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German group slams Catholic ‘pay to pray’ decree
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A Catholic reform group in Germany criticized the country’s bishops Monday for declaring that believers who refuse to pay religious taxes won’t be able to receive the sacrament, become godparents or work in church institutions.
A century-old agreement with the state adds up to nine percent to the income tax bill of Germany’s 25 million registered Roman Catholics, earning the church more than €4 billion ($5.2 billion) annually. The same tax applies to Protestants and Jews.
The churches use the income to pay employees’ salaries and fund social work such as care for the elderly. The churches themselves aren’t taxed by the state but instead pay an administrative fee for the collection of religious tax. Donations represent a far smaller share of the churches’ income than in the United States.
The Catholic bishops’ decree in Germany last week is part of an attempt to stem the steady flow of people who opt out of paying religious taxes. It declares that they have committed a “grave lapse” and effectively left the church.
But the group We are Church — which claims to represent tens of thousands of grassroots Catholics — said the bishops’ decision to freeze believers out if they don’t pay up was “the wrong signal at the wrong time.”
“Instead of seeking to understand the reasons for the high number of people leaving the church, this decree by the bishops represents a threat to the church’s members,” it said.
The group said many German Catholics choose not to pay religious taxes because they disagree with the church’s actions, not because they have lost their faith. It said the decision undermined the bishops’ own efforts to regain credibility among believers who have become disenchanted by the fact that for decades the Catholic Church covered up child abuse by priests. [more]
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15 Comments
I am normally on the liberal side of all things Catholic. In this instance, I am inclined to go along with the church’s stance unless I am missing something. If someone signs something’s saying this religion is no longer their religion, for whatever reason, I don’t think the Church has much of an obligation in return.
On the other hand, it is another reason why I hope we manage to keep the separation of church and state despite many attempts to subvert it….both from the church and the state!
In 1976 my husband had a year’s contract to work in Bonn University and on our many application forms we were repeatedly asked of what religious persuasion we were. They got their answer…. This excellent scholar/professor had been refused a position in one of Ireland’s rabid catholic establishments because he/we no longer practised nor had our children baptised. How things have changed?
I would not be too concerned considering our RC Church does not have a monopoly on salvation. However, this grab-for-cash by the bishops does not bode well for them.
This is pure extortion by the German government. It’s outrageous. If the people don’t want to give of their own free will, then the church isn’t giving the people much!
P.S. Threatening them like this will really bring ‘em back into the church!
Yeah, after all, threatening people into giving money to the church was exactly what Jesus did.
Oh, wait…
I am a practicing Catholic.
I believe it is time distance ourselves from Rome and Romeºs appointments i.e. bishops. They have abandoned Jesus Christ and think only of the institution.
This is a century old agreement – These are German bishops- the churches are not themeslves taxed by the state – the money is used by the churches to pay salaries and fund social work – It is an Income Tax collected from Protestants and Jews as well as Catholics. This is NOT a Roman Tax, it is a German Income Tax – and it is the German Bishops that are threatening to withhold the Sacraments from the faithful whose donations only represent a smaller portion of the Churches Income that in the United States.
The Vatican approved this – so they are just as guilty of mis-using the Sacraments. The Sacraments are gifts from God, not the Bishops and not even the Pope.
Perhaps, perhaps not..
This is a sene from the “Godfather”. I can see Marlin Cardinal Brando with his orange hat saying, “No money, no sacraments, I gave them an offer they can’t refuse. Its all about money Yah! So much for the money changers in the tempel.
Where is Martin a luthier now that the German people really need him?
Pretty sure his church is alive and well.
And its membership who are still living in Germany are also paying this 8 to 10 percent tax to the German Government.
Let’s pray the bishops decide to reverse this decision – it is horrible. This is so out of line with the message of Jesus. They are making their own rules – there is no canonical basis for this decision. To deny people the sacraments, Christian burial, or anything else because they do not “pay” is ludicrous and sinful.