CIGOLA, Italy — A cash-strapped parish in northern Italy has come up with a controversial idea to help it raise funds, by asking parishioners to give scratch cards instead of the customary monetary offer during mass.
Churchgoers will be told about the scheme, called 'scratch and win', during masses this weekend after it was announced on a flyer affixed to the door of San Martino in Cigola, near Brescia.
"We all know we need help," read the flyer. "So with a smile and without making givers uncomfortable or inviting the moralizing of theologians, we're willing to give this a shot."
The cash-strapped church's decision has been motivated by its need to find funds to maintain the nursery while repairing the church's roof and oratory.
But parish priest, Father Abramo, reacted angrily to local media publishing stories about the church's novel idea. "We're not looking for publicity," he told a journalist from Corriere. "This is an initiative we want to keep local."
As news circulated, the initiative drew criticism from Viviana Beccalossi, a Lombardy councillor.
"There are priests across Italy who call gambling the drug of the new millennium and others who in the name of Our Lord Money have decided to ask parishioners for scratch cards."
A study published by the Economist in October said that thanks to its booming gambling industry, Italy now has one third of all the world's games machines and one fifth of all its scratch cards. Last year Italian gamblers lost €17.2 billion to bookmakers.
But then again, they do say the Lord works in mysterious ways.
The Padre is thinking outside the box...
HHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THE LOTTERY LOTTERY
CAN"T GET NO BUTTER YEA
Find a Jesus symbol win prize shown. Why don't they ask the Vatican, they have millions.
Does not sound like a good idea to me.
Maybe that church would have better contributions, if their members gave as much to their church as they gamble away on lottery tickets.
Remember there was a woman in NJ who won $6 Million and gave it all to her church. Willing to bet the church spent it as fast as they could on a myriad of needs.
The reason some churches are "cash strapped" is because they have to pay assessments to the Diocese, that oversees their church, to support the bureaucracies
on a Diocese level.
There a book that describes how the church keeps its finances a secret from its own members. They may tell members a generic amount of what expenses and
income are, but members have little or no say on how the money is spent.
Now that "the cat is out of the bag" the local parish priest may be under fire by his boss, The Bishop of his diocese.
He may be looking for a new assignment to a remote location, for this scheme.
All kinds of Press is good press. There are generous folks throughout the world who would give to this Church. No questions asked.
Gambling is not opposed by religion -- at least not by Christianity. There are some Christians who go around preaching against the "sins" of gambling, but that is their personal opinion, not the Word of God. Nowhere in the Bible is gambling opposed or described as a sin.
I see no hypocrisy — only poor business judgement.
As much as I personally like the lottery, asking for scratch cards (vs. asking for cash) is a poor decision. Sure, the church could get very lucky and win a big prize, but assuming they do not win a big prize, they would lose between 30% and 50%, compared to what they would bring in with just cash donations.
As an individual, it makes sense for me to play the lottery as entertainment, spending what I can afford to lose. But as a business (which is how a church has to view itself financially), it does not make any sense at all.
lovely!
The British National Lottery has provided funding for churches for years!
The UK Heritage Lottery Fund has over £375m annually and all of their main funding streams are open to churches, often the oldest or most significant building in a local place.
The HLF fund a range of heritage projects, activities and events in churches, including:
Conservation of organs, bells, clocks, paintings, stained glass, textiles and sculpture;
Projects which increase access to heritage, such as guide books or exhibitions;
Digital projects to create videos, podcasts, oral histories and online content.
Proverbs 13:11
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Corthians 6:10
Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Todd,
Vegas joke - the guy sitting box has been in the business so long he sat box at the Last Supper - the comp slip said "JC and a party of twelve."
Gambling is not a sin. And none of those passages condemns gambling. If you personally don't like gambling (why are you on a lottery website??) that does not mean it is bad or condemned for all.
As with all things in life, moderation is the key.
Todd's right I remember a many a casino night run by Catholic churches when I was growing up
Also wouldn't cash be a more guarantee than lottery tickets. You can spend cash but lotto ttickets you may win or you may lose