Madrid, Spain, May 18, 2011 / 16:05 pm
The bishops of Spain have launched an appeal encouraging taxpayers to check the box on their income returns to designate a portion of their taxes for the charitable works of the Church.
The Bishops’ Conference of Spain noted in a video message online that checking the box will not cost taxpayers anything nor does it mean they will receive a smaller refund.
The video also lists a number of charitable works that benefit from the financial arrangement that has been in place between the government of Spain and the Church since 2006, including care of the sick and elderly, outreach to the poor and for education.
Fernando Gimenez Barriocanal, the bishops’ vice secretary for economic affairs, said the appeal also aims to “make known what the Church really is and to set many things straight.”
While there has been an increase in the number of taxpayers who have opted to make the contribution, Gimenez said the Church still faces a difficult financial situation because “everybody is simply doing without.”
However, he remains “optimistic” amid the economic crisis because people “understand where it is worthwhile to put their money.”