THE POPE AND ITALY

THE POPE AND ITALY

The recent statements by the Vatican, recognising the criminal behaviour of the reverend Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionnaires of Christ, could constitute an important step in a new approach by the Roman Catholic Church, in spite of some ambiguity in their content. This circumstance, coupled with the fact that there have been fewer and fewer items in the news about the recent Vatican paedophilia scandal should not, in however, generate the idea that the issue has blown over. The effects are still deeply felt in The United States and in Northern Europe, where the Catholic Church’s crisis is palpable. Much less so in Italy, which, having the Vatican Enclave on its soil, would theoretically appear to be the most directly and intimately involved.
The Vatican, it has to be said, is not a creation of Mussolini, as some would have it, but a long lasting historical reality, which has for many centuries conditioned life in Italy.
It has therefore been interesting to note, in these past weeks, how rare and feeble Italian reactions to the Vatican paedophilia scandal have been. When compared to the often indignant response given by Roman Catholics across Europe and in the Americas, it would seem that Italians have, by and large, viewed the situation with indifference, and the TV channels, both public and private, have actually been totally and uncritically supportive of the Pope and the Holy See, as, indeed, have the rare statements issued by political personalities both of the Right and of the Left.
In their news programmes and commentary, the public Radio and TV, which ought to be completely secular, have absolutely and unquestioningly accepted all the explanations issued by the Vatican. Thus the majority of Italians – culturally isolated because of a pernicious form of monolingual obstinacy, and with almost all of their information obtained through the National TV – are convinced, for example, that a small group of Jewish Law firms in the United States have inspired all this “idle gossip” for the double purpose of discrediting the Catholic Church – which, in Italian eyes, is the only “truly” Christian Church – and milking the “alleged victims” of lots of money in legal fees. They are told, as well, and appear to believe that the ordinary people of the world are all in sympathy with the “Holy Father”, as the public news channels insist on calling him, even having the speakers modulate their tone of voice upon mentioning his August name.
The Vatican statement on the reverend Maciel Degollado, for example, received no comment at all in public radio and television broadcasts, while much space was dedicated to the opening of the exhibition of the Shroud of Turin, with pious references being made to its miraculous origin, but no mention of any sceptical attitudes in the scientific community.
And yet, walking the streets of the Holy City (Rome), a vast number of empty – albeit beautiful – Churches meet the eye, and visible signs of devotion (e.g. the penance of the Holy steps at San Giovanni) are quite rare. Even the crowds in St. Peter’s square at the Papal benediction are, to a large extent foreign or, at least, from other parts of Italy (usually the North), with, of course, an appreciable number of tourists attracted by a spectacle so incongruous for the Twenty-first century.
Very few in Italy read Holy Scripture – the idea being that this is precisely what Priests are for – and even devout Church-goers show an appalling doctrinal and cultural ignorance on the meaning of most devotional rites and are likely to respond with indignant disbelief if told that Jesus was actually Jewish.
All the more surprising, then, to realise what a tremendous power the Vatican and the clergy wield in Italian politics. The fact is that any pronouncement by the Bishops on political matters have tangible effects on the Nation’s political and social life, as was shown in the recent local elections, in which some pointed statements about the “new” (for Italy) abortion pill is thought to have secured the victory of some key candidates, known to be obedient and to toe the line of Catholic orthodoxy, at least in their public postures and statements.
It could be argued that also in the United States religion has an important role in public life, but there on the one hand, no political candidates casts doubt on the firm tenet of separation between Church (any Church) and State, while on the other it is clear that Americans constitute one of the most deeply religious communities in the predominantly Christian world. Neither of these considerations apply in the Italian political and social scene, where the issue of exposing the Crucifix in public buildings (including schools and Tribunals) was treated with incredible emotion by politicians to the point that a Government Minister was seen on public TV, brandishing a Crucifix like an exorcist and issuing death threats to all those who oppose its continued exposition.
This is by no means a new or thoroughly modern situation. In many phases of their history Italians have mingled a show of affectionate pride in being, as it were, the custodians of the Holy See on their territory, with an open hostility which has also ended in episodes of assassination and rebellion.
There was a moment, in the Nineteenth Century, during the battles for Italy’s independence, when secular hostility to the Pope and the Church seemed to gain the upper hand (one can cite the short-lived “Roman Republic” in 1848 and, of course, the conquest of Rome by the Italian State in 1870), but after World War II, with the Catholic Party (“Christian Democrats”) seen as the only credible democratic alternative to Communism – or so, of course, their slogan ran – the take-over by the Church was relatively easy and has resulted in the present equivocal situation which has been further complicated by the fact that the collapse of the Christian Democrats has caused a veritable Diaspora of Catholic politicians who have joined almost every Party on the rather broad Italian political spectrum.
The image therefore emerges of a population with an essentially “pagan” view of Religion, generally limited to an almost Oedipal adoration of the Virgin as well as deep veneration for a selected number of Saints who frequently, sometimes even punctually, come across with the required miracles. It is therefore all the more remarkable that this same population should appear so totally subservient to a Church which is perhaps the most dogmatic religious body on Earth. This is a paradox which defies explanation, and which could be shrugged off with wry amusement, if it weren’t for the thoroughly negative effect Vatican interference has had and keeps having on Italy’s social and political structure, seriously hindering progress, even in Science and Medicine, whenever proposed innovations are deemed contrary to the strictest tenets of the Roman Catholic Catechism.
Italy is going through a crisis which could be almost defined as existential, with creeping forms of occult, but ever more evident, neo-fascist attitudes making frequent appearances.
In this context the growing influence of the Church in public affairs, as evidenced by the behaviour of the Public information services, seems like a justified cause for alarm.



(The Author is a retired senior Italian diplomatic officer)