100 signatures reached
To: Irish Government
Repeal constitutional article 44(6) and seize catholic church assets
Separate church and state are calling on the government to hold a referendum to Repeal constitutional article 44(6) which states "The property of any religious denomination or any educational institution shall not be diverted save for necessary works of public utility and on payment of compensation."
Why is this important?
The catholic church to date owes the state 1.3 billion and we still have survivors waiting on redress some of which have died waiting. The state cannot legally seize church assets because of this article in the constitution.
Quite a number of our state funded schools an hospitals are owned by religious orders. The catholic church are not handing them over. The only option at present is for the state to compulsory purchase. This means the state would pay the church for property which the state should have always been in ownership of in the first place.