Salem bishop stresses conscience in Mass intention guidelines

SALEM, Tamil Nadu (Indian Catholic News) — The bishop of Salem in Tamil Nadu has issued Mass intention guidelines, saying priests must handle intentions as “a matter of conscience” with “canonical implications” and adhere to diocesan regulations.

Bishop Arulselvam Rayappan of Salem in Tamil Nadu instructed that priests receiving Mass intentions through the diocesan procurator must return signed and dated Mass Exoneration Slips after the Masses have been celebrated.

The bishop said this is “necessary for auditing purposes and to ensure the fulfilment of the canonical obligation of celebrating all the Masses for which intentions were received.” He urged priests to “adhere to this regulation, as it involves a matter of conscience and carries canonical implications.”

Rules for surplus Mass intentions

Bishop Rayappan also issued guidelines for parish priests whose churches receive more Mass intentions than can be celebrated locally.

He directed that they must “not give these Mass Intentions to any priest within or outside our diocese” and must “not be permitted to give Mass Intentions to any priest as a form of remuneration.”

Instead, priests are to “hand over any surplus Mass Intentions, along with the corresponding stipend, to the Diocesan Procurator, so that all Masses may be exonerated individually by our priests during the year.”

The guidelines, issued as part of the bishop’s month of July message, also require parish priests to ensure that all Mass intentions received in parishes and shrines are recorded in order, including the donor’s name and address, the intention, the number of Masses and the stipend amount.

Read the bishop’s message.