|
FORBIDDING TRAFFIC IN ALMS
Quanta Cura
Encyclical of Pope Benedict XIV
promulgated on June 30, 1741.
To the Venerable Brothers, the Primates,
the Metropolitans, the Archbishops, and
all the Bishops who are in Communion
with the Holy See.
Venerable Brothers, Greetings and
Apostolic Benediction.
There is no Catholic who does not know
the care required to ensure that the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not only
celebrated with due reverence and
veneration, but also that all semblance
of payment of any kind is removed from
the dignity of such a sacrifice: both
the base demand-rather than request-for
alms and other similar practices which
are not far removed from the sin of
simony or at least from dishonest
profit.
It is true that the avarice-which is the
bondage of idolatry-of many clerics and
laymen has already progressed to the
point that they collect alms or stipends
for the celebration of the Mass. These
have been prescribed by local customs or
sanctions of the diocesan synods for the
maintenance of the priests. They then
take this money and have the Mass
celebrated elsewhere, where the alms or
stipends given for each Mass are lower
than would be given there where the fee
was received.
2. Everyone clearly understands how
foreign this is to the expressed or
silent desire of those who give alms
piously. Nor is it to be judged
otherwise. Everyone desires that the
Masses be celebrated in the church upon
which he bestowed alms or in which he is
buried, rather than in another church,
which may be unfamiliar to him. Such
frustration of the intentions of the
faithful is motivated by the desire for
base profit, just as is the case in the
conduct of trade. Accordingly, it is not
immune to the suspicion of avarice and
vice, even of theft, whence it may be
subject to restitution. Thus many good
people, gravely offended by the news of
such business, abstain from offering
more alms for the celebration of Masses.
3. The Roman Pontiffs, Our predecessors,
detested this lethal abuse which
gradually insinuated itself. For this
reason they wanted a decree both from
the Congregation of the Cardinals of the
Universal Inquisition of the Holy Roman
Church and from the Congregation of the
Cardinals Interpreters of the Council of
Trent against the heretical depravity.
This decree stated that if a priest
received a stipend or alms of a certain
value for the celebration of the Mass, a
lesser fee must not be paid to another
priest for celebrating such a Mass. This
holds even if the first priest were to
inform the second that he had received a
stipend or alms of greater value, and
the second priest were willing to accept
the lower fee.
4. For this reason, Venerable Brothers,
We ask and exhort you who share Our
concerns and are associated with Us in
the apostolic ministry to keep watch
over your flocks. Exert yourselves so
that this disease may spread no further,
but rather may be entirely eradicated.
Avarice is the root of all evil. Some
people who chased after it have strayed
from the faith and have brought upon
themselves many sorrows. There is no
greater pestilence than avarice, which
corrupts the opinion of priestly dignity
and perfection and casts it out.
Avarice, which teaches people to esteem
God less than riches and to serve
Mammon, causes the greedy to lose their
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and
of God. If this can hardly be tolerated
among laymen and should be restrained by
law, what about churchmen who have sent
forth this message in earthly matters,
who have been called to share the work
of the Lord, and who have delivered
themselves up to the Lord? What about
those who, with contempt for holy laws
and with disdain for the priestly
character, are led astray into avarice,
not through worldly profits, but through
the ministry of the altar? Strive
therefore, Venerable Brothers, to whom
the care of Christ's flock is entrusted,
not only to shine forth in word and
example so that you may be an ambassador
of Christ in every place and the people
may follow in your footsteps, but also
to teach both the clergy and the laity
to shun pastures poisoned with vice and
to run to the heavenly fold.
5. Since by the fear of present
punishment there may be readier
compliance with salutary warnings, make
the following pronouncement known in all
your dioceses. If anyone collects alms
or stipends for the celebration of the
Mass at the level which the customs of
the place or synodical statutes demand
and keeps part of this fee for himself,
causing the Mass to be celebrated either
there or elsewhere where lower fees are
paid for celebrating Masses, he will be
punished. A lay person who does this
will automatically incur the penalty of
excommunication in addition to the other
penalties which you might invoke
according to your decision. The cleric
will automatically incur the penalty of
suspension, from which no one can
absolve except Ourselves or the Roman
Pontiff ruling at the time, unless there
is danger of death. We trust in the Lord
that each one, mindful of his condition,
wilt not belittle such salutary laws and
ecclesiastical censures. Meanwhile, We
lovingly impart Our apostolic blessing
on your brotherhood and on the people
entrusted to your care.
6. We also wish that the same confidence
be placed in copies of this letter-even
printed ones-which are signed by a
notary public and guaranteed by the seal
of an ecclesiastical official, as would
be placed in the original letter if it
were displayed or shown.
Given in Rome at St. Mary Major under
the ring of the fisherman on the
thirtieth day of June in the year 1741,
the first year of Our pontificate.
Freemasonry must die, or liberty must die." -- Charles G. Finney
FREEMASONRY IS KABBALISTIC, NOT CHRISTIAN!
VISIT
TALMUDUNMASKED.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THOSE WHO WILL NOT BE RULED BY CHRIST WILL BE RULED BY ANTI-CHRIST.
"Those who sin are slaves, and slaves have no rights."
-- Jesus Christ, John 8:34
"Qabalah is the heart of the
Western Hermetic tradition; it is the foundation upon which the art
of Western magic rests." -- Sandra and Chic Cicero, the authors of "The
Essencial Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic",
page 96. Llewlellyn Publications
"For by thy sorceries were all nations decieved." Rev. 18:23
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on
this website are those of the
individual posters and do not necessarily
represent the opinions of N.O.S.
or Craig Heimbichner or
their associates. All materials posted herein
are protected by copyright law and the exemption for
fair use of copyrighted works. Neither this site nor its
content has been
authorized by Craig Heimbichner,
in whose honor the site
is dedicated.
"THOSE WHO WILL NOT BE GOVERNED BY GOD WILL BE RULED BY TYRANTS."
-- Thomas Penn
NO KING BUT JESUS!
| HOME
| MISSION
| BIBLE
| AUDIO
| VIDEO
| ALERT
|
Prepared & presented by the N.O.S.,
Loveland, Colorado, USA
|
[HTML Generated by PALMTREE Copyright (c) John Paul Jones, 2004]
| |
"Join me in battle, little children,
against the black beast, Masonry..."
Mother Mary [source: Father Gobbi,
Evolution & Freemasonry]
"THEIR GOD IS THE DEVIL.
THEIR LAW IS UNTRUTH.
THEIR CULT IS TURPITUDE."
Pope Pius IX, speaking of
Freemasonry
"Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of
Moloch,
and the star of your god
Remphan,
figures which ye make to worship
them; and I will carry you away
beyond Babylon." Acts 7:43 KJV
Wherefore come out from among
them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing.." (II
Corinthians 6:18 KJV)
Joan of Arc on
the Bohemians
|
|