Religion
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Italy is officially a state, yet its religious and social fabric remains deeply shaped by Roman Catholic traditions. Long regarded as the heart of Catholicism, it is home to the Vatican—the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. However, the country formally ended Catholicism’s status as the state religion in 1984, reinforcing the separation between church and state.
Legislation prevents the Italian government from tracking the religious affiliations of its citizens. Therefore, all statistics on the religious demographics of Italians are approximations. The Pew Research Center’s last survey conducted in April-August 2017 revealed that 78% of Italians profess to be Catholic and 1% as Protestant, while 15% say they are religiously unaffiliated.1, 2 A further 6% identify with another religion (such as Islam) or are unspecified.1 However, more recent demographic projections estimated that the religious composition of Italy in 2020 was 80.8% Christian, 4.9% Muslim and 13.4% unaffiliated.3 In 2020, sociologist Francesco Garelli conducted a large study financed by the Italian Catholic Bishops Conference that concluded that 30% of the Italian population was atheist.4
Catholicism in Italy
Roman Catholicism has been a point of unification for Italy, and its influence on society remains very publicly visible. There are thousands of churches in the country and over 900 in Rome alone. Though this figure does not reflect the number of current/active members, it demonstrates how the Catholic tradition is culturally dominant in life events (e.g. birth, death, marriage). The creed of the Catholic Church has significantly shaped the culture and social attitudes of Italians over time. Many devout Catholics consider the Pope to be the ultimate source of leadership and advice. A sample survey of the general public in 2014 found that the majority of Italian adults 91% have a favourable opinion of Pope Francis.5
As a branch of Christianity, Catholicism believes in the doctrine of God as the ‘Holy Trinity’, consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. For the typical Italian, life is marked by seminal Catholic moments, such as baptism, first communion, confirmation and marriage. These rites of passage mark key turning points throughout one’s lifetime.
Some Catholics may attend a service called Mass, which is a ceremony held by a priest each Sunday, often in the morning or multiple times a day. Masses also occur throughout the week, although shorter in length. Italians living overseas may prefer to go to a parish that has an Italian priest; there are many missionary priests who have taken it upon themselves to attend to the spiritual needs of Italian migrants overseas. Devout Catholics may wear or use a rosary for prayer, which is a string of beads or a knotted cord. The person usually moves the rosary in their hands, touching each bead as they recite a prayer. Some Italians may also donate part of their salary to Catholic charities that perform community services. People may also have Christian iconography in their homes, such as pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary (commonly referred to as ‘Madonna’ in Italy).
Shifting Religious Trends
Italy has undergone significant social shifts over the past generation, as Catholicism’s role in shaping daily rhythms and societal norms has diminished. Local parishes, once central to community life, no longer serve as gathering places where families meet every Sunday. The church and its teachings have also become less relevant in many people’s personal choices – from purchasing contraceptives at pharmacies to changing funeral traditions.6 This shift in attitudes is reflected in the growing support of homosexuality; in 2017, 57% of Catholics in Italy expressed support for same-sex marriage, and 76% believed that society should be accepting of homosexuality.7 Most people retain a nominal affiliation to Catholicism, steeped in tradition. However, this connection is largely cultural, with little adherence to doctrine or regular practice.6
Overall, the importance of religious activity has declined significantly, especially among Italian youth. There is a general consensus that the demographic of practising Christians is far smaller than those who identify as Christian. In 2023, the Italian Statistics Agency (ISTAT) estimates only 17.9% of Italians attend religious services weekly or more, while 31.5% never attend.8 Weekly church attendance was highest among people aged 65 years and over, as well as for children aged 6-13 years.8 Meanwhile, teenagers and young adults made up the smallest group of people going weekly to church.8 While older generations continue to be more religiously inclined, students are the least likely to attend church – with 45.7% reporting that they never attend worship.9