Pre-signed Mass cards to be banned

Pre-signed Mass cards to be banned


Áine Ryan

PRE-SIGNED Mass cards will become a thing of the past as Government is set to implement new laws banning the multi-million euro commercial activity.
The new law is under Section 99 of the Charities Act and according to the junior minister responsible for charities regulation, John Curran, the tightening up of the legislation ‘will ensure the good faith of people cannot be taken advantage of’.
 “The sale of pre-signed Mass cards in shops, as opposed to directly from the Catholic Church, has been a matter of public concern for some time. The concerns are twofold: One, will a Mass actually be offered in respect of the specific intentions? Two, is there an element of profit behind the sale of such cards?” said Minister Curran.
He continued: “A Mass card is purchased in good faith and often at times of great sorrow to demonstrate a person’s empathy and concern for others. It is an inherently decent act. I believe people in such circumstances should have no doubt whatsoever that a Mass will be offered for their intentions.”
Concerns have been expressed for some time by many church leaders that they such cards had ‘little spiritual value’. They argued that these cards – which were sold for about €5 – were pre-signed by priests who were already dead or no longer in good-standing with the Church.
The new law stipulates that Mass cards will have to be signed by priests in the company of those who request them, or pre-sold only by a bishop or the provincial of a catholic religious order.
When contacted by The Mayo News, Mr Seamus Duffy of The Bookshop, Westport, said he had never sold pre-signed mass cards.
“We never sold them as a matter of policy. The presbytery is just around the corner from our shop so those who purchased mass cards could easily have them signed,” said Mr Duffy.