Now I order you to retain this creed for your nourishment throughout life and never to accept any alternative, not even if I myself were to change and say something contrary to what I am now teaching, not even if some angel of contradiction, changed into an angel of light, tried to lead you astray. For even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which you have now received, let him be accursed in your sight. – St Cyril of Jerusalem
The Italy of the Primate of Italy Is a Bit Less Catholic
The followers of other religious confessions are on the rise in the country where the pope resides. But the most numerous are not the Muslims. They are the Orthodox and Protestants. And there are those who are turning Buddhist
by Sandro Magister
ROME, November 11, 2016 – In addition to being bishop of Rome, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is also primate of Italy. And in spite of the very small number of pastoral visits that he makes to Roman parishes and Italian dioceses, the Church that is in Italy and Italy itself have become his natural habitat.
Not only that. The social phenomenon that lies closest to Pope Francis’s heart is undoubtedly that of migration, to such an extent that he has reserved for himself – and for himself alone – the management of the office in the curia that deals with it, within the newly constituted dicastery “for integral human development.”
Well then, it is precisely migration that is notably changing the human and religious landscape in Italy.
In the religious field, the Catholic Church no longer has that uncontested monopoly which it had for centuries, until a few years ago.
Catholicism remains by far the dominant religion in Italy. But alongside it are growing other Christian confessions and other faiths. Not only on account of immigration, but also, to a lesser extent, through conversion.
