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Religion in Italy has been historically characterised by the dominance of the Catholic Church, the largest branch of Christianity, since the East–West Schism.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 13 September 2024. Catholic Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi. Saint Francis is one of the patron saints of Italy. Christianity in Italy has been historically characterised by the dominance of the Catholic Church since the East–West Schism. However, the country is also home to significant Christian ...
- History of Religion in Italy
- Roman Catholicism
- Non-Catholic Christianity
- Islam
- Non-Religious Population
- Other Religions in Italy
- Sources
Christianity has been present in Italy for at least 2000 years, predated by forms of animism and polytheismsimilar to that of Greece. Ancient Roman gods include Juniper, Minerva, Venus, Diana, Mercury, and Mars. The Roman Republic—and later the Roman Empire—left the question of spirituality in the hands of the people and maintained religious tolera...
Approximately 74% of Italians identify as Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church is headquartered in the State of Vatican City, a nation-state located in the center of Rome. The pope is the head of Vatican City and the Bishop of Rome, highlighting the special relationship between the Catholic Church and the Holy See. The current head of the Catholic C...
The population of non-Catholic Christians in Italy is about 9.3%. The largest denominations are Jehovah’s Witnesses and Eastern Orthodoxy, while smaller groups include Evangelicals, Protestants, and Latter Day Saints. Though a majority of the country identifies as Christian, Italy, along with Spain, has increasingly become known as a graveyard for ...
Islamheld a significant presence in Italy over five centuries, during which time it dramatically impacted the artistic and economic development of the country. After their removal in the early 1300s, Muslim communities all but disappeared in Italy until immigration brought a revival of Islam in Italy beginning in the 20th century. Approximately 3.7...
Though Italy is a majority Christian country, irreligion in the form of atheism and agnosticism is not uncommon. Approximately 12% of the population identifies as irreligious, and this number increases annually. Atheism was first formally documented in Italy in the 1500s, as a result of the Renaissance movement. Modern Italian atheists are most act...
Less than 1% of Italians identify as another religion. These other religions generally include Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, andSikhism. Both Hinduism and Buddhism grew significantly in Italy during the 20th century, and they both gained recognition status by the Italian government in 2012. The number of Jews in Italy hovers around 30,000, but Judai...
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom: Italy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, 2019.Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Italy. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2019.Gianpiero Vincenzo, Ahmad. “The History of Islam in Italy.” The Other Muslims , Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, pp. 55–70.Gilmour, David. The Pursuit of Italy: History of a Land, Its Regions and Their Peoples. Penguin Books, 2012.- Mckenzie Perkins
The Italian Catholic Church, or Catholic Church in Italy, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome, under the Conference of Italian Bishops. The pope serves also as Primate of Italy and Bishop of Rome.
Jul 29, 2016 · Italy has no state-recognized or official religion – however, the Catholic Church plays a significant role in society. Some of the common religions in Italy include Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Judaism.
According to a 2021 study by the independent Center for Studies of New Religions (CESNUR), an estimated 74.5 percent of Italians and foreigners living in the country are Catholic, 15.3 percent atheist or agnostic, 4.1 percent non-Catholic Christian, 3.7 percent Muslim, and 2.2 percent followers of other religions.
By. Thomas M. Landy. Catholicism is very much part of the warp and weft of Italian life, as an inevitable social, cultural and political force that Italians take for granted. The deep and old cultural ties are made visible by the presence of more than 100,000 Catholic churches in the country.
