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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
call to ministry	Andrew	Sunday, January 30, 2005
Question: Recently my parish held a “call to ministry discipleship” campaign. This included current volunteers speaking about their call to serve in the various ministries throughout the parish during mass. This past Sunday however the speaker was different. He is president of the parish school association, and on the parish finance council by default because of his presidency of the school association, the only problem with this is that he is an active protestant, who happens to be married to a Catholic, and his children attend the school. I have no problem with a protestant being on or president of the school association, their matters concern non-religious extra curricular actives, such as basketball and volleyball. And his position on the church finance council is really unnecessary and I feel intolerable. But for him to speak, during mass, about his call to ministry and to God, I feel is blasphemous. This call to ministry was about God calling you to serve His Church using your talents, and this person is not a member in full communion with His Church. Am I wrong to feel this way?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Andrew: This is not blasphemous, but it is wrong I believe. Nevertheless there is some disagreement on the interpretation of Canon Law, from what I understand, about whether a member of the Finance Council must be Catholic. If you have a concern about it, I would discuss it with your pastor and if not satisfied there then go to the bishop about it. Personally, I think it is wrong for a non-Catholic to hold any office in the Church and, in my opinion, Catholic schools should have no non-Catholic employees. All teachers, administrators, auxiliary personnel and even the janitor should be Catholics in communion with the Pope. I might let slip in a non-Catholic janitor, but any employee, profession or supporting position, regardless of whether or not their position is directly related to religion, who has contact with the kids, should be a Catholic in good standing. This is just my opinion, of course. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

call to ministry

Andrew

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Question:

Recently my parish held a “call to ministry discipleship” campaign. This included current volunteers speaking about their call to serve in the various ministries throughout the parish during mass.

This past Sunday however the speaker was different. He is president of the parish school association, and on the parish finance council by default because of his presidency of the school association, the only problem with this is that he is an active protestant, who happens to be married to a Catholic, and his children attend the school.

I have no problem with a protestant being on or president of the school association, their matters concern non-religious extra curricular actives, such as basketball and volleyball. And his position on the church finance council is really unnecessary and I feel intolerable.

But for him to speak, during mass, about his call to ministry and to God, I feel is blasphemous. This call to ministry was about God calling you to serve His Church using your talents, and this person is not a member in full communion with His Church. Am I wrong to feel this way?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Andrew:

This is not blasphemous, but it is wrong I believe. Nevertheless there is some disagreement on the interpretation of Canon Law, from what I understand, about whether a member of the Finance Council must be Catholic.

If you have a concern about it, I would discuss it with your pastor and if not satisfied there then go to the bishop about it.

Personally, I think it is wrong for a non-Catholic to hold any office in the Church and, in my opinion, Catholic schools should have no non-Catholic employees. All teachers, administrators, auxiliary personnel and even the janitor should be Catholics in communion with the Pope. I might let slip in a non-Catholic janitor, but any employee, profession or supporting position, regardless of whether or not their position is directly related to religion, who has contact with the kids, should be a Catholic in good standing. This is just my opinion, of course.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum