What Is the Church’s True Teaching About Money?

What Does The Catholic Church Believe About Money?

Does the Church teach that money is bad and is the root of all evils? Why then is the Church so concerned about raising funds and asking donations from people? What is the Church’s real stance about money and worldly riches?

Money as the Root of All Evils

Following are some of the Bible verses that stand out when it comes to the point of view that money is evil in itself:

“For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.” – 1 Timothy 6:10 (NABRE)

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” – Matthew 6:24 (NABRE)

“Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” – Mark 10:24 (NRSVCE)

Whenever we hear these words being preached, our perception that money is bad and is not compatible with the spiritual life is reinforced.

As a result, we may feel guilty being rich. We may also feel that there is no point in trying to earn more since money can eventually lead to our ruin. Whoever wants to be condemned that one has worshiped money rather than God?

With these things in mind, we form a perception that money is something evil, a temptation that we must avoid at all costs.

Meeting Our Needs and Helping the Church

The conflict arises when we consider our day to day needs as well as the needs of the Church.

If we don’t have money, we can’t feed our family. We can’t give our children a good education. We can also fail to support the Church’s many needs.

How many people do we see around us that need our financial help? We see beggars in the streets without anything to eat or wear. We see so many people who are sick without having enough money for their medical needs. We see people cramped in poor dwellings, unable to afford a better place for their family.

If money is bad, then why is it needed so we can provide our neighbors with so much good?

Even the Church has an unending need for money. We see donation boxes everywhere, multiple collections for various needs and even fund raising events to finance its many programs. Without money, can the Church even maintain its facilities? How many Church buildings have been turned into pubs because they could no longer be maintained?

The Real Trap of Riches

We should realize that the substance of the Church’s teaching is not that money is bad. What’s bad is the love of money and the greed that ensnares those who strive for it as their foremost goal in life.

“Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.” 1 Timothy 6:9 (NABRE)

“Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15 (NRSVCE)

Our priority should always be God’s kingdom, not earthly riches. But that doesn’t mean we should never use money to do something good.

In truth, we should use our time and effort to make the most of the resources we have. We are not told to be lazy but to be diligent so that we can make a decent living for ourselves and for our loved ones.

“…whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” – 1 Timothy 5:8 (NRSVCE)

“A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
A child who gathers in summer is prudent,
but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.”
– Proverbs 10:4-5 (NRSVCE)

Final Thoughts on Money and Riches

We should never come to the point of being too focused on earning money that we forget about the things of God. Money should never be worshiped. It should not be allowed to fill our souls with greed.

On the other hand, we must not disregard money as though it isn’t needed in our earthly life. We should earn it honestly, work for it diligently and use it responsibly, always keeping in mind the needs of the Church and our neighbors.

“…give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that I need,
or I shall be full, and deny you,
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or I shall be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God.”
– Proverbs 30:8-9 (NRSVCE)

Jocelyn Soriano writes about relationships and the Catholic faith at “Single Catholic Writer”. She wrote the books To Love an Invisible God, Defending My Catholic Faith and Questions to God.

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You may also want to read “Why It Makes Sense To Give Until It Hurts”.