Priest bans giving coins as church offertory, says they’re a disgrace to God

Rukungiri, (UG): Christians at Rwamakondo Church in western Uganda’s Rukungiri District were left shocked after their priest lashed out at the poor Christians for giving in coins as church offertory which he says are a disgrace to the Lord.

Rev Fr Julius Turyatoranwa, a parish priest attached to Christ the King parish in the heart of Rukungiri municipal town said during a Safari mass at the church last Sunday where he noted that God does not grace Christians who spend the rest of the week working only to collect coins of Shs100 to 500 amounts to offer on a Sunday.

According to Fr Turyatoranwa, it is such a shocking experience seeing big-bellied men and women dropping coin shillings in the offertory trays yet they spend extravagantly on leisure activities such as beer parties, clothes and property.

Offering coins according to him impedes the development of church projects which disables priest’s pastoral works. He therefore announced the ban on coin offertories in all municipality churches with immediate effect.

Similar incidents

Fr. Turyatoranwa is not the first priest to ban coins in the catholic church.

In 2021, the Kasese diocese issued a ban on indecently dressed female Christians from attending church masses and services in the entire churches under the diocese. They also banned coin money from offertories.

Another Catholic priest from Gatete parish also in Kigezi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Safari previously said he was displeased with coin offers and banned them in the whole parish.

In 2014, the then West Ankole Diocese Rt. Rev. Yona Mwesigwa Katonene made a mockery of Christians who spend time accumulating wealth but do not share it with the needy.

The bishop emeritus said it is common during offertory time when some Christians open their wallets and pick coins to drop in the baskets leaving behind the big currency notes.

Additional Reporting by Parrotsug.com