Accept refugees or pay business tax: Pope Francis warns churches

Before his visit to the United States, Pope Francis sent a fair message to churches across Europe, saying they should either open their doors to refugees without charging money or be ready to pay taxes like other businesses.

The churches are believed to provide shelter to the homeless and hence enjoy tax-exemptions. Pope Francis claimed that some religious places exploit their estate to earn profits. Reports say that the churches are refusing to accept the victims of the refugee crisis under their roofs, but are using the same property as rented establishments.

“Some religious orders read as, ‘No, now that the convent is empty we are going to make a hotel and we can have guests and support ourselves that way, or make money,’” said Pope Francis. He added that a religious school is free from paying taxes because it’s a religious institution. However, if it is used as a hotel, it becomes a business set-up and hence it’s liable to pay taxes. Then only it can be classified as a fair business.

In Europe, earning by renting religious buildings is a very common practice. Inspite of practicing their religion, these religious institutions earn profits from their religious properties. If the churches don’t follow the religious norms and believe in exploiting the religious properties to yield profits, then it’s high time they should begin paying property taxes, according to Pope Francis.

The pontiff has followed his words and has planned to take two refugee families whom he will accept for “as long as the Lord wants,” as he commented in an interview conducted by Catholic journalist Aura Miguel of Portugal’s Radio Renascenca .

Pope Francis appreciates the efforts of the Catholic Church to change its dimensions with time and entering into the real world. “If somebody has a room in his house which is closed for long periods, it develops humidity, and a bad smell. If a church, a parish, a diocese, or an institute lives closed in on itself, it grows ill and we are left with a scrawny Church, with strict rules, no creativity,” he said.

“On the contrary – if it goes forth – if a church and a parish go out into the world, then once outside they might suffer the same fate as anybody else who goes out: have an accident. Well in that case, between a sick and a bruised Church, I prefer the bruised, because at least it went into the street.”

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