Questions and answers about stewardship of treasure

Intermountain Catholic

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Editor's note: This column originally appeared in the Oct. 10, 1986 issue of the Intermountain Catholic.

As the parishes of the diocese initiate a financial stewardship plan this month, it is useful to reflect upon the basic questions that arise on the history and theology of stewardship. What follows can be thought of as a kind of basic catechism of stewardship.

What is Stewardship?

In the Bible, stewardship refers to the manner in which people use God's gifts of creation and are productive, responsible and generous in their handling of property, talents and goods.

In the creation story, we read that God gave humanity dominion "over all the earth" (Gen 1:26), over animals, the land and all its fruits. The whole of the Old Testament emphasizes the good usage of creation and the careful and just use of the God-given earth.

The same concern is amply expressed in Jesus' preaching about the use of talents and in his discourses about just and unjust stewardship.

How does this concern apply to Christians today?

It means that Christians are called to recognize the demands of justice in their use of wealth, property and talents. This theme is engaging the American Catholic Bishops in their forthcoming pastoral letter entitled "Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the United States Economy."

Catholics, in whatever walk of life or occupation they find themselves, are called to be good stewards of creation and wise and thoughtful in the employment of their talents. Time and talent cannot be self-centered but must have an outward reach toward the greater good of the whole community.

What about stewardship and the support of the Church?

On the matter of supporting the church, the word stewardship is a somewhat unfamiliar one for modern Catholics. What it underlines is the responsibility of every Catholic to contribute out of his or her material resources for the building up and advancement of the church community.

The church, we realize, is made up not only of the clergy, but of the community of all the baptized. In the same way, Christian ministry and its material support is the responsibility of every member of the church.

Is there a formula for stewardship?

In the Bible, the formula for good stewardship is the tithe, literally 10 percent. In numerous places in the Old Testament, there are directives to the people of Israel that they should with grateful hearts offer to God the first fruits of their land and the first of their newborn animals.

Part of the tithe was kept for the support of the temple and part made available to the widow, the orphan and those in need.

Underlying the tithe was the notion of returning to God a substantial portion of his gifts as an act of thanksgiving.

Has Catholicism encouraged tithing?

Indeed, it has. The very early church regarded tithing as mean and unworthy of Christians and instead encouraged a more generous system of contributions.

By the fifth century, however, the church had returned to the biblical practice of tithing. We find numerous bishops and local councils encouraging the faithful to give 10 percent of their income to the church. The Council of Macon in 585 even threatened excommunication on those who refused to tithe.

By the ninth century, the duty to tithe had become part of civil law. The Council of Trent in the 16th century declared that payment of tithes was due to God and that those who refused were to be excommunicated until full payment was made.

Fortunately, the severe penalties threatened were rarely applied.

What is the present stance of the Church on tithing?

The church nowadays does not legislate the practice of tithing. It believes instead in motivating Catholics through education to make a responsible and conscious commitment to the material support of the many ministries of the church.

The 1983 Code of Canon Law says, for example, "The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church, so that the church has what is necessary for divine worship, for apostolic works and works of charity" (Canon 222, no. 1)

However, in the Catholic Church in the United States, an increasing number of bishops and dioceses are returning to the traditional notion of tithing as the norm to be commended to all Catholics.

Why is stewardship necessary now?

For two reasons. The first is that Catholics generally lag behind other Christians in the extent to which they support the church.

Given the progressively higher costs of running parishes and church institutions, and the fact that many are in financial trouble, it is important that Catholics be called to a more responsible commitment to the financial support of the church.

The more important reason, however, is the need to invite Catholics to a more responsible sense of the vocation to place a substantial portion of their income and resources at the service of the building up of God's Kingdom.

Stewardship provides an opportunity for greater involvement in the life of the church. It opens the way for the advancement of the Gospel and allows a more adequate response by the church to the many demands placed upon it. That is why the stewardship program is fundamentally a spiritual one.

Msgr. Mannion is pastor of Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Holladay.