Frequently Asked Questions – St. Thomas More's Purse

Q. How do I request assistance from St. Thomas More’s Purse?

A. To obtain assistance, first talk with a canon lawyer. If you do not know a canon lawyer, we maintain a list of canon lawyers who have been recommended to us by clergy and other lawyers. The list of canon lawyers is under the resources section of our website. Once you have a canon lawyer willing to assist you and who believes that you have grounds for a canonical recourse, complete the Petition for Assistance and the Statement of Faith. Send the completed forms to petitions@thomasmorespurse.org Both of these forms are available under the forms section of our website. Once we receive the completed forms, the board of directors will review the forms. If further information or clarification is needed, a member of the board of directors will contact the petitioner for further information. The petitioner will be notified of the board’s decision. If the board decides to support a petition, the petitioner will be notified of the amount of funds set aside to pay the petitioner’s canonical fees and the length of time the funds are reserved for the petitioner. Any reserved funds not used are returned to the general fund. Thomas More’s Purse, Inc makes payments directly to the petitioner’s canon lawyer, and not to the petitioner. Thomas More’s Purse, Inc does not stand as a guarantor for any debt or fees incurred by the petitioner.

Q. Will St. Thomas More’s Purse assist with civil suits?

A. As a general rule, Thomas More’s Purse, Inc does not provide assistance for civil actions. A civil action may be supported by Thomas More’s Purse, Inc if the action is requested by the petitioner’s canon lawyer in support of a canonical action, however this is rare and would require detailed explanations from the petitioner’s canon lawyer regarding the need for such action.

Q. Is St. Thomas More’s Purse a Catholic organization?

A. Canons 215 and 216 of the Code of Canon Law acknowledges the right of the faithful to form associations for the purposes of charity, piety, and promotion of the Christian vocation; and the right to promote or sustain apostolic action by their own undertakings, however canon 216 adds, “no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.” Thomas More’s Purse, Inc has not sought the consent of an ecclesiastical authority to claim the name Catholic, nor has an ecclesiastical authority consented to Thomas More’s Purse, Inc using the name Catholic. Although Thomas More’s Purse, Inc is not a Catholic organization, we acknowledge the authority of the magisterium of the Catholic Church. Thomas More’s Purse, Inc and its directors, officers, employees, agents, and petitioners are bound by the Code of Canon Law and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Q. Why has St. Thomas More’s Purse not requested permission to claim the name Catholic?

A. The majority of petitioners request assistance with canonical recourses regarding a perceived violation of a right of the faithful. These perceived violations are often imposed directly by the faithful’s local ecclesiastical authority (i.e. bishop or archbishop) or with the knowledge of the faithful’s local ecclesiastical authority. An ecclesiastical authority cannot revoke his consent for Thomas More’s Purse, Inc to claim the name Catholic, if the consent was not given. By not pursing the consent to use the name Catholic, Thomas More’s Purse, Inc removes the appearance of impropriety that the board of directors was influenced to support or not support a petition due to a real or imagined risk of having the consent revoked. Although Thomas More’s Purse, Inc is not a Catholic organization, we acknowledge the authority of the magisterium of the Catholic Church and are bound by the Code of Canon Law and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Q. Are my donations to St. Thomas More’s purse tax deductible?

A. St. Thomas More’s Purse has applied for nonprofit status with the IRS. When the application is approved, donations St. Thomas More’s will be tax deductible. We cannot guarantee your donation will be tax deductible until the nonprofit status is granted. Watch for updates on the website.