(ZENIT News / Rome, 12.06.2025).- On June 3, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), criticized the Italian Government for a unilateral change in the tax system that channels unrestricted funding from citizens to the Catholic Church in the country.
The origin lies in the 1985 Law that regulated the legal recognition of ecclesiastical entities and properties, and the methods of support for the clergy, guaranteed by a minimum State income for priests. The system established the choice for taxpayers to allocate a fraction of tax revenue to the Catholic Church or the State by checking a box on their income tax return.
The CEI President’s complaint warns that the Government unilaterally modified the Law with a false objective and argument. It appears that the distribution mechanism has changed, and the funds could be cut in half.
At the opening of the National Conference, sponsored by the Central Institute for the Support of the Clergy, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of that Law, Cardinal Zuppi declared: «I express my disappointment with the Government’s decision to unilaterally change the purposes and methods of allocating the 8 per 1000 belonging to the State. It is a choice that goes against the contractual reality of the Agreement itself, which objectively distorts its logic and functioning, creating a disparity that harms both the Catholic Church and the other religious denominations that have signed Agreements with the State.»
The Government’s immediate reaction was that the amendment to the 1985 Law «was introduced by the parliamentary majority supporting the Conte 2 Government,» that is, the Cinque Stelle Movement and the Democratic Party in 2019, which offered the option of attributing 8 per 1000 to the State, choosing between five possibilities: world hunger, natural disasters, school buildings, assistance to refugees or cultural heritage. In 2024, the Meloni Government simply added a sixth option, namely, «recovery from drug addiction and other pathological addictions.»
The Catholic Church is one of 13 religious organizations that receive contributions through this system, along with the Union of Methodist and Waldense Churches, the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, and the Italian Buddhist Union. The Catholic Church is by far the largest recipient of the 8 per 1000 grant, which it allocates to clergy salaries, church maintenance, and support for charitable projects.
In 2024, the Catholic Church received 70% of these funds, while the State received 26%. According to Article 48 of the Law, these funds are to be used «for the religious needs of the population, the support of the clergy, and charitable interventions in favour of the national community or Third World countries.»
The problem arises because just over 40% of taxpayers check one of the 12 boxes marked «8 per 1000,» and 60% do not. Therefore, these revenues are redistributed based on the signatures of the 40% who checked them. The Law requires that this not be the case; instead, it should be 50% for the Church and 50% for the State.
If this happens, the money coming directly from taxpayers’ choices would barely cover the needs for the support of the clergy, which was 403 million in 2023, 352 million for religious and pastoral works, and 243 million for charitable works.
There are indications that the Left repeatedly challenges the allocation of 8 per 1000 to the Church, and the Radicals consistently brand the Law as fraudulent and push for its abolition. The change in the Law favours those who wish to do away with the Church’s presence in Italy.
Little is said about the fact that the Italian Church’s charitable works include projects to support people addicted to drugs and other substances. The Bishops are concerned that taxpayers support Government drug rehabilitation programs instead of allocating that money to the Church, creating competition between Catholic and State projects.
Cardinal Zuppi clarified: «We remain confident, truly confident, in the resolution of the controversy, in fulfilling the specific purposes for which the 8 per 1000 mechanism was established, and which cannot be modified except by mutual agreement.»
The Archbishop of Bologna also noted that the Church’s critics accused her of being excessively interested in money and he responded: «We are not interested in money, we are interested in the poor.»
Matteo Renzi, leader of the Italia Viva Party, declared on social media: «Taking away from the Catholic Church what is due to her by virtue of the Concordat, and doing so because perhaps one does not agree with the [Episcopal Conference’s] position on migrants, is another obstinate move by the Meloni-Mantovano duo,» referring to the Secretary of the Council of Ministers who assists the Prime Minister.
