Catholicism in Italy in the age of pluralism

Religious pluralism is on the increase due to progressively more culturally interactive societies as well as escalating flows of migrants. Nevertheless, as this book shows, the situation in Italy is characterized by some particular features. Statistically, the level of religiosity is noticeably higher than in other European countries and the majority of the population declares itself Catholic (only a minority belong to other denominations or define themselves non-believers). Within the Catholic world, however, there are distinct differences in the ways and forms of believing, ranging from the convinced and active faithful to the ‘occasional’ believer, or the development of new forms of Catholic belonging (either ethnic—cultural or in the defence of traditional values). Catholic sentiment endures although many believers may not agree with the ethical indications of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. On a different note, the Church and Catholic groups have re-enforced their presence in the public sphere by participating in various campaigns to reassert Christian values on fundamental issues for civil harmony, from the family to bioethics, from the limitations of science to the goals of economic development, from religious freedom to the secular State, from national identity to global equilibriums etc. The Church therefore moves at various levels in order to keep the nation closely tied to Catholic culture—a commitment which is both applauded and criticized. Some non-believers express appreciation for the Catholic campaigns set out to counteract the lack of values and loss of memory typical of advanced modernity. However, in the non-believing secular world many more criticize the Catholic presence for acting as a lobby in Italian society, accusing the Italian Church of excessive alignment to the diktat issued by the Vatican.