The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-01
Collecting Money
 At Church Doors
Apostolic Delegate Urges its DiscOntinuance-SendsC Circu- lar Letter to All Bishops and Archbish0ps

Monsignor Diomede Falconio, apos- tolic delegate in this country, has sen, a circular letter to all the bishops and archbishops of the Roman Catholic church in the United States, direct ing them to see that the practice o1 collecting money at the church doors and the selling of tickets for the masses be at once discontinued where ever such practice is in vogue. The letter follows:-
 Your Lordship:-
 On different occasions complaints have been made by various persons to this delegation of the custom ex- 1sting in some places as to the de- mand 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 or at other religious services.
 It was also said that in some local ities tickets for entrance to the church TOT the same purpose 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 too true that these practices really exist in some of the parishes of the various dioceses, and did not fail to call the attention of the ordinaries to the matter.
 Since there is here a question Of a practice really reprehensible and al- ready condemned, a practice, more over, which could easily spread, and thus give still greater scandal both to Catholics and to non-Catholics, l have deemed it my duty to make 1t the subject of circular letter.
 It has long been known to all how strongly the Holy See has reprobated all practices of this kind, their ex- plicit condemnation having been made by Plus TX in the year 1862 Not less explicit are the provisions of the Sec ond and Third Plenary Councils of Baltimore concerning this matter. (Cfr. Cone. Plen. Bait IT,, No. 397 and Conc. Plen. Bait. IDI., No. 288. ) To these should be added the fact that the sc. of the Propaganda addressed to all the bishops of the United States letter dated 15 August. 1869, which contained the following: "Praxim pecunias exigendi ad fores ecclesiarum ut fdeles ingredi possint, ct divfnis mysteriis adesse. .. Penitus aboleri atque eliminarf cupiens, s. Congregatio A. Tuam nunc in Domino adhortari non desinit, ut omnem curam conferas, si forte in aliquibus istius diocesis locis consuetudinem huiusmodi invalusse, noveris, ne ulli omnio collectores, quando christifi- deles in ecclesiam ingrediuntur, quo Dei audire possint, ad earumdem ec- clesiarum flores ponantur."
 I also wish to add that so recently as the 22nd of May, 1908, His Emil hence, the Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda, having received com plaints concerning this matter, direct ed me to take measures to prevent the I accordingly called the attention of the bishop in whose diocese the abuse was verified to the matter.
 After all that I have here set forth your lordship, to whom ecclesiasti- cal decorum and the good of souls is above all other consideration, will, I am sure, be more than ever con- vinced of the necessity of completely eliminating all evils of this kind. l therefore request you to command all rectors of churches in your diocese to all these practices, if they have already been introduced, and by no means to permit them to be estab- lished, if they do not already exist.
 I we'll know that in some churches money is collected at the door, not for mere entrance, but as a payment for a seat III the cHuTcn. Even liliS dC- tice cannot be tolerated, since it pro- duces an undesirable impression on all, and has proved to be, in practice, the cause of many regrettable conse- uuences.
 This custom also is, moreover, directly and manifestlY opposed to the spirit of the aforementioned let ter of the s. Congregation of the Propaganda, in which it is explicitly said "Ne ulli omnio collectores (. ad ecclesiarum flores ponantur." This custom, therefore, must also be abolished. In order, however, that the proper revenue from the pews be not lost, your lordship can devise some other method involving no objection able features.
 It need not be said that the present letter is not intended to prevent the or the taking up of tick cts gratuitously given when special suggest their use.
 I am sure that your lordship will put into execution without delay what have here, as a matter of con- science, directed; inslructing the clergy at the same time that if in the future further complaints con- corning these matters are received and are found to be we'll grounded, the rector responsible for them will be eondignly punished.
 Kindly acknowledge the receipt of this letter.
 Respectfully yours in Christ,
 D. FALCONIO.
 Apostolic Delegate.