Churches which insist on taking half the collection plate at funerals for their own upkeep have come under fire from the Archdeacon of York.

The Venerable George Austin has criticised the handful of churches in York which divide donations with the charities chosen by grieving relatives.

The move has angered mourners, many of whom failed to realise the policy until it was too late.

Wendy Carter, of Marston Crescent, held a collection in aid of St Leonard's Hospice during a service at Holy Trinity Church, Micklegate, following her mother's death. It was only later she discovered the church would keep half the money.

In a letter to the Evening Press, she said: "I was appalled at this situation and so I informed as many friends and relatives as I could, who said they were not happy about it, and all of them decided to give me the money personally to pass on to St Leonard's."

But the Rev Gerald Higginson, of Holy Trinity, defended the church's policy and insisted that people holding funerals were normally told by the undertakers organising the ceremony.

He said: "If they want to hold a collection elsewhere, that's fine.

"The philosophy behind this is the majority of people who attend a funeral are not regular churchgoers, so it seems right, when they do come, they should contribute to its upkeep.

"We only hold about two or three funerals each year anyway."

However, Mr Austin warned that churches which kept money from donations were in danger of landing themselves in hot water.

He said: "There is a question of legality if people have not been told. My own feeling is it is an unnecessary thing to do. If the church was going to keep half then the proper thing would be to have two collection plates clearly marked. But just to say, arbitrarily, that they are going to take half is acting, to say the least, very unwisely, and they would be in a very dodgy position.

"The proper way would be to include extra prices in the statutory funeral fee."

See COMMENT End collection confusion

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