The communists did not persecute the church.
It is a great disinformation what fanatical Christians say, that communists persecuted the church. They only persecuted priests who explicitly provoked them. The word "persecution" is too strong a term, the communists only supervised the church and to a certain lesser extent interfered in its internal affairs, but it was nothing serious that could systematically threaten the church.
And the communists outwardly pretended to be against the church. The opposite was true: priests were paid for their work and did not have to have any other job, and considerable money was poured into the church overall. Persecution or actual restriction of the church would have been if the communists had stopped all funding for the church and if priests were not paid for their priestly service, if priests had to work 8 hours in a normal job.
Even during communism, the church had not only rights but also privileges, and it had nothing to complain about.
Regarding the current financing of the church , I was very surprised that priests are paid directly by the state (and in addition, the church receives money overall!!!!). Priests are paid as if they were direct state officials. This is an outrageous luxury for the church. This is truly a medieval way of financing the church, when they receive their salaries directly from the state. It's truly unbelievable. The church is extremely privileged. Priests and the church are useless, not needed at all, except for lying to people and brainwashing them. Many people do many useful activities, but they don't get money from the state for it. But a priest does.
I have a dream that one day all church property will be confiscated by the state, the state will not give the church a cent, and the real estate, churches, and rectories will be used by organizations instead of priests, which will use the premises for meditation and meditation training – that is, for something really useful. Because churches and rectories do not need to be demolished, it is enough to drive the priests out of them and let these premises be used for useful activities. Let the priests be forced to earn a living by classical work and let them serve masses, say, in houses.
The church has no right to receive even a single cent from the state!
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I recommend listening to the program on the issue of church financing:
Separation of church and state, guests: Roman Hradecký from the Prometheus society (association of secular humanists) and Pavel Pakoš – Roman Catholic priest, moderated by: Boris Koroni
It is a radio show.
http://archive.slobodnyvysielac.sk/v%20prvej%20linii%20-%2002.06.2014%20odluka%20cirkvi.mp3