The Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Bishop Emeritus of Konongo-Mampong, has said that the practice of giving different blessings to donors based on contribution amounts during fundraisings is “pastorally harmful, theologically unsound, and liturgically incompatible” with Catholic teaching.
“While fundraising is a necessary part of the Church’s mission, it must be conducted with scrupulous respect for the dignity of every person and must never be allowed to compromise the sacred liturgy. The Mass itself must remain focused on the Eucharist, not on financial campaigns,” he said in his response to a question posed to him by Stephen Kyei-Mensah about blessings during fundraisers.
The Bishop Emeritus recounted personally refusing to participate in such practice, stating that “every gift, whether large or small, is precious in God’s eyes, and that his blessing, like his love, is given freely and equally to all.”
Citing the Gospel’s widow’s mite in Mark 12:41-44, Bishop Osei-Bonsu stressed that sacrificial giving from the poor holds greater value and that creating “visible donor classes within a sacred context distorts this truth and risks propagating a false gospel of divine favouritism.”
According to Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, blessings are invocations of God’s favour, not rewards.
He noted, “It is a prayer, not a reward. Its efficacy does not depend on the minister’s rank or the recipient’s wealth. The grace bestowed is God’s alone and does not vary; a bishop’s blessing is not ‘more potent” than a priest’s, nor a priest’s “stronger” than a deacon’s. All blessings flow from a single, divine source.”
Bishop Osei-Bonsu also stated that the blessings and prayers are directed to God, “acknowledging that the blessing originates from his goodness alone.”
“To assign ministers based on donation amounts obscures this truth and misleads the faithful into associating grace with clerical rank or personal wealth”, he stated.
He cited pastoral consequences of this practice, including harm to the poor and humble, a distorted theology of grace, and the misrepresentation of Holy Orders.
He, therefore, encouraged fundraising outside liturgy, with donor acknowledgment through parish bulletins, letters, or dedicated non-liturgical events.
“If a blessing is offered in connection with a fundraiser, the presiding cleric should impart a single, unified blessing upon all contributors and the entire community at the end of the fundraising activity”, Bishop Osei-Bonsu added.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
Editor’s Note: Full text of Question and Answer to be published
