Criminal Assets Bureau to seize church assets?

[Dios]

6° The property of any religious denomination or any educational institution shall not be diverted save for necessary works of public utility and on payment of compensation.

If the constitution were written in stone, we'd never be in the EU.

By seizing the church's assets you presumably want the CAB to confiscate the actual churches?

There's a lot more to Church assets than churches. As CCO'S pointed out they have enormous swathes of central property valued at who knows how much, in addition to capital wealth like artistic works and long term investments.

All of this is moot however, regardless of the value to wider Irish society and the need for reparations, it would be very difficult to get something like this past the wider electorate. Or would it? A quick straw poll might be interesting.

[odie1kanobe]

If there's a problem with CAB confiscation there is always another route. 'Windfall' taxation.

There's absolutely nothing to stop an Irish Finance Minister windfall taxing any organisation and the catholic church is a good target because it has clearly been operating as both a business and a political organisation.

They've been in breach of their non-tax status for decades. It isn't just churches they own either- the catholic church owns a lot of prime land and has a commercial and residential property portfolio.

They must be one of the only organisations in the western world allowed tax free status, able to run investment businesses, hide behind charity status for tax reasons and operate as a de facto political organisation as well.

I'd change that overnight and I would seize 100% of their assets and wouldn't even mention the abuse reparations in the announcement. In fact, I'd rather carefully avoid doing so as it would leave their lawyers potless as regards any deal Woods signed off with them.

My response? 'Oh this is a different matter entirely.' And then I'd hand over at least £1billion to the Survivors as a 'by the way'.

Job done.

STALINISM at its finest.

The fact that the people don't want their community destroyed is irrelevant to you, its what YOU want that becomes paramount.

NUTTER

[Lidl_Shopper]

I'd change that overnight and I would seize 100% of their assets and wouldn't even mention the abuse reparations in the announcement.

Including their churches? As I said above, if you confiscate their churches you would still have to allow clergy the use of them. The state would also be responsible for the maintainence of the buildings - so this probably be of benefit to the Church (as it has been in France).

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

STALINISM at its finest.

The fact that the people don't want their community destroyed is irrelevant to you, its what YOU want that becomes paramount.

NUTTER

Thats an interesting, extremely anguished, and direct response. I put it to you that the catholic church is not 'the community' to the vast majority of Irish people.

It is everything to a small minority, a part of the community to many and debatable as to whether it should be part of the community any longer to some.

I am not proposing to eliminate the catholic church or ban catholic worship in any way. That is what Stalin attempted and I agree that would be wrong.

I'm beginning to understand more and more each day why it is a bad idea to enshrine any particular belief system in our constitution though and understanding more and more about the sort of people who demand that.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Including their churches? As I said above, if you confiscate their churches you would still have to allow clergy the use of them. The state would also be responsible for the maintainence of the buildings - so this probably be of benefit to the Church (as it has been in France).

The catholic church has vast land and property holdings (commercial, residential and agricultural land).

I would not propose to seize places of worship as there are many ordinary christians who wish to clean their church and want to worship there. I wouldn't wish to punish them for the actions of the corporate church.

I would have freedom to worship in the constitution, remember. Any or no faith.

Besides, churches are historic buildings and I am not a philistine.

[odie1kanobe]

Thats an interesting, extremely anguished, and direct response. I put it to you that the catholic church is not 'the community' to the vast majority of Irish people.

It is everything to a small minority, a part of the community to many and debatable as to whether it should be part of the community any longer to some.

I am not proposing to eliminate the catholic church or ban catholic worship in any way. That is what Stalin attempted and I agree that would be wrong.

I'm beginning to understand more and more each day why it is a bad idea to enshrine any particular belief system in our constitution though and understanding more and more about the sort of people who demand that.

The Catholic church represent more people in Ireland that you think yet you want to do everything to smash them.

You are proposing to eliminate them as you will then use the Churches for something else.

Thankfully Constitution was written and approved by people to stop people like you.

You are an empty tin can rattling and making lots of noise so you can hear yourself, thankfully people like you rarely get elected because people see what you are.

[odie1kanobe]

The catholic church has vast land and property holdings (commercial, residential and agricultural land).

I would not propose to seize places of worship as there are many ordinary christians who wish to clean their church and want to worship there. I wouldn't wish to punish them for the actions of the corporate church.

I would have freedom to worship in the constitution, remember. Any or no faith.

Besides, churches are historic buildings and I am not a philistine.

Nope you are a condecending fool with the patronising language of a dictator.

Stand for election and see how many people support you.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

The Catholic church represent more people in Ireland that you think yet you want to do everything to smash them.

You are proposing to eliminate them as you will then use the Churches for something else.

Thankfully Constitution was written and approved by people to stop people like you.

You are an empty tin can rattling and making lots of noise so you can hear yourself, thankfully people like you rarely get elected because people see what you are.

I never knew I was quite so interesting. Or are you enumerating your fears?

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Nope you are a condecending fool with the patronising language of a dictator.

Stand for election and see how many people support you.

The only problem there is that the people we elected seem to think they can operate a theocracy and cover-up for child abuse.

I'm choosy about the company I keep. You on the other hand don't seem quite so picky.