German court warns Catholics: pay church tax or face expulsion

Belfast Telegraph ^ | Thursday, 27 September 2012 | Tony Paterson

[Olog-hai]

A German court gave its backing yesterday to a decree by the country's Catholic bishops declaring that believers who refused to pay an eight percent church tax could not be considered Catholic and would automatically lose the right to receive Holy Communion and a religious burial.

The verdict, which was delivered by Germany's chief administrative court in Leipzig, was a bitter defeat for Germany's grass-roots Catholics and conservative church campaigners who had denounced the bishop's decree as "pay and pray" and claimed it sent "the wrong signal". …

The ruling was welcomed by Germany's Catholic bishops who said it had finally dispelled the notion that individuals could belong to a church without paying church tax. …

[Talisker]

Is this from the Onion?

[terycarl]

directly from Belfast Northern Ireland....a Catholic cannot be excommunicated for not paying a tax....doesn’t happen.

[Olog-hai]

I see this in lots of other sources. Fox News is even carrying the AP stories on this.

[Talisker]

directly from Belfast Northern Ireland....a Catholic cannot be excommunicated for not paying a tax....doesn’t happen.

LOL, yeah, but read the article: "Catholic bishops stressed that non-payers could no longer be considered Catholic and would automatically be banned from receiving Holy Communion, working in church schools or hospitals and taking part in parish activities. They also stated that without a "sign of repentance before death" religious burial could be refused. Opting out of the tax would also bar individuals from becoming godparents to Catholic children, they added.

[Olog-hai]

No; they do stop short of excommunication, but they appear to be holding firm on sacrament denial.

The Belfast Telegraph story is the same one that is in the UK’s Independent.

[Gay State Conservative]

I absolutely accept a Catholic’s obligation to support the Church as well as many other obligations.But a *tax*,mandated by an “earthly” government cannot be binding.

[Olog-hai]

Apparently this is a continuation of a nineteenth-century tax imposed on Catholics, Protestants and Jews. Why we didn’t disestablish that when we were occupying escapes me.

[GeronL]

I’ve already commented on a few of these.

They need to stop collecting taxes for the church. I don’t think I would call it a church if its that intertwined with the state/

[RginTN]

Guess they want to drive people away from the Church with this medieval tactic.

[OldNavyVet]

Desperate people do desperate things, and it works both ways. The bishop apparently needs money, and his “faithful” are desperate for salvation.

[Leaning Right]

Guess they want to drive people away from the Church...

That was my first thought too. The Church has won the battle, but they will lose the war.

[MacMattico]

I’ve had people tell me Hitler was a good practicing Catholic too. Uh NO. What is it with Germans and treatment of individuals based on religion?

(I am 1/4 German fwiw)

[castlebrew]

1517, anyone???

[robowombat]

It would be impossible to categorize Adolph Hitler as a good or even observant catholic considering his well documented world view which he articulated in some way in almost every speech he made. however, Hitler did remain until his death a Catholic in good standing with his diocese by virtue of his regular payment of his ‘confessional tax’ . Strange but true.

[Leaning Right]

1517, anyone???

I hear you. But I'm more concerned about an eventual repeat of 1453 (the fall of Constantinople). But next time it won't be a city that falls, but a continent.

[MacMattico]

Yet many of his private remarks and writings reveal to us today that he really hated Catholicism and only used it for personal gain by pretending to be a Christian. He knew the Catholic church would be a powerful force against him amongst the German people if attacked. Conversely, this is also why many Catholics were able to secretly work against him because they were allowed a little bit of freedom. Claus Von Stauffenberg, of Operation Valkyrie, was a Catholic from an aristocratic Catholic family. Hitler tried to appease this group but not everyone fell for it.

[MacMattico]

I responded to you like you said he was a good Catholic but you clearly make the case in your first sentence he wasn’t. Sorry about that.

[steve86]

About the 57th thread on this.

People, the format Catholics are being denied Communion because they RECOUNCED THEIR FAITH -- LEFT THE CHURCH, not because they didn't pay a tax.

[steve86]

format = former