By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy)✍🏾
"The Catholic Archbishop of Freetown says it is unacceptable to engage in post-communion fundraising activities "that go on for an unduly long time than it prescribed by the liturgical norms."
In a letter to priests in charge of Catholic communities and chaplains, Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles has urged them to stop fundraising activities like "pin a friend, person of the year competitions accompanied by collection", describing them as an abuse for Mass."
The outspoken Archbishop said "we have imported those practices from elsewhere and introduce them into the celebration of the mass , especially at annual thanksgiving celebrations, without proper reflection on their effect on the Eucharist or authorization by the diocesan authorities."
He said the church was not against fundraising activities, the proceeds of which are used to support development projects which is why the " Catholic Church In Sierra Leone and elsewhere in West Africa, allowed a second collection to be lifted for specific purposes like rehabilitation projects and response to some emergency appeal for help."
He said many parishioners normally leave the church during such long fundraising activities "without waiting for the rite of dismissal, which has it own liturgical significance of solemnly commissioning the people to go and leave the word of God that they hard during the mass."
He described it as a "gross disobedience to the church and a disservice to the priest hood if a priest condones malpractice during the mass that he is celebrating or a mass celebrated under his pastoral leadership."
©: Northern Times Newspaper✍🏾
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