Glad I won’t be wearing vestments or a Bishop’s hat on Judgement Day...
If the priesthood had managed to keep homosexual predators out of the priesthood they would not be having this problem (as much).
The idea of letting the government collect church ‘donations’ is a bad one for many reasons.
So, does this mean that salvation is “for sale”? That the sacraments of our savior are available only to those who can pay for them?
It seems that money has perverted these folks.
A few relevant facts:
(1) In Germany, citizens have the option of either designating that 8% of their taxes go to a church, or of opting for that tax money to go directly to the state.
(2) German churches are allowed to forgo the tax and collect donations directly, but if they do, they have to turn over to the state all the tax information of their adherents.
(3) Nominal Catholics who do not support their Church still want to use churches for weddings, funerals, christenings and other functions - and expect that the choirs, organists, electricity, security and everything else should be paid for by the Catholics who actually designate the Church as their tax contribution.
So, what is being said here is simple: if you deliberately choose to fund the state instead of the Church, and yet expect the Church to spend scarce money and time that could be used for outreach and charity on your personal functions, then you should reexamine your assumptions.
“We have ways of making you pray.....”
;^)
I thought the selling of indulgences was done away with long ago...
Last time I was in Deutschland ya, they talked about the Church tax and it’s huge. Not only that, people think they’re clever and try to opt out. Well, if you opt out, you can’t attend a Church, any functions, receive sacraments. You’re cut off.
Their Church’s were magnificent.
I do not support having government collect church taxes. Having said that, if that is the German system then I hope all German Catholics will find it in their hearts to pay the tax or at least pay a good contribution or tithe directly to their church (which is how I think it should be done). The traditional houses of faith (RCC, Lutheran, Calvinist, or the few Jews who remain alive there) ... seem to be just about the only segments of European society these days that can, sometimes anyway, be counted on to stand up for positive principles and values. Europe needs the church more now than at any time since at least the 1930’s....(and America is not currently available, given the Occupant of the WH, to help Europe if it falls any further into the abyss...)
When the churches get into bed with the state they must be paid.
The state and the church are one.
Long Live the Holy Roman Empire.
Disgusting.
1) They Lied on an official document.
2)They not only lied on an official document, they also lied about their status as Catholic Christians.
3)They not only lied about being Catholic, they lied about it in order escape support for their Church.
There's something wrong here.
Canon Law 222 §1. Christ's faithful have the obligation to provide for the needs of the Church, so that the Church has available to it those things which are necessary for divine worship, for apostolic and charitable work and for the worthy support of its ministers.
From Acts 5:1-5
But a man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. (Acts (RSV) 5)