(Aid to the Church in Need) — The heads of Christian Churches in the Holy Land have officially protested a renewed attempt to force them to pay certain taxes in the State of Israel. The most pressing case at the moment is related to the Armenian Church, but there are many cases involving Catholic institutions.
The Patriarchs and heads of local Churches of Jerusalem have issued an official statement condemning the most recent attempt by the Municipality of Jerusalem to force Churches to pay the municipal tax known as “Arnona.” According to the statement, issued on February 19th, the actions of the Municipality are “legally dubious and morally unacceptable.”
The local government issued an order of foreclosure against the Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which, if successful, would result in the takeover of the Church’s property by the Municipality, due to alleged unpaid taxes. The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the smallest Churches with an historical presence in the Holy Land, but the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church are also affected by this issue. The issue of whether Churches should be exempt from certain taxes, including Arnona, has been debated for decades.
Read more at Aid to the Church in Need…
