Interesting response in the blogosphere over the last few weeks to the report in The Times that Pope Benedict XVI plans to issue a doctrinal pronouncement condemning tax evasion as "socially unjust" and denouncing tax havens and offshore bank accounts, claiming this reduces tax revenues for the benefit of society as a whole.

Paul Caron's TaxProfBlog cites the Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana quoting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi saying that tax evasion has led to the enormous budget deficit. "Why, when I go to Mass, is this issue almost never touched upon in homilies? If memory serves, St Paul exhorted the faithful to obey authority."

Richard Murphy's Tax Research blog says it shows attitudes to tax evasion are changing. The Opinionated Catholic blog makes the excellent point that people will make one obvious argument: the Church doesn't pay taxes. And Corpwatch reminds us that while he's at it, His Holiness should ask Gucci, Prada, mick jagger and Microsoft to pay their taxes.