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Legatus Withholding 2019 Vatican Tithe

National Catholic business leaders group refuses to collect annual gift to Rome, pending reform
Detail of Tom Monaghan letter

Legatus is a national organization for Catholic business leaders. On November 16, its founder and CEO, Thomas Monaghan, sent this out to the membership:

Dear fellow members,

On September 6th, I wrote you on behalf of the Board of Governors to share with you the Board’s decision to withhold our annual tithe to the Holy See (and place it in escrow). Since that time, I know you have been ardently praying for the Church and all of our leaders. Let us continue to do so; it is evident that it is going to take time for the current crisis in the Church to be addressed to the point where the Board believes the reinstatement of our annual tithe would be prudent.

Therefore, it is the decision of the Board of Governors to forego collecting the annual tithe represented in your 2019 dues. For those who have already submitted their dues, the National Office will refund the appropriate amount earmarked for the Holy See contribution in a timely fashion. For those who have not yet remitted your dues, new invoices will be sent.

Since our founding, the annual tithe has been an important part of Legatus membership. Thus, it is the intent of the Board to reinstate this practice once we have sufficient communication regarding the specific accountability related to the use of these funds. The Board will revisit this topic by the fall of 2019 in order to chart a plan related to the 2020 dues.

As George Weigel so articulately stated in his Wall Street Journal article entitled, A Crisis, but not of Faith (August 30, 2018), the Church is most certainly in crisis, but it is not a crisis of Faith. As an organization, Legatus continues to pledge its devotion to and solidarity with Holy Mother Church; this is a time when we need to live the mission of Legatus more than ever.

As we approach the Advent season, let us continue to pray for healing and courage for the Church. Please be assured of the Board’s prayers for you.

Sincerely in Christ,

Thomas S. Monaghan

Chairman & CEO

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