduced, and by nc
means to permit them to be esta blish.
ed, If they do not already exist
II we'll know that in some churches
money is collected at the door, not
for mere entrance, but as a payment