In Italy the Church is way too powerful. The last news is that European Union has opened an investigation for alleged violation of concurrency. (news in Italian from Repubblica.it).
Why? The Berlusconi government in 2005 created a law by which the Italian Church didn’t have to pay the tax on buildings property (ICI). Considering that the Church owns almost 25% of buildings in Italy, this means the Church steals to Italy 400 millions of Euro per year (per year!). Now nothing would have happen in this country whose politicians are prostrated on knees to the Vatican and independent journalism does not exist but the European Union started the investigation because the Italian Church in this way is advantaged by the state in the concurrency with normal shops, yes the church has cinemas, shops, holidays places, restaurants, etc. Now we might even get a huge fee for being so church-friendly, great eh? The article says that Italy is basically a fiscal paradise for the Church so, really, why do you need a paradise for the souls when you can have Italy who is a paradise for your money? I’m really upset, 400 million Euros per year!