The Department for Social Justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has today, 8 June, released a new publication on taxation called Render unto Caesar.
The document offers 12 insightful chapters from economists, academics and experts in the field, covering a wide range of topics, such as the principles that should underlie taxation from a Catholic-Christian perspective, taxation and the family, and the moral implications of tax avoidance and tax evasion.
Render unto Caesar aims to help inform government policy by blending moral principles with economic analysis. As well as examining the principles on which a tax system should be based, it also looks at how they can be applied given the many challenges Western countries face – ageing populations, changing patterns of family life, increased conflicts, environmental challenges, and the consequent huge fiscal pressures.
On release of the document, Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Department for Social Justice commented:
“Sometimes, people ask why the Church should comment on political and economic matters. However, it is important that public policy in all areas of social life is informed by moral principles.
“The Church teaches that the light of faith, can, and should, help us understand better how to address the challenges facing our society.
“It is for this reason that we have commissioned a number of experts to offer their analysis of this complex question. We offer this document as a contribution to the process of deliberation that needs to take place amongst all people of goodwill.”
Chapter authors include Anna Rowlands, who has advised the General Secretariat of the Synod of the Catholic Church and advised the Dicastery for Integral Human Development of the Holy See; and Ruth Kelly, former Treasury minister and now member of the Vatican Council for the Economy; and a range of other leading experts in Christian social thought and teaching, economics, finance and tax policy.
To read the document online, click here.
