Sources
Authority
Suggestions
Findings - dioceses
Finding - parishes
AOB
The reports
“The mission of the journalist
‘The facts are these. My
interpretation is this’.
It distinguishes you from the
storyteller…
Journalists must remain human,
humane and constructive.”
“I
always find statistics are hard
to swallow and impossible to
digest. The only one I can
remember is that if all the
people who go to sleep in church
were laid end to end they would
be a lot more comfortable.”
Attributed to Mrs Robert Taft;
cited in Dim Wit by Rosemarie
Jarski
The origin of OpenBooks was the observation that parishes were were giving out information on parish finances. This led to the discovery that Canon Law 1287.2 requires this. In addition, dioceses may include refercne to this in their operating procedures - some of which are documented on-line.
The Project was to gather data to see if they were using parish websites as part of the communcciation process. In 2018/19 hundreds were explored. In early 2021, the process was repeated. financial transparency - not search for impropriety.
Canon 1287.2 requires parish priests to provide parishioners with an account of what they've offered. in the UK this amounts to over £200 million a year, supplemented by public funding of p[erhaps £30 million via Gift Aid scheme.
You'd expect to see these accounts on parish websites. So OpenBooks went in search of thse. Initially personal expetience suggested this was low or infrequent. But was this the case. To test this, over 1200 webistes were examined.
The rationale for the Project was the impression of lack of observance of Canon 1287.2. This Canon requires priests to present a report to parishioners on how their offerings have used. Initial scans suggested that very few were using parish websites as part of the communication process. Assuming that these were not typical, in 2018 HRHG
The conventional was seen in the methodology
Unusual Authorship Hugh Gibbons is a lay person Click here for more
Unusual sources
the websites of over 1200 parishes and dioceses
across the United Kingdom, and touching on
Australia and New Zealand.
The Report
is unusual in having a page to a topic, with
some cross-reference. The report is in three
Parts. Part 1 has the main rationale, sources,
finings and suggestions for bishops. Part
2 looks at the interpretation of Canon 1287.2
and its compeoents. Part 3 explores
talking points from the dioceses survyeted ion
earoly 2021.
The report is available on request
Unusual aims of
research
The OpenBooks Project has the purpose of finding, assessing and reporting on
-
the awareness and interpretation
of Canon 1287.2 as shown in
diocesan norms, such as current
or previous parish operating
procedures
- signs of observance of Canon 1287.2 diocesan norms as shown on active parish websites – ideally, the priest’s annual financial account
- other aspects of their financial transparency today, using the accessibility of diocesan and parish websites to explore and compare their public-facing data
Unusual sources surveyed
The OpenBooks Project has the purpose of finding, assessing and reporting on...
-
the awareness and interpretation
of Canon 1287.2 as shown in
diocesan norms, such as current
or previous parish operating
procedures
- signs of observance of Canon 1287.2 diocesan norms as shown on active parish websites – ideally, the priest’s annual financial account
- other aspects of their financial transparency today, using the accessibility of diocesan and parish websites to explore and compare their public-facing data
.
Out-of-the-ordinary authorship - and authority
Unique suggestions for 2023
Unexpected findings