Green liberal calls for secularism: “Church and state must be separated”

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The abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has caused waves – including among church people. Several communities no longer want to transfer church taxes to the dioceses until the Swiss bishops take concrete and effective measures to tackle the abuses committed and prevent new ones.

Roland Fischer (58) goes even further. The green-liberal National Council, a member of the Catholic Church, questions whether it is right for the state to collect taxes for the churches. “Church and state should be separated,” he believes. “Just as has been the case in many other countries for a long time.”

Only two cantons have the separation

On the last day of the autumn session, the Lucerne resident therefore submitted a proposal calling on the Federal Council to examine “how the relationship between church and state at the different levels of government can be disentangled and dealt with on a clear and transparent basis be placed”.

In Switzerland – how could it be otherwise – the cantons are responsible for the relationship between church and state. And only two have an actual separation: Geneva and Neuchâtel, although this is not so strict.

Regional churches are privileged

Fischer believes that the proximity between church and state can be explained historically, but is today “outdated”: “In a liberal state, the state is secular. He must guarantee freedom of religion and peaceful coexistence between religious communities, but otherwise behave neutrally.”

But the regional churches have privileges over other religious communities; for example, the state takes over the collection of church taxes from the former. In other cantons, cantonal direct payments are also made to the churches; Until recently, in Bern even the salaries of preachers were paid from the cantonal treasury.

Fischer believes this no longer works. All the more so because such close proximity between state and church also entails state responsibility. “He who pays, orders,” he says and explains: “If the churches continue to receive money from the state, then the state must also keep a closer eye on the churches.”

Collect service contracts instead of taxes

But what about all the services that the churches provide – thereby also easing the burden on the state? Pastoral care in nursing homes, hospitals and prisons, work in the asylum sector, Caritas? Fischer does not deny the benefits of these offers. However, if possible, the state should tender for these contracts and compensate them through service contracts. “These achievements are recognized and deserve appreciation,” Fischer said. “But there must be clear and transparent regulations.”

Even the secular canton of Neuchâtel has not yet come this far: since 2001, Neuchâtel has transferred 1.5 million francs annually to the three recognized churches for their “work in the public interest”. This is another reason why Fischer does not want to leave the relationship between church and state to the cantons. “The issue concerns basic constitutional rights. So the federal government must ensure that.”

Source:Blick