A supplier of Mass cards pre-signed by missionary priests has taken out advertisements in local newspapers rejecting concerns by senior clergy about their sale.
The placing of the advert followed a recent warning to priests by the Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy. He said people who wished to make a Mass offering should do so on a person-to-person basis, and to a priest known to them. Dr Murphy said he was alarmed at reports that the Mass was being used as an organised, profit-making business. Priests should warn traders to be alert to "the abuse" of Mass cards, he said.
However, in a notice in this week's Kerryman, Celtic Religious Cards said its range of signed Mass cards was authentic in every respect.
"The mission priests receive Mass intentions and badly-needed donations each month towards their mission work among the poor and needy of their parishes in Africa," it said.
The donations went towards the priests' work with orphans, AIDS victims, the disabled and in education. The company said it resented any questioning of the authenticity of the cards available at "an affordable price", the notice continued. Missionary priests had the right to celebrate Mass for any individual anywhere in the world and the people had the right to choose, it said.
Mr John McNally, supplier of Celtic Religious Cards based in Longford, said yesterday the tradition of pre-signed cards went back 80 years.Priests abroad had been saying Masses for intentions for years, he said. He attributed the recent warnings by local clergy to a concern that they were losing money.
Celtic Religious Cards was a business, but Mr McNally gave monthly donations to missionary priests, regardless of how many Mass cards were sold.
Each month Mass intention sheets were collected from shops where his cards were sold and sent to priests in Africa, he said.
Father Rory O'Sullivan, spokesman for the Diocese of Kerry, said the warning stood that a practice of abuse existed and ideally people should get Masses said locally.