Dear Editor,
La Repubblica in the number of Thursday, August 2, 2007 published an article by Curzio Maltese entitled "Taxes and the silence of the church", which are heavy charges for tax.
Maltese part of a provocative answer to the question posed by Prodi: "Because when I go to Mass this issue is never touched in the homilies?" And responds: "It will never be because the church is the first to pay taxes?".
I leave to those who have legal expertise and administrative response to accusations that follow, even if Professor Dalla Torre has already made a large response in a previous number of events, following news that the European Commission had initiated proceedings against the Italian government for the "gift" to the Catholic Church ICI (Mark Tarquinio has also advanced counter-Maltese's article on the future of Aug. 3, on page 2).
I would rather make a few comments on the allegation, taken expressively, that "the Italian state to the Vatican this year will pay 991 million € 8 per thousand." Unfortunately, some 8 per thousand years is presented to the public, even by leading church figures, as a benevolent grant of the Italian state to the Catholic Church in recognition of the social function it performs. With a double danger of making the church dependent on funding of state and to make its precarious economic situation because a political majority can be unfavorable to the church to change the law and remove the 8 per thousand.
No one says and informs people that the Italian state, when formed with the unification of Italy, forcibly took away the Italian church (forcibly steal property to someone in good Italian is called "misappropriation") of its assets with which to fend for itself without asking anything to anyone. The Concordat of 1929 had found a compromise and had committed the state to reimburse part of the goods removed, in fact a very small part, the so-called "fair", introduced in 1876 with the 3336 law that established the "bottom cult, "that is integrating the payment to the holders of parish priests, where the proceeds of the remaining goods to the church," the benefits "were not sufficient to maintain them.
updating and renewal of concordat made with the Prime Minister Craxi in 1984, replaces the form of "fair" with the new form of 8 per thousand: the Italian citizen freely chooses, if he chooses, to allocate 8 per thousand of the fees which must state the benefit of the Catholic Church for the maintenance of clergy, pastoral and charitable initiatives, or other religious or welfare schemes of the state. But there is a difference towards other religions is a donation state for the social role, for the Catholic church but is a partial, very partial compensation for what has been removed. It should be added that, provided the livelihood of the clergy, a substantial portion of 8 per thousand is used in charitable activities and human development. That is, the church returns a portion of 8 per thousand in services.
Finally, integration with 8 per thousand to my retirement, which allows me a small but decent standard of living, is not a kindness and a privilege that is granted to me by the state, but a necessary and wise decision of my church that I served for 66 years, and continue to serve peacefully and joyfully. The
Italians know this historical reality? Article Curzio Maltese would seem not. Besides, the media does not ever talk to. Thank you and greet you cordially.
sac. Giovanni Nervo (PD)
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