Greedy, more greedy and most greedy

Dear Editor,

Our family has been attending Mass at the Mulivai Cathedral for three generations.  My grandparents and parents were married there, and so was I.  Our four children were all baptized and received their first communion there. Many members of our extended family were buried from there.  

We have always contributed generously to the Church and to the priests, especially in the building of the new cathedral.  

Now I see the Church greedily lusting for yet more, more, more.  Although we have been parishioners at Mulivai for three generations, we are now being forced to register as Mulivai parishioners and pay a $200 registration fee.  Forced?  Do I feel we are being forced?  

Yes.  Members of the registration committee actually came to our house asking why we hadn’t registered and paid the registration fee.  My whole family was stunned.  We ended up refusing to register.  The only thing they were interested in was the money.  Unadulterated Greed.

And last week I witnessed another exposition of aggregated greed.  

We were at the Cathedral for the Independence Day service and heard the parish priest arguing with the TV3 crew about paying $400 in order to film the service.  Didn’t the government pay for use of the Cathedral?  Why was the parish priest asking for more?   I saw TV1 pay but TV3 argued.  Not sure what the outcome was.  And EFKS TV?  They were there but not sure what they did.

Religion has become big business now in our country.  

The theological colleges are full of students hoping to make it big time by becoming preachers.  Great non-taxable compensation packages, abundant benefits, high social status, no manual labour, cars, and all the food they can eat.

Jesus told us to come as we are.  

Even though we have nothing, he bid us come.  

He never registered anyone in his community, he never charged entrance.  

He was a humble man, loving us and showing us the way, the light and the truth.  It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find the way, the light and the truth in our churches today?  

What will Jesus think about his church when he returns and sees it has been  overtaken by secular, materialistic greed?  

 

B.P. Pani 

Wavering Catholic, Apia

Samoa Observer

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