The traditional "collection basket" used at Mass is beginning to share space with technology in several churches in Paraguay. Parishes in Asunción and the Central Department have already made QR codes available so that worshippers can make offerings and tithes directly from their cell phones.
The initiative comes amid the advance of electronic payments in the country and seeks to provide greater convenience for participants in religious celebrations. With the new method, worshippers transfer money instantly through banking apps or digital wallets.
The topic gained traction on social media after images of celebrations at the Vatican, where they also began using electronic methods for collections, went viral. The debate quickly reached Paraguay, where several parishes had already been adopting similar tools.
The adoption of the QR Code revived an anecdote from 2014, when then-President Horacio Cartes went to Caacupé and had difficulty contributing to the collection because he had no cash or change at the time the basket was passed.
Religious leaders consider that the use of technology does not alter the spiritual meaning of donations, but represents an adaptation to the new financial habits of the population, especially among young people and those accustomed to operating digitally.
The trend also shows how religious institutions are beginning to adapt to technological changes and new consumer habits, in a context where fewer and fewer people use cash in everyday transactions.