The bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, has reiterated the Church’s recommendation against buying pre-signed Mass cards in shops and filling stations. In a hard-hitting statement he said cards have "no spiritual value" and actually insulted the memory of the person who had died and those who were grieving over their deaths.
He said that the practice of having Mass offered for someone who has died was in itself praiseworthy and showed the centrality of the Eucharist to people’s faith but the sale of pre-signed Mass cards by shops and commercial outlets was exploiting that tradition.
The impression was given that pre-signed Mass cards were genuine and that a Mass would be offered but “the evidence suggests otherwise,” Dr Smith claimed.
And he claimed that an investigation had been carried out some time ago into priests whose names appeared on pre-signed Mass cards on sale in Ireland and not all the names could be deciphered or traced.
“With the co-operation of the Church in the countries where the priests identified were alleged to minister it was found that some were deceased while others were no longer priests in good standing in the Church,” the bishop pointed out.
But despite this, there had been a major increase in the proliferation of pre-signed Mass cards being offered for sale in recent months. he said.
Bishop Smith said the practice of having a Mass celebrated for a dead person fulfilled the “scriptural invitation to pray for the dead as well as extending prayerful support to those grieving the death of a loved one”.
But, he added, giving pre-signed cards of dubious origin to relatives of people who died was “not only a meaningless act” but “an insult to the memory of the deceased and to those who grieve over their passing”.
While it was claimed that the priests who sign these cards live in third world countries and appreciated the support to them and other priests, the truth was cards representing a Mass that was not offered had “no spiritual value”.
“They abuse the Eucharist and trade on the faith and goodwill of people,” Dr Smith said.
“It is a commercial operation with profit as its motive and those who engage and facilitate this practice, including the shops that offer them for sale, seriously abuse the Eucharist and its sacred character”.
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(Source: CIN)