ONLY MASS cards approved by a Catholic bishop or by the provincial of a congregation of priests established under the authority of and recognised by the Catholic Church may be offered for sale, under a new law which comes into force on September 1st.
Minister of State for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs John Curran, who has responsibility for the regulation of charities, said he was pleased to announce the commencement of section 99 of the Charities Act 2009 from that date.
The Act, which sets up a Charities Regulatory Authority, was signed into law by President Mary McAleese last February.
Mr Curran said that the sale of pre-signed Mass cards in shops, as opposed to directly from the Catholic Church, has been a matter of public concern for some time. He said there were two concerns: “One, will a Mass actually be offered in respect of the specific intentions offered? Two, is there an element of profit behind the sale of such cards?” he said.
He pointed out that a Mass card is purchased in good faith, and often at times of great sorrow, to demonstrate a person’s empathy and concern for others.
“I believe people in such circumstances should have no doubt whatsoever that a Mass will be offered for their intentions. This is what section 99 will achieve. It is not my intention to stymie the sale of genuine Mass cards, but to enhance public confidence and to ensure that people’s good faith is not taken advantage of.”
He described his commencement order as an important first step on the road to regulating the charities sector on a statutory basis, and demonstrates the Government’s continued commitment to deliver on the regulatory framework provided for in the Charities Act 2009.
The relevant section was inserted into the Bill by the Seanad on February 11th last to deal with a problem of the sale of bogus Mass cards which purport to be signed by a priest, but where the signature is not genuine and no Mass is actually said.
Former attorney general John Rogers SC has argued that the section was “an unjustified restriction on the Article 44 guarantee of the free profession and practise of religion” in the Constitution and went further than was required to deal with the problem of bogus Mass cards. “
The narrow categories of persons is arbitrary and unfair,” he said, and that the Act presumes an offence has been committed until the contrary is proven.