via CNS:

When done right, the collection of taxes can promote a culture that protects the well-being of all, especially the poor and least fortunate, Pope Francis said.

Although some may see tax agencies as an entity that “puts its hands in their pockets,” tax collection really is a “sign of legality and justice,” the pope said Jan. 31 during a meeting with a delegation from Italy’s revenue agency.

Taxation “must favor the redistribution of wealth, protecting the dignity of the poor and the least, who always risk being crushed by the powerful. Taxation, when it is just, is a function of the common good,” he said.