What does the Church teach about tithing?

mjb472012 · #1 Jul 29, '12, 10:39 pm

I've not been tithing and Im feeling bad about it. I was raised in a baptist church and was told that if you don't give 10% of your income to God, then you're basically stealing from God. Is this true? How much and how often should we give financial offerings to the Lord?

onceablasphemer · #2 Jul 30, '12, 12:01 am

10% is mentioned in scripture. I've never heard a priest say you are stealing if you do not give 10%. The stance is if you can without causing yourself undue strain, give 10%. There are other ways to give as well. Time, talent or treasure. God knows what is in your heart. If you are a single parent who can barely put food on the table then it is not expected for you to give 10%. If you are constantly buying unnecessary luxury items and not giving then maybe it is time to reevaluate your priorities.

bzkoss236 · #3 Jul 30, '12, 12:02 am

The Catholic Church's teaching about tithing is that you should give money to your church so that they can continue to preach the gospel and help those in need. There are no real laws about how much you are required to give, because the Church recognizes that not everyone is capable of giving. So, I would suggest you give, but give what you feel comfortable with. If you are not in a financially stable place, you are free not to give.

TheDoors · #4 Jul 30, '12, 4:48 am

I was taught from my youth that we don't tithe. Tithing implies that you *have* to give. We're Catholics. We give because we choose to, out of love for God.

Liturgy_Geek · #5 Jul 30, '12, 4:48 am

My parish priest mentioned the 10% tithing rule in a homily a number of months back. He said that a good practice is to donate 5% of your gross to your parish and the other 5% to larger outreach programs such as Bishop's Appeal, Catholic Relief Services, etc.

nordskoven · #6 Jul 30, '12, 7:20 am

TIME / TALENT / TREASURE

That's tithing as I've been taught in my parish. So being broke is no excuse to withhold tithing of time/talent/treasure. There's always prayer, too! I could use some if you're willing...Thanks.

austenbosten · #7 Jul 30, '12, 7:49 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liturgy_Geek

My parish priest mentioned the 10% tithing rule in a homily a number of months back. He said that a good practice is to donate 5% of your gross to your parish and the other 5% to larger outreach programs such as Bishop's Appeal, Catholic Relief Services, etc.

Doesn't some of the parish money go to larger Catholic outreach organizations?

bzkoss236 · #8 Jul 30, '12, 8:24 pm

Here are some quick questions that were posted on the main site of Catholic Answers

1. What is the Church's position on tithing?

2. Are Catholics required to tithe 10 percent of their income to the Church?

Liturgy_Geek · #9 Jul 31, '12, 5:29 am

[quote=austenbosten;9588718]Doesn't some of the parish money go to larger Catholic outreach organizations?

[/QUOTE

From my experience working in a diocesan business office for a while, no. Special collections (Peter's Pence, missions, etc) are fowarded directly to the diocese who sends in one lump check. In our diocese, parishes have a goal to reach for the Bishop's Appeal but they don't have to make up a shortfall. Any money collected above the Bishop's Appeal parish goal is returned to the parish.

Your mileage may vary, but that's how its done in my diocese.

FaithBuild18 · #10 Aug 1, '12, 10:07 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by onceablasphemer

10% is mentioned in scripture. I've never heard a priest say you are stealing if you do not give 10%. The stance is if you can without causing yourself undue strain, give 10%. There are other ways to give as well. Time, talent or treasure. God knows what is in your heart. If you are a single parent who can barely put food on the table then it is not expected for you to give 10%. If you are constantly buying unnecessary luxury items and not giving then maybe it is time to reevaluate your priorities.

I don't understand why this would be the stance when the scriptures make clear the importance of giving well beyond the point of strain. The poor lady who only gave a couple coins, was certainly giving beyond strain, but the rich ones who gave more were actually giving less, since they gave within comfort and without strain.