**I agree with much of your assessment, Though, from personal experience, many pastors will inflate the figures to make themselves look better to their chancery offices.**
Why would they inflate these numbers when they have to pay stewardship on them?
Why would they inflate these numbers when they have to pay stewardship on them?
Because they pay a "tax" to the diocese based upon the goss annual receipts of the parish, not based upon the number of active, enumerated parishioners! My friend - son't you get it yet: the priests LIE!!!!!
>>Why would they inflate these numbers when they have to pay stewardship on them?<<
Not only that, but the Bishops have a good sense of how many communicants there are, and solid figures on the number of confirmations, first communions, marriages, and baptisms there are.
If you have a 300-seat church which is 50% filled over 6 masses, that's about 900 communicants. If you have 2,000 registered Catholics in your parish, your bishop will think you are doing quite well. If you have 6,000 registered Catholics in your parish, your bishop will wonder what the hell is wrong with your services that you drive everyone away.
Of course, that would only apply if the bishops gave a damn.
(All language is deliberate.)