The financing of the Church, a widely debated issue

The issue regarding the financing of the Church is perceived differently in society. Today the self-financing is considered as the basic rule governing the life of the denominational units and subunits in Romania. A few voices were raised against the financial support shown by the state towards religious denominations. This study attempts to present, without claiming completeness, both the position of those favoring the withdrawal of financial support that the state gives to the church, and the position of the public – the majority, i.e. those citizens emotionally tied to the compelling values promoted by the Romanian Orthodox Church.We also considered it appropriate to make reference to the position of the Romanian Patriarchate on this delicate subject, and, at the same time, the last third of the paper was devoted to European models that govern the relationship between the State and religious denominations.