The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has directed that contents in envelopes presented by parishioners during offertory processions are not personal monies intended for priests but are to be counted and added to the Parish Collection.
In a directive issued December 21, 2022, signed by the President of the GCBC, the Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi and addressed to Presidents of the National Union of Ghana Diocesan Priests’ Associations, the Bishops therefore urged priests to educate the faithful accordingly.
The Bishops observed that “for some years now by the GCBC that there is the practice according to which parishioners line up with their offerings during Holy Mass, some however bring envelopes during offertory processions.”
The contents of these envelopes, the Bishops noted, are used differently from Diocese to diocese and even within the same diocese, different parishes handle these envelopes differently.
“For example, some dioceses and parishes, the contents of these envelopes are taken by the Priest(s) celebrant as personal money intended for him,” the Bishops observed.
To bring clarity to this, the Prelates have directed that all offerings are to be counted as part of the collections and the money added to the Parish collection.
According to the Bishops, the liturgical correction is expected to be implemented as soon as possible in all Dioceses, Archdioceses, Parishes and Outstations by the beginning of the New Year, 2023.
Read the full directive below
