The Italian Constitution of 1948 declares that the Catholic Church and the state are each independent and sovereign. Relations between them are regulated by Lateran pacts. Article 8 declares that all religious denominations are equally free before the law and makes provision for other denominations to organize and establish relations with the state. Article 19 provides for freedom of belief, worship, association and propagation of religious beliefs except in those cases where religious rites may be contrary to morality. In 1984, a concordat was signed between Italy and the Vatican State stating that Catholicism would no longer be considered the state religion of Italy and that Rome would no longer retain the "sacred character of eternal city." It also made religious instruction in state schools, provided for state judicial review of Catholic marriage annulments, exempted priests from military service, provided for full freedom for Catholic schools and guaranteed automatic recognition by the Italian government for Catholic marriages.
The 1996 US State Department on Human Rights says that the government
respects the rights of religious freedom in practice. It notes that the
government provides subsidies to the Roman Catholic Church, the Assemblies
of God and the Adventist Church by allowing members of those denominations
to designate a fixed portion of their taxes to one of those denominations.
In November 1993, the Buddhist community requested a similar privilege,
but the government has not responded to this request.
On April 29, 1998, the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a report entitled "Sette religiose e nuovi movimenti magici in Italia" ("Cults and New Magical Movements in Italy") to the lower house of the Italian Parliament. The Italian Parliament is currently considering a law on religious minorities and religious liberty. The police report differs from reports prepared by parliamentary commissions in France, Belgium and Germany, in that no public hearings were held and the report was sent unsolicited by the police. Similar reports have been prepared in the past, but this is the first time that such a report has been sent to the Parliament and also released to the press. The report mentions that the Ministry of Internal Affairs monitors 137 groups - 76 of which are categoriized as "new religions," and 61 as "new magical movements." While the report notes that none of these groups have been accused of any illegal or criminal activity, it also includes numerous anti-cult stereotypes. While the report itself regards fears of cults to be grossly exagerated, members of the Italian press have selectively used information in the report to publish sensational articles on the dangers of cults and have published a "list of 70 cults" based upon information in the report. Dr. Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR in Torino, Italy, notes in a report entitled Much Ado About Nothing? The "Italian Report on Cults," that "the real danger is that, because of the media event created around the report, respectable and law-abiding citizens who happen to be members of movements mentioned, but explicitly exonerated from any charge, in the report, may be discriminated against or maligned."
The Italian Senate is currently considering a bill to make "mental manipulation" by new religious movements a crime punishable by a two to six year term. the law was approved by the Senate Judicial Commission on March 4, 2004 and will by voted on by the full Senate and then sent to the House for consideration. If the law is passed it may face constitutional challenges.
2003 US State Department International Religious Freedom Report on Italy
Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief Report on Italy
An Open Letter Against the Italian Draft Law on Mental Manipulation WorldWide Religious News 4/05/04
Italian Senate's Commission Approves Draft Law against Mind Control WorldWide Religious News 3/18/04
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