No "more of the same" in the abuse scandal: Turn off the money tap to the Catholic Church
The shocking report on systematic abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, published on Tuesday, must have consequences. The Freethinkers' Association of Switzerland demands that the authorities now fulfil their responsibility and, if possible, stop all payments in favour of the church. However, there is now an urgent need for more far-reaching reforms.
The revelations by the University of Zurich on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church show in a frightening way how large, disgusting and systematic the misconduct is. According to the authors, the more than 1000 cases of abuse are only the "tip of the iceberg". In addition to the criminal prosecution of the perpetrators, further drastic steps are needed. The church protected perpetrators, denied the worst crimes, covered up, trivialised, and let files disappear. This must have consequences.
The Freethinkers' Association calls on all authorities that grant public funds to the Church to stop the flow of money. In total, the church receives (according to Blick) more than 100 million francs in tax money, which is used, among other things, to pay the salaries of priests - and possible perpetrators. In addition, there are, among other things, over 170 million francs for which companies are forced to pay by law. These already untenable conditions are made much worse by Tuesday's findings. It is now imperative that the state assume its responsibility. What more does it take for the state to finally stop handling the Church and its so-called dignitaries with kid gloves?
In the Canton of Bern, which gives the Catholic Church a blank cheque for 12 million francs a year, Councillor Tobias Vögeli has already taken the initiative. He is calling for the only right thing: an immediate stop to these payments. For its part, the Freethinkers' Association of Switzerland is calling on all representatives of the cantons to follow this example.
In addition to this immediate measure, there is - of course - a need for additional steps: The state must now force the Catholic Church to make tabula rasa and take it upon itself to profoundly come to terms with its systematic misconduct and reform its system. The FVS calls on the political leaders to take the repugnance as an opportunity to finally put an end to the special treatment of the churches and to demand binding performance contracts from them - just like other communities. The special legal position as a national church must be abolished.