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“POOR PRIESTS – SCOTLAND v IRELAND.

FROM A SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT:

Priests derive their income from their parish. Priests in Scotland receive a salary of just under £3,000 per annum.

Although the policy regarding the purchase, maintenance and running of cars differs from diocese to diocese, in most dioceses, the car is a private expense, a further £2,000 is available to help with petrol for ‘work mileage.’ So, that’s about £5,000 a year.

In some parishes where finances are stretched, priests don’t always take their full allowance some clergy beyond the state pension age choose to live the state pension instead.

If you add in the provision of the house, heat, light and food, then you arrive at a perfectly reasonable standard of living.

A parish priest is allowed to keep one Mass stipend per day, (currently £10) although he must celebrate a Sunday Mass for the intentions of the people.

This earns him £ 3,120 a year – more if he gets bigger stioends than £ 10.

Masses are celebrated during the month of the Holy Souls in November and any Mass offerings enclosed in the November lists can either form part of an individual priest’s stipendiary income or, be shared at deanery or diocesan level.

Weddings £100


No 35,000 Euro’s here or separate homes.
They get free prescriptions and dental health from the NHS.


Now encouraged to get Funeral Plans themselves so the Dioceses do not need to pay.

No credit cards or mobile phones.


It is spam Tuesdays and Fish Fridays in Scotland.


Must be fantastic to be a Priest in Ireland.

IRELAND:

Priests in Ireland now have salaries of between € 20,000 and € 35,000.

Presumably they can also keep their Mass stipends?

Do they keep what they get for funerals and weddings?

Many priests have cash pressed into their hands regularly by laity and I’m sure priests in wealthier parishes get gifts of hundreds or thousands.

Priests get money left to them in wills sometimes.

WHEN I STARTED OFF:

My first parish was Bridgend in Wales starting in September 1976.

I had my keep and no household bills and the PP gave me £ 5 pocket money.

I had no car and a widespread parish. The PP refused to lend ne the price of a car.

A very generous elderly lady friend, Mary Hodinott, RIP, a retired teacher, bought me a used Opel and taxed and insured it for me.

The PP was furious because then he had to give me a car allowance 😁

In Belfast, St Peter’s in 1978, I had my keep and £ 70 a month and some car allowances and part of Christmas, Easter and November clergy collections.

I think Kilkeel and Larne were similar.

Daly cut off all my money in July 1986 and have been self-financing for 35 years.

All Oratory priests have been and are 100% self-financing.

CONCLUSION

Good priests, who offer good services to those who seek those services from them, are, to my mind, perfectly entitled to be remunerated.

“The labourer deserves his wages”.

A good priest will not be money orientated even though like all, he needs money to survive.

Some priests, like some people, suffer from avarice, greed and meanness. Such people are offputting in the extreme.

Personally, I think it a scandal when I hear a priest leaves a lot of money and property in his will.

I knew an Irish priest who kept a yacht in the Adriatic.

I have known Irish priests who have gambled vast fortunes in their lifetimes.

In the past some Irish priests owned a lot of land and a lot of stock.

Jesus never said it was a sin.

But he did say it was a sin for the rich to share with the poor.

AND

Is it the business of someone who does not contribute to the church or priests what priests earn?

HANS KUNG FUNERAL

105 replies on ““POOR PRIESTS – SCOTLAND v IRELAND.”

Pat, a very worthy topic indeed. The Scots, Welsh and English clergy have always had it bad financially compared to Ireland. Some English clergy lot have had their money cut, you are probably not aware of that. I know the naysayers will say good for them which is OK. What I am getting at is the Irish clergy are rolling in it compared to others.

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How do the Oratory priests self finance? Do you have an overseer of finances at the Oratory? In the past in Ireland you were very fortunate if you were assigned to comfortable, wealthy parishes. If in a poor parish, you had little. Today all finances are supervised and governed by charities act protocols and requirements. Stipends received are registered for tax purposes. In Dublin Diocese all donations are traceable and must adhere to strict guudelines. I don’t believe we can complain about our salary as we all receive the same basic salary. People are kind to us generally. Some priests are left family legacies and can therefore afford luxuries.. Not the norm for all priests. Pat, you receive stipends and donations and you receive the pension. I think any priest who is attached to wealth is a contradiction.

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I don’t know where you get it Jesus said it was a sin to share with the poor.
The full ethos of the Roman Catholic Church is to look after the poor and the needy but I suppose the critics will say that is a Pope Francis thing.
Jesus fed the 5000, cured the lame feed the starving.
So where did he say it is a sin the tich to the give to the poor.
Don’t say it is a Frankie boy rule as if you think St. Francis of assisi fed the poor.
Maybe it’s a Presbyterian thing however Roman Catholic are encouraged to give to the poor even our SVP is based on the needy

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Frank’s ostentatious and “look at how humble I am” move to the casa cost €2m because the Vatican bought up properties across the street to prevent him being overlooked.

How much do his pointless and unpopular junkets on gas-guzzling chartered jets cost?

How much of the Vatican money spent on dodgy apartment blocks in Chelsea went to the poor? Not a red cent.

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10.53
His junkets cost nothing near what Sat John Paul’s cost.
Do not forget he is a World Wide Leader.
The next Pope will be younger and tour the World to see his flock.

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Are probate records public in Ireland. They are in England and Wales. You can download a copy of a person’s will and the grant of probate which tells you the amount of their net estate at death. I did look at Archbishop Couve de Murvilles and think he left behind around £150k.

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Kung asked good questions but he didn’t have many answers. He looked to Barth who strengthened the protestants’ swing to fundamentalism, not understanding Holy Spirit gifts. The real reason Kung got slung out in those days was probably that the Vatican City was at that time still looking for samples of teaching on Holy Spirit (no matter that it wasn’t keeping them well) (which doesn’t matter to it at all nowadays). But he himself maybe didn’t understand this.

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And that was unfair to Kung because Rome should have been teaching properly itself. Nowadays there will be plenty of people offering to show him the ropes to creep into favour – the opposite peril, but the same ill underneath, only worse.

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The only “gospel” we measure ourselves against is the gospel of Jesus which is the blueprint for all values, principles and ideals for priests. Because we are entrusted with such a huge task and responsibility, any failing is always seen as a great sin or shame or in some cases, a crime. Leaving aside the egregious crime of sexual abuse, deserving the full rigour of civil law, the normal human failings befall priests too. We are not perfect: we are human: we will fail, we are sinners, we are often morally weak. Our failures are written larger simply because we are “priests”. Is this fair? Is it justified? Ordination doesn’t automatically confer Godlike strength, virtues or charisma! We strive to be what is expected by the gospel of Christ. It is a daily choice we must make: God, Jesus or the lures of the world where we simply “fit in” the work we have to do. Spirituality rooted in prayer, scripture, the mystics and saints of the Church and moral teachings must combine together in harmony to give a framework ideal to live within. Where necessary a grounding in contemporary psychology, the humanities, constant reflection, reading and vontemplation are essential too for personal growth.

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Presumably, the minimum or living wage does not apply to them. However, Scots priests will have similar expenses associated with gay life as their Irish counterparts, e.g., gay bars, saunas, holidays, PreP, eau de parfum, Grindr and the likes. They don’t look hard up to me.

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Minimum wage does not apply to the self-employed. They could apply for Universal Credit and would probably be eligible.

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This is very interesting. I am in the Lancaster Diocese and at least two of our parish priests had their very modest cars, bought by their parents.

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This salary does not include the £100/£150 minimum for weddings and funerals. Wee envelope not declared and there is more than one of those a week .
This salary does not include the little envelopes so that the priest will “ offer mass “ and “ pray “ for someone whose anniversary occurs . Scandalous … wait , isn’t that why the church began a reformation !!
I will Never it a priest to pray for one of his sheep . Yet , they accept it gladly and straight into jacket pocket .
So, yes . Not to be trusted when they plead poverty

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Any offering I get for saying a Mass goes into the parish account. I get a monthly stipend, so all mass offerings, wedding and funeral fees are paid to the parish. It’s so much more simpler. I don’t have much money, but I have a roof over my head, food on my table and enough to pay for my car insurance for my second hand car and to have some social time. What else do I need?

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“They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse!”

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I don’t know what the headline money figure is that my priest receives. However, he lives, not ostentatiously, but perfectly adequately and comfortably. The large, comfortable house has been remodelled, redecorated, re-kitchened and re-bathroomed over the last few years, and it is spacious and comfortable. He has a nice domestic lifestyle. Actually, I don’t begrudge that. I’d prefer him to live comfortably and for the place to be well kept rather than for him to devolve down to the lowest common denominator, as some priests do – unkempt, scruffy, careless. I don’t envy my priest’s comfortable domestic life. Where he lives is public property, there are people out and in all the time, he is constantly seen and watched in his coming and goings, and if he wants a decent day off he has to go elsewhere otherwise there is no getting away and relaxing away from the business and intrusion of the place. I do know that he isn’t going to be able to save for his retirement, and there will be no decent pension, final sum, and savings, investments and property that he will be able to acquire, and he will end up relying on the patronage of his bishop and diocese. A man of his education, background and skills in any other walk of life would be able to look forward to some comfortable retirement, but he will spend his retirement always dependent on others, especially the bishop and the VG for whatever he has. And, as we have seen in some dioceses recently, there can be unilateral cuts and changes to your retirement benefits imposed by the bishop as he sees fit. I note the servile and spiritual twist that is given to this kind of situation – obedience, service, not concerned for oneself, but that is just convenient and self-serving massaging to justify a situation that really isn’t justifiable or sustainable. But, I do not begrudge my priest a few nice things, given what he has to put up with. It does all beg the question as to who pays for all this, and I’m aware that there is an obfuscation and grey economy that goes on to facilitate all this. Clearing all that up and making things much more transparent is something that should happen when they get around to sorting out clerical life and culture, as must happen eventually. They are unsustainable as presently lived. Over the years, I’ve observed closely that various priests that have come and gone, and I have always had a feeling of sympathy for them, and feel somewhat sorry that they have to live in this, albeit reasonably comfortable way – but, without any support, close relationship, ordinary life, and privacy. I’m not sure it does them any good, really.

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His skills are more valuable than he probably thinks. People will pay good money to watch someone say magic words and turn one thing into another.

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10.33: You are most welcome to the Church to bring forth the bread and wine anytime for Consecration!! Just phone….I mean it!!

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Ah now, don’t ridicule the powers conferred by ordination, that ontological change thingy. That magical trick I can’t debate: it’s just too outlandish.
But what I can comment on is the writer @ 9:04’s observations referring to RC priests as “men of education, background and skills”. When parishioners’ instinctive deference is removed, are their priests always deserving of such attributes? Is the narrow nature of their seminary training with, in most cases, very little subsequent development the mark of true education?

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The skills we see demonstrated here are screaming at anyone who raised criticism and exposing themselves. Police officer or stripper would be possible careers using this skill set.

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Have you seen the tubs of lard in the provincial seminaries? Most would struggle on the till in Poundland …

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What is also not spoken about is the cash that the Scottish sems seem to have or get. They all walk around in designer gear and laugh in everyone’s face

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9.44
Their families pay for the designer gear and mostly now some seminarians worked and were at University.
Very unusual for a seminarian to come straight from school and there is no junior seminaries now a days
If you look at one Priest in own dioceses a past school teacher and brother play’s for Scotland so do you think they are going to let their Brother go about scruffy.
Remember the people of Scotland are Very Good to their Clergy with gifts and maybe their pals has bought them designer clothes however be rest assured the parishes do not and the charity commissioners would not allow it.

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9.44: That’s a lie and utter nonsense. It’s a great lie. Are you jealous or were you flipped out of the seminary?

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11.53
No I was not not flipped out of Seminary
There is NO lies there at all however I can only speak about Scotland and the kindness of the people to the Clergy.
Some Seminarians are on Student bursaries if you only knew..
The designer clothes are all gifts from friends and families plus some savings.
Most cars are on HP or lease agreements from Arnold Clark.

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11.56: Kieran, you don’t inspire with your supposed superior education as evidenced in your words. You are very limited and impoverished in thought, analysis and critiquing. Elucidate for us your radical vision and plan for a renewed Church and society that meet a rapidly changing world. Let’s put your intellectual prowess to the test.

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Maybe Kieran is not interested in renewing an obsolete decadent and unnecessary self serving church 🤔
I can only say that I have found Protestant clergymen, especially Anglicans, much better educated and informed that the RCC variety, ……..provided you can avoid the sash wearing bible thumping N. Ireland Orange type.

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Anon1:05: Everything in your comment is addressed ‘ad hominen ‘ to Kieran. You answer none of his legitimate questions, nor make any positive comment or suggestion.
Is that really your best effort?

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Carluke 75 Father Magill does not have an elaborate life style and has served Motherwell diocese for 45 years.
Motherwell is one of the well run dioceses so gripe on Carluke 75 when was the last time you were in St. Athanasius.
Motherwell Dioceses could not afford all the seminaries they have ordained this last five years it is families who provide for their sons.
Joe Devine left it badly organised and not very financially sound that is how he went overnight
maybe your Matthew Despard :).

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I was in the hardware shop on Balham High Road and one of the clergy was in front of me. His American Express was refused in the shop. I wonder what salary he has if he has an Amex as they are the gold standard when it comes to cards. The card wasnt refused for lack of funds simply the shop doesnt accept that card type. Maybe they claim Universal Credits as self emoloyed.

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Oohhh, would that be Little Father Peter of Wandsworth ? He’s got well of farming parents who could provide him with an AmEx card so he could buy his traddy vestments and knickknacks, not to mention the champers he likes to quaff.

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Yes designer labels we do like @9.44am. We deserve it and yes we do like laughing in the faces of idiots like you. We will be buying dolce & gabbana boxers whilst you will be in the queue for primark.

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10.34: You are the one crying “poor priests” not priests themselves!!! Priests generally are satisfied with their salary and some if us borrow through the Credit Union or our bank for car loans. Yes, we can pay and we are not complaining. So, 8f it makes you happy, jeep repeating your caca..😂🤣😁🤣😄👹👺☻☻☻☻…

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Poor poor priests. 😂
The word poor has more meanings than referring to money, but I wouldn’t expect you to understand that.
Poor poor poor priests.

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Ledwith of Maynooth had his own private plane.

Mgr Peter O’Reilly, the PP of Enniskillen, used to go to America and come back with very costly vestments which he’d then lend to Joe Duffy.

He is getting the big parochial house in Enniskillen, when was extensively refurbished and a bigger three-bedroom house built. Why three bedrooms. The curates live across the street in two big townhouses and there are empty apartments in those that he could live in.

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That was a genuine misunderstanding about Ledwith. He actually travelled on the astral plane, but didn’t always make this clear.

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why would a single man need a house like that? could he not have a 1-2 bedroom apartment? or a small bungalow?

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I’m sure what they paid out on the new house was nothing compared to what they made on the old house. Which will function as offices too.

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I expect he’s replaced the pale walls with flock wallpaper at great expense already.
Honestly, any of you clergy who feel you are living at your level or below, are being taken for a ride. When will you all wake up and see the church is really a club for an inner circle!

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With most clubs, a conscious decision is made, normally by the applicant, to gain access, together with an agreement to abide by the club rules.
The RCC club membership is completely different. One becomes a member by accident of geographical location and familial birth. The RC virus is thus infected in infancy, nourished
throughout childhood and reinforced by cultural association in adulthood.
And even if you opt out of “playing by its rules”, you’re still included in its tally of membership

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Anon 1.00pm
Yes club of inner circle correct cos we can’t influence or change rcc ways of abuses. Still all the money goes to the top ie the Vatican and Pope. Some die hard catholics said rcc isn’t a democracy bec it protects them from changing faith, dogma et al. But I disagree cos if they can’t change their ways of abuses and laugh at ya. That’s not acceptable to me or any victims of abuses. Mc aleese brought it up an issue of conscription by baptism. That made me think cos we as tots didn’t ask for one until we are mature enough to decide. In other words, We didn’t have a choice to decide as it was done by parents.

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That’s outrageous expenditure for a new bishop’s house. Isn’t Redcar in his diocese? I am amazed they secure charitable status from the charity commission. Anyone who puts a penny in the collection plate in that diocese needs certifying…

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Deaf Guy.
I struggle to think if you know anything about the financial working of the Church as what you say is strange so I will try and explain.
The only money collected in the UK or Ireland for the Vatican is peter’s pence which the Pope gives to charities.
I do not get it where you think that dioceses sends money to Rome Dioceses have NO money it is the peoples money administered by the dioceses and some dioceses are not that rich and some are going to be struggling.
Money collected in a dioceses mostly gets spent in that dioceses or in national bodies like the Bishops conferences which oversees the Tribunals, Vocations, Seminaries and other national issues but it is only a percentage depending on the size of the dioceses.
The only other money that goes from dioceses to Rome is for the Tribunal where naughty clergy appeal and that costs a fortune for the dioceses.
If you are that interested all is revealed on Charity Commissions web sites or request it from the finance teams at whatever dioceses that you are interested in.

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If you actually read the article instead of HATING you will find she is not leaving, she is retiring and vowing to be a thorn in the fundamentalists’ side.
Fool.

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She’s leaving her sinecure. Attending to the handful of Anglican churchgoers in Waterford must be light duties.

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@3:45
You are so bitter, twisted and, yes, jealous, that you would probably be happier leaving. I would suggest joining the Anglicans, but since you don’t have the common manners to understand that they don’t use the word priestess for female clergy, you would be a doubtful fit.
Westboro Baptist Church may be a better fit for you.

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12.19
It’s fundamentalists like you who will be her target. And rightly so. Do you also refer to doctoresses, teacheresses, journalistessess, assistantesses, bigotesses, carpenteresses?

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1:43, your makey-up words aren’t in the dictionary. Priestess is, as is actress, which, in the case of Anglican clergy, amounts to one and the same thing.

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5:11 What’s a dictionary but a compendium of lexicographical conventions of a particular group at any given time which are always in a state of flux. Change the group or the time and you change the conventions. So there’s nothing particularly remarkable about a word making it into a dictionary.

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Pat, were you watching the funeral? I imagine you have a soft spot for the royals. Will you offer a mass for Prince Philip?

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I watched the funeral. I am more a Republican than a Royalist.

I do appreciate the Queen’s service and loyalty.

I’m not sure about Philip.

But geezers like that Andrew are obnoxious hangers on.

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One of the royal flunkies commenting during ITV’s coverage revealed that in HRH’s personal library the two largest subjects in the collection were ornithology, and religion.

It is said that Philip could live with High Church, Broad Church and Low Church but what he prefered most of all was Short Church.

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The whole business of masses or prayers “for the dead” seems a confusing mystery to me.
According to RCC’S teachings, if the deceased died in a state of grace they’re already in heaven, so masses and prayers are unnecessary and superfluous. If, on death, the deceased was in a state of mortal sin, there’s no escape from the fires of hell regardless of how many prayers etc are said.
I’m ignoring that purgatory ” temporary burning bit”: hasn’t it been discarded now?
So what’s the use of the prayers and masses for the dead, especially sometimes years after the event? While it may make grieving relatives feel better, might it just be another money making facade for the clergy.
Or maybe the magic of some kind of retrograde predestination might come into it?🤔
MMM

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Interesting, and very revealing, that none of the defenders of the faith, the RCC, have attempted any response to this legitimate questioning of Mass card/prayersforthedead business.
So maybe the whole mass card business is indeed a clerical scam they don’t want questioned so they keep quiet.
Or perhaps the lay faithful readers realise that they have been/are being scammed and are too embarrassed to comment?
Just wondering, ……..like!

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I wonder how much the Dean of Windsor gets, or the “archbishop of Canterbury” (as the Vatican’s newspaper used to style that office-holder)?

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Miss Jannson and Mrs. McAleese will bloom together into one big thorn and dare any conservative question their agenda. When Ma Mc was President shecwined and dined with all clerics, loving especially to bow before their mitres and rings: Ma Johnson probably bowed before her superiors too and dined and dined similarly among her clergy. Both seemed to have “played” their politucs and positions very well until retirement…Now, once previous clerical friends in high places and palaces and loyal devotees are their “perceived” enemies. What a crazy world we live in…They’ll both traipse around the country looking for followers. I suggest they establish a New Church and let them show us true christianity and what a truly lived Jesus Inspired Community is meant to be. They will then have the freedom to write their own vision. I await this new time, this new kingdom!!

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5.16
This is a tired and lazy narrative from you about Mary McAleese. If you made a fraction of the contribution she has made and is making, you’d be doing well.

Not getting the Cof I cleric’s name right is a form of passive aggression.

Get it seen to before your bloodpressure does for you.

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Bishop Byrne had everything to do with the purchase of his million pound new home – he loves the trappings of his office – he is a snob and has a sense of entitlement- he’s also fat and lazy and has marked his card – whose going to listen to him bang on about poverty and living a simple life etc. Wonder how many of his brother priests live in such ostentatious properties?
Poor Bishop Kevin Dunn will be turning in his grave – a great man compared to the weasel, double speak, possibly double life Byrne.
They can’t help themselves can they?
Bishop Kenney will be well jel as wonder whether the Archdiocese of Birmingham will splash out on a flash million pound house for him as he retires next month.
Follow the money and the property when it comes to the Bishops of England and Wales.
I wonder whether Bishops like Byrne, Oakley and Wright were promoted because they knew/know too much about the homosexual shannagins – Byrne (Oratarians), Oakley (Oscott) and Wright (IICSA). Just asking like.

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Wonder what Denton Hall fetched on the open market?
I don’t think Roberta has slummed for anything in her short, fat, self indulgent life.
The estate agent has made Denton Hall look positively grand – when I was there it was dark and dreary and in need of a serious lick of paint.

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Priests and money is a subject shrouded in mystery.
Do priests who do roles like Vicar Generals, Diocesan Religious Advisors, school Commissioners get paid more? If so how much more?
Do Bishops get a more generous pension provision than ordinary priests?
Are there any priests with over a million in their bank accounts?
Why do priests seethe with resentment and bitch bitterly if paid less than than they were expecting for doing marriage, funeral or mass stipends – for Gods sake what’s the going rate for administrating Gods grace (which I thought was free).
Who pays for a priests funeral?
Does a priest have private health care?
Do they get a pension other than the State pension?
Why can’t parishioners know what the balances are in the parish current and deposit account?
Are there sufficient checks in place to prevent an African, Indian or visiting priest from swindling/defrauding the parish?
Have priests used parish funds to pay for rent boys, drugs or their mistresses?
So many questions so few answers.

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Very telling capitals at 8:05, indicating what you think is important. Parishioners don’t get one although for no valid reason clergy does.
You’re a creep, aren’t you.

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6.27
I guess you are lapsed and do not know the working of the Church.
VG is just a title no extra money in that however if he is a trustee he can claim extra for that but most do not.
Diocesan Religious Advisors are just that they do it for the roles not money.
The Clergy are self employed so it is up to them to get pension cover.
Administering God’s grace is not cheap as you are likely one that we see a few times in your life so it is the rest of the parishioners who is keeping the Chapel open for you for your life events and it may surprise you gas, electric, CCTV, Alarms, Building repairs and so on costs a lot of money.
priests Funeral well they should have a funeral plan and if not their family as a last resort the dioceses will pay it.
private Health care LOL No they do not they use the NHS however if that want personal cover they can purchase that.
They get the state pension like everyone else as they pay their dues.
parish finance teams run the finances now and therefore accounts are open to anyone and most are on diocesan web sites or the Charity Commissioners web sites.
Systems are as tight as a duck’s arse now so your African and Indian clergy will not run your 50 euros but most dioceses could not operate without foreign clergy.
Your anti clergy comment about rent boys, drugs and their mistresses well that will be very few indeed and if they do pay for theses services then they are self employed and what they do with their money is up to them and the only thing to and to that is if they brought the Churches name into disrepute then they are in bother.
Come to you parish and see the changes and more and more coming for the laity to be involved.
It maybe one of your family in charge of all above it certainly will not be a priest in 2021
BTW no one is forced to give the Catholic Church money and really it is the funeral directors that pay the clergy for the funerals or it most likely be free.
They can pay 20 thousand euros for a wedding and grudge the Priest a 100 euros it is laughable.

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Without you realising it sir, @8:05, you demonstrate the greedy grasping nature regularly found in RC priests. “grudge the priest a 100 euros is laughable ” you say as if it is just to be expected. Tell me, do nurses, care workers and the like providing personal services similarly expect brown envelope cash backhanders in addition to their employment wages just as a matter of course?
You’re a right shower most of you

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6.27: When you come out of the clouds you might properly inform yourself about all things re: parish, Dioceses, priests and their finance situation. All financial income and expenditure for parishes and Dioceses must be and ARE available for all to see. Such information is not a hidden mystery. Priests are termed self employed and must and do supply certified accountants with correct income and expenditure and all bank statements. Since all income is now registered on parish finance systems under the Charities Act, priests income is traceable if required by Revenue. Therefore all information is correlated and transparently accounted for. Each parish decides its wedding fee which differ greatly. All other donations are at the discretion of those who avail of services. Re: funerals: all fees are agreed with undertakers and subject to family’s means to make a donation. Your question about checks and balances being in place specifically for Indian or African priests is RACIST and deserves contemt and condemnation. It is an ignorant, unwarranted question. Whoever you are, you’re a bigot. No priest in his right mind would be so foolish as to do what you believe they do. Because of the possibility for anyone to do so and for the safety, security and self protection of all staff, parishes are advised to have CCTV everywhere. Some of the biggest thieving I uncovered was done by three lay people who had been given huge responsibilities without proper accountability and another two uncoverings were in relation to schools!! Substantial misappropriation but civil law took its course. Yes, where money is concerned, there is temptation, thus sensible and correct procedures are implemented in the vast majority of parishes. I have always ensured that proper practices are followed. And, sir, for your Information, if you were a member of our parish, you’d have no problem scrutinizing our finances. We are upfront, provide a monthly and yearly statement for all who want to know. I’m sure your own parish will do likewise for you – once, of course, you’re a contributor. Otherwise, MYOB…

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8.10: Hope that puts mischievious begrudgers and silly fools in their place!! Well articulated. Ignore those haters who can be spotted miles away.

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Anon 7.54pm
Thank for your explanation as I understand it now.. Its very different to what I thought about church finances.
My question I, does the dioceses contribute to the Vatican say a percentage of their takings?

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Deaf Guy No as you know the Vatican is extremely rich.
They pay the Vatican for Tribunals as it is legal services

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8.05pm
Ha ha ha I enjoyed your rant – just wrong on so many, if not every level, nothing rattles the cage more than questions about priests money, earnings etc.
My favourite was your ‘administrating Gods grace isn’t cheap’ – God you couldn’t make that up – seemingly Gods grace needs: gas, electricity, CCTV and alarm bells – that was priceless, rather like Gods grace.
To be honest the rest of your shallow and misguided justification of clerical expenses etc was so uncompelling and long winded I just switched off – and thought – me think that lady protests too much!!!!

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8.10pm
Questions about priests income and earnings always rattles the cage producing a a veritable outpouring of moral indignation – you insist church finances are transparent I know they are not – hidden bank accounts, skimming off the top,, slush funds, ghost invoices, backhanders – fact, auditors discovered 1.4 billion Euros non declared off the balance sheet in the Vatican accounts, fact, of every £10 donated to St Peter’s Pence only £2 goes towards charitable causes!!
Try and see it like this – the Catholic Church can’t safeguard our children do you honestly think our money is safe in their hands.
Loved your childish MYOB – made me LOL and more determined than ever to MIMB (Make it My Business).

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10.37: Yes, when you discover the truth about parish and Dioceses financial guudelines and regulations, you can come on board. With Finance Committees in parishes, priests are now members and must run all financial decisions by committee. Cheques must be signed by two nominated persons. Slush funds rarely exist now as, security concerns do not allow money to be quieted away without prior knowledge and any such fund is also scrutinised. I handle very little money: our finance committee looks after it. Your 8nfirmation is very deliberately skewed. We know why. Unless you are a member of your parish community, you can try being a pain but your type are easily managed. You will be ignored, and rightly so. You cannot intrude into areas to which you do not belong or to which you make no contributions.. so, MYOB…Looks to men that you’d be someon to have to watch where money is concerned…….think we have a thief in you!

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“Try and see it like this – the Catholic Church can’t safeguard our children do you honestly think our money is safe in their hands.” – Exactly. Well said. They have zero integrity and trust in the area of protecting children, and more so in the commission and coverup of egregious abuse over decades. So, why in the world, would I trust them in any other area, including money ? Tell me where that would happen in any bit of life or the world ? So, no matter what they say about money, don’t believe them. Look very closely. In fact, be uber cautious and just make the reasonable assumption that their assurances are lies. Itsw the way it works for the Church and clergy.

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Pat, Dublin’s new Archbishop announced a ‘Task Force’ to study the future of the Dublin Archdiocese. ( Shades of Maggie’s Task force to retake the Falklands) This man is new to Dublin and knows few of his clergy or people. He has not revealed the members of his ‘Task Force’ which smells of good old fashioned Clericalism. Nor has he revealed their terms of reference….. all a little worrying from someone with the power of an absolute monarch! Whaddya think?

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11.05
Cold-water thrower. Dermot Farrell is in his mid-60s. He’s a hard worker. A man with an urgent mission. Good for him. May God who has begun this good work bring it to completion.

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The whole business of masses or prayers “for the dead” seems a confusing mystery to me.
According to RCC’S teachings, if the deceased died in a state of grace they’re already in heaven, so masses and prayers are unnecessary and superfluous. If, on death, the deceased was in a state of mortal sin, there’s no escape from the fires of hell regardless of how many prayers etc are said.
I’m ignoring that purgatory ” temporary burning bit”: hasn’t it been discarded now?
So what’s the use of the prayers and masses for the dead, especially sometimes years after the event? While it may make grieving relatives feel better, might it just be another money making facade for the clergy.
Or maybe the magic of some kind of retrograde predestination might come into it?🤔
MMM

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