Italians are some of the most diligent church attendants in Europe. And religion has in some ways that fast a grip, that the attitude toward moral questions is still heavily influenced by Catholicism. A proposal to abolish the right to divorce was for referendum in 1974 – without however being adopted – and only a keen majority voted in favour of the free abortion in 1981.
In Italy, state and church were officially separated in 1947, and in 1984 it was formally declared that Catholicism is not Italy’s official religion. However, the Catholic Church still receives positive special treatment and is supported by the state, among other things the state pays the teachers that the church uses to teach religion in schools.
However, the Catholic Church is in some areas losing its solid grip in the country. At least there are signs of rebellion.
According to the magazine l’Espresso, which has examined the relationship of young people with Catholicism, there is an increase in the number of schoolchildren who chooses not to attend lessons in religious education. And in a society that has been used to almost everyone being baptized in the church, there are other signs that young Italians do not have the same affiliation with the Catholic Church as before. Where 92 percent of the children were baptized 20 years ago, only 75 percent were baptized in 2009. And only one out of four in the younger generation today declares themselves as practicing Catholics.
The tendency is that the young Catholics do not go to get confessions – they live with their sins and do not hesitate to commit more. Sex, paperless relationships, contraception, abortion and divorce are some of the “sins” that are becoming more and more integrated into Italian society and thereby characterize the modern Italian lifestyle.
But Italy still has strong ties to the Catholic churches – and has had so through hundreds and hundreds of years. And the further out in the country you are, the stronger the religious beliefs you will meet.
That is why most cities –even the smallest one – have lots of beautiful churches that are always worth to visit. Because if there is one thing that the Catholic Church has always been good at, it’s making a dramatic scene with bulky paintings, impressive decorations – and in that context it doesn’t ever matter if the church is big or small.
