The mass is modernized! One hundred Italian churches will accept offerings by card

Rome.- In 100 Italian churches the traditional 'collection plate' will no longer be passed around for offerings, as in the coming months ATMs will be installed to allow payment by card, according to a collaboration project between the BPM bank, Numia, a company specializing in digital payments, and the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).

The project plans to install a kind of ATMs in 100 Italian churches by the end of the year, after the success of the experimental installation in recent months in several symbolic places that attract a large number of faithful and tourists: the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi and one at the Jubilee information point in the Vatican, in Rome, among others. "This is a significant change, as until now, offerings to churches were made practically exclusively with bills or coins, deposited in boxes or in the traditional collection plate that was passed around during mass. During the pandemic, some churches, mainly in the north, introduced the option of donating via digital payments, but the measure was limited," they explain in a statement.

"100 Totems in 100 Churches", the name of the project, "will allow quick and secure donations via payment cards and digital applications, thus contributing to social projects and ecclesiastical activities", they add.

They explain that "the system uses simple and intuitive graphics, uses a multilingual touchscreen" and that "it is an easy, fast and secure payment method that guarantees the confidentiality of the data, as it does not require registration or the introduction of personal information".

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«As promoters of the Jubilee 2025, we had a great interest in implementing this project, which positions us as pioneers in the incorporation of innovative payments to the churches. The objective is to facilitate donations and support the dioceses in their social and solidarity activities for the benefit of the communities and the territory», affirmed Stefano Bolis, director of Institutions, Entities and Third Sector of Banco BPM. "This project allows us to continue the research and experimentation process started about two years ago, with the aim of identifying digital fundraising tools adapted to the specific needs of Italian ecclesiastical communities," explained Father Claudio Francesconi, treasurer of the CEI.

Although donating a coin has always been the image of charity, «even in Italy, a country lagging behind others, for the first time in 2024, digital payments surpassed cash payments», highlights Luca Vanetti, Marketing Director of BPM and therefore «why not apply it to parishes as well?.

Also recently, the Vatican has also introduced the possibility of donating to the Óbolo de San Pedro, the body that collects offerings for the Pope's charitable activities, by bank transfer, credit card or PayPal.