MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine Church to renounce state funding, albeit gradually
The Argentine Catholic Church moves towards separation from the State? Argentina;'s Catholic Church will gradually renounce the 140-million-peso contribution from the federal government, it was announced Sunday. The funding of that specific cult is set forth in the national Constitution. That money makes for 7% of the Church's budget.
The measure is said to be a response to controversies following a mass for “peace, bread and work” at the Luján sanctuary in the province of Buenos Aires attended by labour leaders like Hugo Moyano.
The move is also regarded as a small step towards separating the State from the Church, analysts said.
The decision was backed to move by all the bishops after a debate during their last plenum of the year where it was to study proposals, with “the purpose of gradually resigning the assignments that the bishops receive” from the nation.
In recent weeks, the Executive Committee of the Episcopate convened the treasurers of all Argentine dioceses, with whom the future changes were analysed.
The issue has been on the table since March, when Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña announced the Church's 2018 budget was to be of 130 million pesos, as the Cambiemos (Let's Change) government lobbied to legalise abortion.
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Read all commentsLol.
Nov 06th, 2018 - 12:27 pm 0But it's OK for the chinese to select your local officials.
Catholics.
Lol.
”...as the Cambiemos (Let's Change) government lobbied to legalise abortion.”
Nov 08th, 2018 - 01:29 am 0The statement above is an error. The government of Mauricio Macri, in a strange maneuver, allowed the debate to occur but was opposed to legal, safe and health-care covered abortion.
As a result, the proposal was approved by the lower chamber but was later defeated by the Senate in spite of intense popular mobilization in support of legalization.
As for the topic at hand, stopping making Argentine taxpayers support the Catholic Church is a long overdue move and total separation of State and Church should follow.
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