«Kristau-elizak, kristau-herriarenak»: ikerketa zail baten oinarriak

Abstract

Catholic church, like institution, has right to have properties. The law recognizes it. In the history the Church has received a lot of donations, sometimes from others institutions and always from christian people. In the Middle Ages it was a special taxe: catholic people gave to his parish church the “diezmos” (tithes) —for the priests and the poor people— and the “primicias” (first fruits) —for the expenses of the parishes— until XIXth century (see the parish books, specially “tazmia” and “fabrica” books). The civil institutions take care in the parish expenses because two authorities were working together (“patronato”…). In XIX th century changed this situation in Spain: civil authority forbade church taxes and made the “desamortizaciones” (disentitlement). The Land Registry was founded in 1861 in Spain, but it was not possible to register catholic churches in this registry until 1998 (the 1867/1998 Royal Decree give this permission to register catholic temples). Muslims can inscribe their mosques, why the Catholic church can not inscribe her temples?