Pope will condemn tax evasion, tax havens

Pope Benedict XVI is working on a doctrinal pronouncement that will condemn tax evasion as “socially unjust,” The Times of London reports, citing Vatican sources.

The Times says the pontiff, in his second encyclical, "will denounce the use of 'tax havens' and offshore bank accounts by wealthy individuals, since this reduces tax revenues for the benefit of society as a whole."

The encyclical - the most authoritative statement a pope can issue - will focus on humanity’s social and economic problems in an era of globalization.