Spain debates tax system that favors catholic church. (Around The World).

The relationship between religion and government is the subject of renewed debate in Spain, a country where the Roman Catholic Church enjoys special privileges.

Several political parties, including the Spanish Socialist Labor Party and the United Left Communist Party, are pressuring Spanish officials to change the existing tax structure that benefits the church. Currently, citizens can voluntarily allocate a percentage of their tax dollars to go directly to the Catholic church. If the income generated through this method does not cover the fixed expenses of the religious group, the Spanish government covers the difference.

Also, public schools maintain a pro-Catholic bent. Under current law, public school religion teachers are appointed by the church but paid by the state. In addition, these teachers are legally required to follow Catholic doctrine, inside and outside the classroom.

This arrangement, however, drew controversy recently when two public school teachers did not have their contracts renewed when they married partners who had been divorced, though it was the first marriage for the teachers.

To help shore up the church-state relationship, Pope John Paul II met Sept. 20 with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique I Camps.

A press statement from the Vatican explained that the meeting between the religious leader and the government official confirmed "the validity of the framework of cooperation ensured by the agreements between the Holy See and the Spanish State in 1979."