September 21, 2012
If you are a catholic in Germany, as over 24.5 million people are, you had better have a healthy bank account. The Government levies a tax, generally referred to Kirchensteuer, of between eight and nine percent of your salary in order to subsidise the religion of your choice. If you feel you cannot afford it, or are against paying the tithe on principle, then the message from the Catholic Church to you is clear: “Go to Hell!” Not quite in those terms, of course, but you will be denied the sacraments of confession and holy communion and a catholic burial and you will therefore be excommunicated in all but name. Anathema sit!
The Catholic Church in Germany has been incensed at these renegades for years, so the new decree, which will come into force on Sunday, will come as no surprise. The early Christians used to face lions rather than denounce their faith; today's cannot even face the collection plate. But the times have changed. In the first few centuries after Christ, the romantic and generous ideals of Christianity were still strong and a welcome affront to the debauchery that was rife in Rome. The dangerous and clandestine meetings in the catacombs have been replaced by a well-fed clergy, often out of touch with the issues facing mankind, and by dwindling congregations. This particular decree shows just how out of touch the church really is and will no doubt alienate its followers even more.
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