Magazine Mag published the data about the property of the Slovene Romancatholic church (Silvester Šurla, Božje miljarde, n. 34, yearbook 12, 23th of August 2006). These data have been in public circulation for a longer period in a more or less complete form. Slovene Romancatholic church (RCC) today owns more than 100 billions of Slovene tolars (approximately 416.666.667 euro) of property (rate tolar : euro = 240 : 1).

RCC received 32,4 billions of tolars (135 millions of euro) with denationalization, in which it had otherwise demanded from the state the return of the property in the value of 55,9 billions of tolars (233 millions of euro). RCC received 74 billions of tolars (308.333.333 euro) with privatization, which was based on issuing of certificates (RCC has shares and stocks in many of the Slovene companies managed through Krek's companies). RCC received no property certificates, but its followers had and they put them in the so-called »pid's« of the Krek company, and they sold the stocks last year or even before for small money to the Krek company or to the Gospodarstvo Rast. Magazine Mag states that also in the case of later takeovers (Holding Zvon Ena, Belinka and Mladinska knjiga as the latest one), reproaches regarding low takeover prices of the stocks surfaced, together with claims that these low prices caused most damage to the small stock holders, which received certificates from the state in the process of privatization (as their part of the previously socialized property of the whole economy). Mag says that after the end of privatization RCC (similarly as various individuals, who became rich during the transition period), formed a mysterious company Zvon B. V. in Netherlands, presumably in order to avoid paying taxes.

The most of RCC’s property, approximately 50 billions of tolars, is hidden behind the financial company Zvon Ena Holding. Its major owner (53,44 %) is a company Gospodarstvo Rast, which was established in the year 1997 by the Archdiocese of Maribor, its director is Mirko Krašovec, otherwise a principal of the Economical board of the archdiocese. Gospodarstvo Rast got a major share in Zvon Ena last year. Value of shares in eight depended companies, where Zvon Ena has a major share, is 18 billion tolars, in 6 associated companies, where its share is higher than 20 %, is 4,2 billions of tolars, beside that it owns the stocks in at least 32 other Slovene companies, market value of which is nowadays over 20 billions of tolars.

Zvon Ena took over Belinka last year (now it owns over 89 % of stocks), in first half of this year it also increased its share to a good 20 % in Cinkarna Celje and Helios Domžale. Apparently Zvon Ena is focused on the chemical industry, but it is also powerful in the field of telecommunication and new technologies (it is the only owner of the company T-2, major owner of the company RRC computer services, which has business connections also with the state administration and the Ministry of Finance), it is also present in the field of tourism and health services (it owns 1/5 of the company Terme Olimia, almost half of the company Terme Olimia bazeni, 38 % of the Terme Dobrna, 30 % of the travel agency Alpetour) and has a major share in the foundation Zavod za varstvo pri delu. Beside that Zvon Ena owns 1/3 of the former paper factory Goričane (now Papigor Holding) and 40 % of the metal company Niko Železniki and Krek's company for managing investment funds (Krekova družba za upravljanje investicijskih skladov). Krek's company has majority of its propersty (almost 80 %) in stocks of the Slovene companies, the most in stocks of Krka, Istra Avtoelektrika, Telekom Slovenija, Žito, Sava, Etol, Salus, Gorenje… Zvon Ena wants to become one of the five most successful financial holdings in Slovenia, this year it e.g. anticipates 2,4 billion of tolars of profit before taxation. It is starting to invest in Croatia, especially in real estate in tourist places by the Adriatic Sea, in Brač, in Opatija, the price of real estate is bound to jump up there, after the land becomes suitable for usage. In Croatia Zvon Ena is the only owner of the company Solo Orto and major owner (51 %) of the company Akord.

After Zvon Ena also the holding Zvon Dva appeared. The ownership is for now dispersed, so Krek’s companies, which together with Archdiocese of Koper and Maribor own approximately a 10 % share, control it. Very probably Gospodarstvo Rast (i.e. RCC) will take it over. Holding Zvon Dva had at the end of the year 2005 for 12,6 billion of tolars of investments (today already approximately 16 billion tolars) in stocks and shares of the companies and real estate, and last year it created almost 800 million of tolars of net profit, which was used to cover the losses from the previous years. This year Zvon Dva took over the editing company Mladinska knjiga (68,82 %). It also has a major share in companies Cetis Graf (95 %) and Klet Bistrica (100 %), and it has shares in Papigor (33,28 %) and Beti Metlika (24,9 %) and in 15 other companies. Strategic investments are predicted in typography, editing companies and paper industry. This year they are predicting 421 million of tolars of profit before taxation.

Archdiocese of Maribor today manages approximately 74 billion of tolars of property through Gospodarstvo Rast and the three Zvon. This year it got almost 717 million of tolars of dividends from Holding Zvon Ena. For some years it will use the dividends to return the loans, taken to seize control over Holding Zvon Ena, later it will use the profit to pay for its pastoral projects.

At the end it is worth posing two questions: 1. How can – given the facts listed above and given the constitutionally determined separation of state and religious communities and the equality of the religious communities – Slovene RCC demand that the state finances its religious activities and pays the social fees of its priests? 2. Magazine Mag, which favours the president of the government Janez Janša, is critical about the property and demands of RCC – does that mean that there are some frictions in the governmental coalition between the parties NSi and SDS?