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Church in the WorldBertone attacks tax criticsItaly Robert Mickens - 8 September 2007CONTROVERSY OVER the Catholic Church's largely tax-free status in Italy is being whipped up by national politicians intent on weakening the Church, according to the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, writes Robert Mickens. The cardinal told the popular magazine Famiglia Cristiana that attacks on the Church not only damaged the public image of Italy, but struck at those benefiting from its charitable and social activities. Last month European Union competition regulators began an inquiry after anonymous Italian officials complained that the Catholic Church was being unfairly "privileged" by the Italian State in violation of EU tax laws. This has angered Italian Church officials, who claim that long-standing Church-State agreements justly exonerate the Church's strictly religious and charitable entities from tax obligations. The institutional Church provides a massive network of social services, hospitals and schools that it says would cost the state billions of euros a year if the Church were to discontinue them. |
 In this week’s issueMaking markets moral Iron and velvet Love in a Catholic climate Someone to talk to A good Lent takes planning South American surprise Can the Church support abuse victims on its own terms? Elena Curti Is the Church too slow in recognising that academies are the future for Catholic schools? Christopher Lamb Goodwin the scapegoat Elena Curti The pain of being a coeliac Catholic Sr M, guest contributor The Church's moral obligation to victims of clerical sexual abuse Speeches from this week's conference in Rome This week in Rome bishops and religious superiors met at the first Vatican-backed symposium devoted to forging a global response to the crisis of clerical sexual abuse that has disgraced ... Archbishop voices 'shame and sorrow' after priest's abuse trial Longley to visit parishes 'damaged' by Walsh Today, Tuesday 7 February, Bede Walsh, who served as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, has been convicted by a jury, following a 10-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent ...
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