Measures to ensure that the integrity of Irish Mass Cards is ascertained and that people who buy them, know that a Mass will be said for the repose of the soul of the individual, has been announced by the Irish government.
Announcing the commencement of Section 99 of the Charities Act 2009, Junior Minister John Curran who is also responsible for charities regulation explained:
“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.
“The concerns are twofold: One, will a Mass will actually be offered in respect of the specific intentions offered? : Two, is there an element of profit behind the sale of such cards?
“The commencement of these provisions will enable the public to ascertain from those selling the Mass cards whether they have an arrangement in place with the Church to sell such cards.”
Minister Curran continued – “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. It is an inherently decent act. I believe people in such circumstances should have no doubt whatsoever that a Mass will be offered for their intentions.
“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 concluded by saying this was an important first step on the road to regulating the charities sector on a statutory basis, while demonstrating the Government’s continued commitment to deliver on the regulatory framework provided for in the Charities Act 2009.
