Please, could anyone clarify, which paragraph of the yet-to-be-written and published new papal encyclical is Mr. Owen referring to, and what the referred-to text actually is saying? Somehow I must have missed the reference and this small peace of information in his 'factual' article.
The ensuing conversation is simply breathtaking. The level of factuality, balance and fairness is amazing.

Antal, Calgary, Canada

So much harsh criticism against a man who has yet to publish a single word on the topic at hand. How charitable indeed.

Prof. Earnest Thornberry, Austin, Texas, USA

I have TRIED since last March to persuade my A'Bishop--Henry Mansell, and local priest Fr. Walker to lead church members--in the public square-- on Sat 13 Oct. commerating the 90th Aniv. of Our Lady of Fatima to recite Her Holy Rosary. She requested "the Rosary as the prayer" and the "public square" as the pennance.
Mansell states Walker is too busy taking care of the church "cemetaries" to do so. There hasn't even been an announcement of the date. YET, without fail, the weekly bulletin always has at least TWO "pleas" for MONEY!! Gotta keep that treasury full! Need a new organ; tar the parking lot. "Last weekend, we took in $5,102" this week's bulletin said. Not a bad week's take. None of this was mine! All this takes precidence over a half-hour come the 13th of October, to show humility; to publically recite the Holy Rosary. It sickens me no end. No taxes on that 5102.

Maggi Bauer, Branford, Conn, USA

The Pope is the Anti Christ, the man of sin, the son of perdition, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (2 Thess. 2:3-4). And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven (Matt 23:9). For there is one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5), not Mary, not the Pope, the so called Vicar of Christ. Vicar comes from the Latin for Vicarius, a person who acts in place of another; substitute. "Anti" in Anti-Christ means not only opposed to or against but also "instead of." Get it, Anti-Christ, "instead of" Christ = substitute for Christ=Vicar of Christ=POPE. Catholics, quit worshipping your Virgin Mary goddess and the pope, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Cor 6:17). SEMPER REFORMANDA.

Pilgrim, Dallas, TX,

When I read the typical criticisms of the Pope or the Catholic Church on such blogs I usually have to cringe. There is such a shocking lack of education in the Church's critics. It is as if everything the Church says or does is dismissed because - well you know there were those Crusades, and now there are those priest sex scandals! Ok, wow- good argument.

The Catholic Church is an institution that has survived over 2000 years and has an immense body of intellectual and spiritual works written in her name. I would challenge her critics to read the Papal Encyclicals on social conditions beginning with Rerum Novarum and also the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church put out by the Pontifical Institute of Justice and Peace. As a Catholic convert I can see that 90% or more of the criticism of the Church is made by individuals who have a knowledge of the Church that barely goes beyond the front page of their local newspaper. For shame.

Tim Shipe, Melbourne, Florida/USA

Why doesn't the Catholic Church pay at least taxes on the BILLIONS of dollars worth of real estate they own??? Don't they say that Jesus said to render to Caesar....? I'm glad I'm a Deist and not a "revealed" religionist! ( http://www.deism.com )

Robert Johnson, Clearwater, USA

So some doddery old god botherer in a funny hat says that the rich should pay more tax ............how original .......perhaps the catholics are running out of cash with all the lawsuits against their nonce priests.

Muslims pay no tax , now there's a reason to blow yourself to pink mist

gerry, idaho, us

Not all that surprising considering their 'Liberation Theology'... I don't know about everyone else, but to me the most concerning thing is that "Pope Benedict intends to argue for a world trade and economic system..."... This would make the Vatican and the EU (the 'revived roman empire') great friends I reckon... Hello Revelations!

Phil William, Harare,

I cannot imagine that His Holiness Benedict XVI mingles with socialist politics. If Prodi refers to St. Paul re. the order to obey authorities, we should ask with Benedict XVI if authorities that tax away up to 50 % of people's income are legitimate. If my memory serves, Jesus and St. Peter paid two double drachmes as tax for a year. It this were sufficient for Prodi and his socialist comrades?

Let us hope that the pope will write about something really important that our time must be reminded of such as - for example - the immense signification of original sin. By His Holiness's reflexions upon this topic Prodi and his socialist friends could be led to the insight that their intended establishment of the better world is not possible for us. Thus they might recognize that a state that is not any more responsible for the illusion of socialist aims costst much less.

Manuel Brandenberg, Zug, Switzerland

Oh Dear. The Pope is condemning tax evasion and all those who do it and those who promote it. This is either very naive or very stupid (and hypocritical). For a start, the Vatican is a tax free zone. Employees in the Vatican pay no income tax. The Vatican is also as secretive in its financial dealings as any good Swiss Bank. Secondly, the condemnation will embrace good Catholic families like the Grimaldis in Monaco and the Liechtensteins of Liechtenstein who run well known tax havens.Third, the Vatican is itself an investor in tax havens (at the very least indirectly). Own goal?

John Stenhouse, Wolverley, Worcestershire, UKI

dear Pope , I agree with all the super-rich who remain so because of "tax havens' but what about Governments who tax the poor or middle class unjustly and use the taxes to benefit only a certain class of people , if knowing this I continue paying taxes is not this an injustice also , better to use the money for other "good" reasons

soma, damien, sulasan

This article does not say which type of tax evasion is being addressed. In the US, our income tax goes directly to the IRS which is a PRIVATE (did you all see that...PRIVATE) cartel. The US government could easily function without the income tax - obviously, because it already does: i.e. that money does not go to the government. Without the income tax the people would have the option to give more money to take care of the poor. The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution, which is where the power to tax income comes from, was never properly ratified.

Tom, Augusta,

The Roman catholic church has long been in favour of the laity paying its taxes. We used to call it 'Peter's Pence' when we paid tithes to the church to absolve us of our personal responsibility to love our neighbours as ourselves and make the most of the talents within ourselves. Brave Englishmen went to the stake for the Reformation, but the whore of Babylon still tries to seduce us away from the enlightenment. The socialists have got into the Councils, the BBC, the universities and the churches as they all commit the heresy of extreme collectivism, and justification by working to make sure other people are paying taxes.
It is paradoxical that this year's slavery commemoration is championed by the church who wants us now to work longer for our masters in government and have less freedom to use our time and our wages ourselves. Have you ever heard a churchman abhorr modern day slavery by reference to high national taxation?

Philippa Pirie, London, England

Governments use tax money to fund immoral activities, to make sure thier friends get rich, and they get personal kick-backs.

Mario, Adamsdale, Ontario

Whilst believing in God I have never really gone to church, the above example is the reason why. When will priests stop pontificating (pardon the pun) on issues they know nothing about. If people saw that their low taxes went on services people actually needed rather than pointless bureaucrats, welfare dependency and gold plated pensions for politicians ane their Ilk they may be more likely to pay. Stopping Socialist governments wasting your money on destructive social programmes that lock people in a cycle of poverty is a moral duty - however you choose to do so.

And as everybody else points out the Hypocrisy of the Catholic Church which pays no tax calling on others to do so beggars belief. And I seem to remember the Vatican Bank being used for some incredibly dodgy financial dealings invoilving the Mafia, Nazis et all.

Chris, London, England

No religion is taxed. Why does Mr. Bagarino single out the Catholic Church? Some of the large Protestant evanglical churches require large donations from their members and the pastors live like royalty from this. At least the Catholic clergy take vows of poverty and own no private property and draw no salaries. The Pope gets to live in the splendor of the Vatican, but as a faithful Catholic I want to see the leader of our church elevated this way. Personally, the Pope owns nothing and has nothing that belongs to him.

To the lady protesting tuition for Catholic schools, I agree that it is very sad and prohibitive for many families, but tuition used to be free when there were enough nuns to teach. Now, most of the teachers are lay people and they want a competitive wage. That's what's driving the tuition up.

Rosemary, White Plains, New York, USA

Since taxation is basically legalised robbery, the pope is clearly advocating breaking the 8th commandment.
Not a surprise though. You can always count on a religious leaders to never obey their own rules.

Martin, Leeds,

The income tax on income earned by wage earners is immoral. My suggestion is that maybe Benedict XVI ought to write an encyclical on Usury, a moral problem which fell through the cracks in the Church's structure faster during the 18th & 19th centuries than contraception and abortion did during the middle of the 20th.

Mario de Solenni
Crescent City, CA

Mario de Solenni, Crescent City,, CA USA

Donations made to the church are a tax deduction for the lower to lower/upper income group. Is the pope inferring that this deduction also be considered socially unjust income tax evasion and hence should be eliminated? If so, the ability of the lower - middle income families to continuously provide a tax-free annuity to the catholic church as payment for first class tickets to heaven will be greatly hindered. If this happens, how will the church finance the justified settlements for the sickening number of sexual abuse cases? Will the church be forced to sell some of its many prized possessions, perhaps even their enormous collection of golden calves? The hypocrisy of the catholic church astounds me. As much as I hate to admit it, PT Barnum was right on the money!

MJG, Quincy, MI USA

The more tax revenue governments collect, the more they have to squander on wasteful, politically motivated projects and illegal wars. Keep in mind donating to a terrorist organisation is illegal under the “Prevention of terrorism” Act. Invading and occupying a country that posed no threat. Use of napalm, cluster bombs, depleted uranium munitions, and white phosphorous against a civilian population: Now, would that be your definition of a terrorist organisation?

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

The pope is right to denounce tax evasion. Wealth is fine as long as it is made honestly. Rose suggests that all people who have two homes have earned them, but I'm sure there are many people who obtained them through tax evasion. Rose suggests free Catholic schooling, however, this can not take place because there are not enought nuns and priests to teach for free, and the laity need to earn an income. And Stepphanie's gripe for condom use is truly anti-catholic (you can not play God and think birth control is the answer to hunger, when the hunger problem is caused by greed and power), and has nothing to do with the Pope's stand on tax evasion.

John Ellis, Turnersville, USA / New Jersey

You say the church evades taxes? How much does the church give to those in need? Many millions every year! How many hospitals, homes, schools, shelters does the church run for free? Many! And yet you want to tax Her? You people are just like Judas, stealing youselves and casting stones at the woman who poured expensive perfume on Our Lord! Begone you ungratefull servants!

TAAD, Louisville, Ohio

Prodi a devout Catholic?!?! That's the funniest thing I have read all day! Thank-you!

Mary, Rome, Italy

As more of the governments of the world spend tax dollars to purify their people of God and the name of Jesus, force toxic vaccinations and only support Western medicine that is self-sustained by continuing illness, it is time to withold taxes. This money is certainly not used to help their own people, it is self serving at best. The average citizen of the world has every reason to withhold taxes as the world governments destroy the moral societies in which we used to live. American the greatest cultural experiment in the world was started with tax evadors, was this just, you bet !!! Yahoo, long live rugged individualism. My Pope, my blessed Pa Pa, please tell the world that to tax a mans wage is to make a slave and that taxes must be just and fair. Come on Pope Benedict, strike a blow for freedom all over the world. Stop governments from using taxes to control our every movement , what we own and how we live.

Paula Glick, Coarsegold, US / CA

Well, people here, Stephanie and co, I am a bit surprised that you are not glad that the leader of hundreds of millions of people that practise religion appeals to mans conscience and to obey laws that are just Just... Personally, I have suggested Benedict in a letter a few weeks ago, to crackdown on clerics that abuse people sexually; especially in Italy, where much is covered by hypocrisy. So, obviously, I hope he is preparing the arena in cracking down on the much easyer social-economic lawbreakers... Love from Leuven to all;

HUBLOU, Leuven,

All religious organzations are tax exempt around the world. The Catholic clergy take a vow of poverty and own no personal possessions, neither do they draw a salary. That is unlike some of the big evangelical churches who bilk their members so that the pastors can live in grand style; owning mansions and luxery cars. The Pope gets to live in the magestic Vatican, but it is befitting the head of a worldwide church to live in a beautiful place. The Pope personally owns no property and draws no salary. The Catholic schools used to be free when the nuns taught. Today, most of the teachers are lay people that want a living wage. It is very sad, but the shortage of nuns has caused the rise in tuition.

Rosemary, White Plains, New York, USA

Those who criticize the Pope, criticize him not so much because they disagree with his views, but because thet disagree with the Church and Jesus Christ!

John Ellis, Turnersville, USA / New Jersey

How much taxes does the Pope pay? How much taxes does the Catholic Churches pay? I think the Church is socially and morally wrong for charging tuition for their schools. Why not free schools for all Catholics? I have not yet met a poor priest. If people work hard and can afford two homes, God Bless. I do not want to live in a socialism environment.

Rose, Chicago,

"In it the pontiff focused on “those peoples who are striving to escape from hunger, misery, endemic diseases and ignorance and are looking for a wider share in the benefits of civilisation”.

I'm sorry to say this but how hypocritical is Pope Benedict being? One only has to go to Africa to see how much pain and suffering his teachings not to use condom is having. And as far as I'm aware aren't religious organisations exempt from paying tax? Perhaps when the Catholic Church starts preaching more humanitarian policies and rids itself of the huge wealth it has, it can the tell the rest of us what to do. Until then I suggest they put their own house in orer first.

Stephanie James, London, England

The biggest tax dodger in Italy IS the Catholic Church. Not Valentino Rossi or Silvio Berlusconi - thanks to the Lateran Pacts signed between Pius XII and Mussolini.

Paolo Bagarino, Roma, Italy

When was the last time the Pope paid any taxes?

K. Alan Pruitt, Southern California, U.S.A.

If the pope is going to issue a blanket statement on tax evasion, he should definitely address the principled argument against paying taxes when the authority in question explicitly uses those funds against the Church's clear stands on morality - such as unjust wars, publicly funded abortions, islamic jizya and so on.

Fred C., Wilmington, California, US

I declare income taxes to be socially unjust...so, there!

Ken, Allyn, WA

I believe the church in the Holy Bible describes for all of God's children to live in the harmony of righteous, and if everyone chose not to be righteous then should they at least live in peace with their fellow man. I also believe that the church is every christian in a city and the name of the church should be as it is in the new testatment scriptures, named after the city in which the christians live in. On that note, if the christians are suffering from the love of money, then the responsibility of the godly leaders, that King Jesus the Christ chose should have a reviving from our sins, so that the light of King Jesus the Christ pressence may continue to shine, for if God's only children can not meet the mark of righteousness or at least strive for the excellance of God's favor, then those who do not know King Jesus in the pardon of their sins, should not either. Every descendant of Abraham, that has faith like Abraham in Christ Jesus, is a part of the inevitable promises of God.

Charles, Dallas , Dallas, Texas

I believe the church in the Holy Bible describes for all of God's children to live in the harmony of righteous, and if everyone chose not to be righteous then should they at least live in peace with their fellow man. I also believe that the church is every christian in a city and the name of the church should be as it is in the new testatment scriptures, named after the city in which the christians live in. On that note, if the christians are suffering from the love of money, then the responsibility of the godly leaders, that King Jesus the Christ chose should have a reviving from our sins, so that the light of King Jesus the Christ pressence may continue to shine, for if God's only children can not meet the mark of righteousness or at least strive for the excellance of God's favor, then those who do not know King Jesus in the pardon of their sins, should not either. Every descendant of Abraham, that has faith like Abraham in Christ Jesus, is a part of the inevitable promises of God.

Charles, Dallas , Dallas, Texas

When the church starts paying it's taxes just like any other business then, and only then, can it start to critisise those who do not.

Simon, The Hague,

Can somebody please tell me, where is a tax haven. One the IRS, does not stick their nose in .

Dan Green, palm beach gardens, US/Florida

Has the Pope lost the plot? Whatever next? The Pope supporting the use of speed cameras?? He should concentrate on his job and preach the Gospel.

Matt C, Basingstoke,

When the Pope speaks on these issues, he is always very Euro-Centric. In Europe private charities, and volunteerism are very low so the poor folk have to depend on government for survival which is not necessarily true in America. In Europe a hard working citizen being taxed 75% of their income is considered "charity". I don't care if some rich guy has a second or third home some where else because "We should not covet thy neighbors wealth". The United States of America's history was started with tax evasion. It was called the "Revolutionary War".

Juan Oskar, Phoenix, AZ U.S.A.

Who cares what the pope says?

James Howard, cHATTANOOGA, usa/TN

What is this sanctimonious hippocrite Pope Benedict XV1 suggesting, that he will instruct the Catholic Church to pave the way for all other religious oraganisations and pay taxes? I do not think so! He should remember, that Church and State are not a compatible mix.

norm, sydney, australia