It pays to give, but check first

Imposters often bank on the good reputation of the Church to swindle money from others for themselves

Many people have recently pretended to be priests and religious to cheat laypeople out of money. These imposters take advantage of the good reputation of religious orders and the Church and expect people to willingly give alms without questioning them.

We planned to collect funds to publish a book for young Catholics as publishing books in Vietnam means authors have to pay the printing cost from their own pocket or get financial support from elsewhere. 

I wrote to a woman to ask for a donation, and she replied, “I am sorry, Brother. Many people disguise themselves as religious to ask for money these days. So, let me check with your confreres first!”

I was really pleased with her and admired her prudence. The woman showed how we should be cautious and protect ourselves from being scammed by impostors.

“We must be as careful as possible to make sure that our aid reaches worthy people and is given for meaningful purposes”

I am deeply indebted to her for not only the money she donated for the publication of our book but also the way she did it. Consequently, the money she donated was properly used for apostolic purposes. If everyone was as careful as she is, I believe that wrongdoers would no longer have an opportunity to abuse the kindness of benefactors.

Her case shows that we should be highly cautious about charity, especially in providing funds. We must be as careful as possible to make sure that our aid reaches worthy people and is given for meaningful purposes.

Many people are quite right to ask why congregations and the Church have to ask for money from the laity.

The prime purpose of the Church and religious orders is to care for the spiritual life of people. While accompanying people, especially the poor, the Church and its organizations, including religious orders, always need financial support.

Priests and religious people obviously never do business, which means that their activities are not aimed at making money. On the contrary, they spend their time worshiping God and seeking to walk with people. They want to bring people back to God in various ways.

To carry out that mission, priests and religious people do need material resources to sustain their lives and seek assistance for those in need.

Thus, they serve as a bridge between those who are chafing at the bit to give donations and those who are in dire need of others’ help. 

For example, numberless benefactors through local dioceses and religious orders send generous donations annually to flood victims in Vietnam’s central provinces.

Therefore, in order to help people, the Lord’s apostles sometimes have to appeal to benefactors. Thanks to that, benefactors also have opportunities to join hands with others in God’s mission.

Charity and aid always require generosity and volunteerism, so givers will find a lot of joy. Those who do charitable work with a sincere heart will not certainly lose their rewards before Jesus, who said, “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mt. 10:42)

 “There are many bad people who try to take advantage of others’ kindness to make money”

On the other hand, recipients also get chances to overcome difficult circumstances. That is the spirit of mutual love and support that always exists in the hearts of Vietnamese people.

Thank God that the Church and religious orders always have generous benefactors accompanying them in their mission of evangelization and charity.

I am greatly impressed with the charity work of a Jesuit priest. He manages to involve many people in all his charity projects. They provide their support as much as they can.

He says: “Charity performances always have positive influences on both givers and receivers. Therefore, the more people involved, the better.” As a result, his social apostolate bears fruit.

I believe that in society and the Church, there are always many people ready to offer generous support to people in need. They understand that they have received gifts freely from God, so they should willingly share them with those who are in need of their help.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No:2462) teaches that: “Giving alms to the poor is a witness to fraternal charity. It is also a work of justice pleasing to God.”

As I mentioned above, there are many bad people who try to take advantage of others’ kindness to make money.

Please be bold and wise to carefully check information about the person or the organization that knocks on your door, asking for a donation. With today’s communication networks, it is easy for us to verify the information before giving gifts to people we do not really know.

May God offer well-deserved rewards to those who treat others with generosity.

This article was summarized and translated by a UCA News reporter from a Vietnamese article published by dongten.net here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.

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