Italians Are Saying "Pay Up" to the Church

Edit: It wouldn't be the first time the Catholic Church has helped the State.  In the seventh century, the Church helped the Emperor Heraclius raise an army which drove the Persians back beyond the Tigris and Euphrates.

Another time was just before the French Revolution, which brings to mind a bit of compare and contrast between the two instances.  In the first case, Heraclius was grateful and continued his support of the Church.  In the second case, the revolutionaries turned on the Church and destroyed virtually all of its monasteries and murdered a third of its clergy.

And then there was the time when Henry squeezed the Church in England and gave us St. Thomas Becket.



Here's the story.