"The Catholic Church can just sell the Vatican to keep every parish in the U.S. open and if not, oh well, rich white parishioners should shoulder the responsibility for every single charitable thing that the Catholic Church does."
What it would actually mean - parishes in poor and lower income communities would not be able to survive and Catholic Charities - one of the largest providers of social services in the country - would be greatly impacted.
At least in Massachusetts, churches aren't taxed because they are churches. They aren't taxed because they are charities. Many people don't understand that fact.
Now, you want to talk better IRS oversight of churches when they are violating rules against politicking? That's fine, we're totally on board with that. And if you want to talk about greater financial transparency of religious institution? Again, we agree.
But "taxing churches" actually removes the oversight we're already supposed to have on politicking in parishes and churches.
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"The organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess same dignity & identical rights as men. We say one thing with words, but our decisions & reality tell another story."
Glad to see but this is true of the Church, too. #FratelliTutti
These two sentences from #FratelliTutti: "War, terrorist attacks, racial or religious persecution, and many other affronts to human dignity are judged differently, depending on how convenient it proves for certain, primarily economic, interests..."
Fr. James Altman (WI pastor), has produced a disturbing video w/RW pol. group, illegitimately smearing all Catholic Dems (2 by name) & even clergy & bishops (@WashArchbishop by name). In doing so he has violated Canon Law & ignored a 1993 Pope JPII directive against such actions.
Fr. James Altman (a pastor) said you cannot be Catholic + a Democrat & that we don't know God, saying at same time (w/smirk) that he doesn't love people in Borneo. Fr. Altman, pls learn the Gospels or perhaps you'd be happier w/ a different job. Bp Callahan @DIOLaCrosse? @USCCB
Won’t share his egregious video but given it's broken thru on social media & RW blogs, we must issue a Public Notice of Canon Law Transgression so all Catholics - including clergy & bishops - learn our pastors should "form consciences, not replace them," as @Pontifex says. @USCCB
The answer to your question, LW, is "because baptism is a sacrament in the Catholic Church and Mass is the way we roll"?
Yes, it's rude for you to skip Mass, even if "Deb" isn't "really religious at all."
We always end up rolling our eyes when people ask Catholicy questions at Dear Prudence.
The eye-rolling comes from the fact that so many of the people who write in with Catholic questions seem to often boil down to something that they could solve with 5 minutes of Googling.
Invocation by Dr. Polly Baca, the first Hispanic woman elected to the Colorado State Senate and in the House and Senate of a state Legislature. #CatholicsforBiden#BidenHarris