Dear Editor,
you send these brief reflections on a subject which held bank in recent days.
Who said that bishops and cardinals, when they open their mouths to express an opinion on the Italian society, make an interference improper? The affirmation of the card. Tarcisio Bertone at the Meeting of Communion and Liberation in Rimini on the August 19 shooting and has been widely cited by politicians of both of our house deployment. The intervention of the Holy See's secretary of state for the truth was a masterpiece of diplomacy: "We are with the Gospel that says" Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give God what is God "and with St. Paul invites us to pay taxes. Of course - as has been said by members of the church and myself - we must all do our duty even pay taxes in accordance with just laws and to allocate the proceeds to righteousness and in helping to the poorest and weakest. " A sentence like that lent itself perfectly to be taken up and amplified by the opposing political camps: the center has largely taken over the first part, inherent in the duty that everyone has to pay taxes, the center, like a level playing field, referred rather than to the second part where he recalls the commitment of the state that the fee be "fair" and use the proceeds of them properly and in favor of the weakest.
Card. Bertone is linked to a statement of the Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, made a few weeks earlier, who complained in an interview with Famiglia Cristiana - he a practicing Catholic - who, despite his frequent visits to Sunday Mass, he was not ever hear from the homilies of priests on a point of duty to pay taxes. It should therefore reflect on this aspect, because it is one of those thorny issues that you speak and write only reluctantly, but given the times we live, we need more than ever think seriously and calmly.
Just to stay within the Church, we begin by saying that the numbers in 2865 which divided the Catechism of the Catholic Church there are three issues dedicated to the proper respect even to animals, a number dedicated to a strike and labor contributions which must be duly paid. There is no mention of fees and taxes in general, even if one speaks of the duty of the state to ensure the universal destination of goods. He speaks, however, in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the church where he devoted himself to the "tax collection and public spending" a single number, just the number 355.
In fact, during the sessions of the council, the bishops from around the world with great firmness had made a proposal to overcome the dominant individualistic ethic. Stipulates that the document Gaudium et Spes, paragraph 30: 'There are those who, while professing wide views and generous, but in practice they continue to live as if they had any care of the needs of society. Indeed, many in some countries, held in low esteem the laws and social prescriptions. Not a few are not ashamed to escape, with various frauds and deceptions, the right taxes or other obligations (...) they all take to count the uppermost social solidarity among the principal duties and to respect human life today. "
In classical treatises of morality can take a certain contradiction, because it is always a chapter on this issue, but when compared with the mighty tomes that deal with sexual morality, premarital sex, masturbation, etc.., There has been a degree of disproportion.
We are therefore faced with an attitude in some ways all be explored, so much so true that those who evade taxes or not pay taxes does not perceive this as a serious moral offense. The same politicians, whether in words invite the civic duty of every citizen, when they are caught with their hands in "jam" candidly admit that is a "lesser evil". If we think of the example offered to us by people from the entertainment and sports stars of all kinds who are moved more when he plays the national anthem, when watching the flag go up into the sky and at the same time, contend that the land their economic compensation is paid to accounts located in tax havens complacent, or even bring their residence abroad, some ethical question in more in this respect we have to begin to porcelain, or not?
If we go down to levels more popular and if we are to believe what is published, five million Italians do not pay the fee Rai and a countless number of citizens escape tax on solid waste and to stamp duty on ' car. Add to all that, more often at the level of civic consciousness staff, while violating "perhaps in the form of light," the law - think of no parking or non-compliance with the various postal rates, the non-payment of tickets on public transport , non-payment of tax receipts, etc.., in violation of no concern at all from the point of view moral, but only if it is "caught" and forced to pay the penalty - all this speaks volumes about how the average Italian has at heart the common good. Speech
exception is the tax on financial speculation and non-labor income. According to the prestigious Jesuit Catholic Civilization is certainly not fair that the compensation of employees are taxed at about 50%, income from business for about 40% and that of annuities to fund only 13%. Welcome, then, at this point the call of the card. Bertone to the duty of all to pay taxes and moral obligation by the state to use these resources in favor of the weakest. Writes economist
American Keynes that the fees are any fees for being part of a society worthy of the name, is, therefore, by each, rulers and ruled, a moral duty to fulfill their duties.
addition, it is hoped that those who believe that whenever you confess and start saying "Father I do not know what to say, you help me ..." could happen to them to be told, not so much the classic phrase "How many times my son?" But more prosaic "Tell me how you compiled the last 730 or 740?". ... Who knows, maybe the true conversion of civic, moral and religious, can start from there.
Don Mario Bandera
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