Irish church officials step up campaign against abuse of Mass cards

Published: 2008-03-06

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) -- Catholic Church officials in Ireland are stepping up the campaign against so-called "Mass traffickers," people who make money from the commercial abuse of the Mass. Bishop Colm O'Reilly of Ardagh said church officials are "extremely concerned about the sale of presigned Mass cards in shops for commercial gain." He said, "It's an enormous industry and there's a huge amount of money to be made out of it; it's deplorable." The Mass cards in question are on sale in hundreds of newsstands around Ireland and have a preprinted signature purporting to be that of a missionary priest. The cost is supposed to be the offering for the Mass. However, church authorities believe that as much as 70 percent of the offering stays with the local shop while the remaining 30 percent is pocketed by the distributor, who makes unspecified contributions -- if any -- to the priest. Missionary orders are concerned that unsuspecting members of the public may be buying these Mass cards in the hope that they are contributing to the missions.

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