The Revived Roman Catholic Custom
In 1871, Pope Pius IX formalized the practice of lay members of the Roman Catholic Church – and "other persons of good will" – to provide financial support to the Roman See. While the regular tithe goes to the local parish or diocese, Peter's Pence goes directly to Rome. Pius IX gave it his approval in the Encyclical Letter Saepe Venerabilis (5 August 1871). The money collected is today used by the pope for philanthropic purposes.
At present, this collection is taken each year on the Sunday closest to 29 June, the Solemnity of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul, according to the Roman Church. According to the report, in 2007, donations amounted to $79,837,843. In 2006, it was $101,900,192. United States was the biggest donor, giving some 28% of the total, followed by Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Brazil and South Korea. In 2008, donations totaled $75.8 million, $82,529,417 in 2009, $67,704,416.41 in 2010 and $69,711,722.76 in 2011.
Read more about this topic: Peter's Pence
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