Freedom of religion

 Italy

 

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

The Government generally respected religious freedom in practice.

 

 

There is no state religion; however, the Roman Catholic Church enjoys some privileges, stemming from its sovereign status and its historical political authority, not available to other religious groups. The Catholic Church's influential role in society led to controversy when church teachings appeared to influence Catholic legislators on matters of public policy.

There were occasional reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. There were reports of societal anti-Semitism, as well as reports of discrimination and harassment of Muslims; however, prominent social leaders took positive steps to promote religious freedom. Some antiimmigrant sentiment has accompanied increasing immigration. For the country's many Muslim immigrants, religion has further differentiated them from native-born citizens.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

 

Religious Demography

The country has an area of 116,347 square miles and a population of 59.1 million. An estimated 87 percent of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic, but only 20 percent regularly participate in worship services. Other significant Christian communities include Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, Assembly of God, the Confederation of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and other small Protestant groups. Non-Catholic Christian groups, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Baha'is, and Buddhists constitute less than 5 percent of the population and, with the exception of Jews, are mainly foreign-born. Immigration, both legal and illegal, continues to add large numbers of non-Christian residents, mainly Muslims, from North Africa, South Asia, Albania, and the Middle East. The Ministry of Interior reports that there are 258 places of Islamic worship (mainly "garage" mosques) and 628 Islamic associations concentrated in Lombardy, Veneto, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, and Tuscany. The Jewish community is estimated at 30,000 and maintains synagogues in 21 cities. The most recent data indicate that approximately 14 percent of the population identifies itself as either atheist or agnostic. (Numbers do not add up to 100 percent because of overlapping categories.)

 

Status of Religious Freedom

The Government provides funds for the construction of places of worship as well as public land for their construction and helps to preserve and maintain historic places of worship that shelter much of the country's artistic and cultural heritage.

Under the 1984 revision of the concordat with the Catholic Church, the state is secular but maintains the practice of state support for religion, support that also can be extended, if requested, to non-Catholic confessions. In such cases, state support is to be governed by legislation implementing the provisions of an accord (intesa) between the Government and the religious confession. An accord grants ministers of religion automatic access to state hospitals, prisons, and military barracks;  facilitates special religious practices regarding funerals; and exempts students from school attendance on religious holidays.

 

Groups with an accord include the Confederation of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, Adventists, Assembly of God, Jews, Baptists, and Lutherans.

 

 

The revised 1984 concordat accorded the Catholic Church certain privileges. For example, the Church is allowed to select Catholic teachers, paid by the state, to provide instruction in "hour of religion" courses taught in the public schools. Such courses are optional, and students who do not wish to attend are free to study other subjects or, in certain cases, to leave school early.

 

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