Together in the Missionary Positon

Last night I went to church. It wasn't easy to find, I had to Google it. I'm sure they moved the church. It's been that long. (Not really, I was there a month ago, but from the way some friends reacted you would think I was Martin Guerre.)

This week, naturally, they were asking for money. It was the week, before Lent, that marks the annual "Together In Mission" campaign. TIM raises money for poor parishes and school keeping them open. A lot of people think that if a church can't pay its bills, than the Bishop comes in and saves the day. Nope. Even in the Catholic church, each parish is supposed to be self-sustaining. Many rely on their annual TIM subsidy to make it happen.

This year the goal for the Archdiocese is a little over $14 million to help support these poor parishes.

I could help but think of the sexual abuse scandal, and the hundreds of millions of dollars that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will end up paying to victims of its crimes... if not billions! I couldn't help but think if the church had cared more about protecting innocence and serving God, and not serving itself, by removing these priests and handing them over to the police, how much more money there would be for poor parishes.

I will not be giving to the TIM campaign.

Churchy Bonus: Yesterday was World Marriage Sunday! YAY! What did you do to celebrate?

The event recognizes the importance the Catholic Church places on its sacrament of marriage. It also underscores church leaders' concern about the downward trend in the nation's marriage rate since 1970.

"These alarming statistics highlight the importance of World Marriage Day and the Catholic Church's role in encouraging people to commit to one another and enter into the sacrament of marriage," Orange County Bishop Tod D. Brown said.

Lord in heaven, these heterosexuals are insecure in their marriages. Shit.