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“This is a victory for public pressure,” said Mario Staderini, the leader of the Italian Radicals party. “We’ve managed to break down – a little bit – the wall protecting the Church.”
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Since 2005 church-run organisations have not been considered ordinary commercial structures and have been exempt. According to Corriere della Sera newspaper, tax authorities will judge how much of a property is used purely for religious purposes and tax it accordingly. Thus a church will remain exempt.
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“We think the Church should have to pay the arrears,” said Mr Staderini. “It should make the payment back to 2005. Given how much the Vatican stood to pay with arrears, I think they will not be that unhappy with the result.”
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From your linked article: "...the priests were being investigated for laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars." (With no mention of the source or purpose.)
Are you serious? Hundreds of thousands is light years away from a "hub for money laundering" in the world wide routine laundering of hundreds of millions and billions in drug, terrorist and political dollars.
Hell, hundreds of thousands isn't even enough to finance walking around money in a city councilman race in Obama's "Sweet home Chicago!"
How many hundreds of millions were laudered into Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign from all around the world? And now with his 2012 campaign gearing up... there's a real "hub for money laundering" - if someone is seriously looking!
They’re also involved in the international cocaine trade run by Queen Elizabeth and the British Crown!