The weakness of secular culture in Italy

The Latium Regional Administrative Tribunal (the "TAR Lazio") last Tuesday upheld the complaints of several secular organisations ruling that Catholic religious instruction was irrelevant in the overall assessment of school performance. The Bishops' Conference has harshly criticised the ruling. The liberal daily La Stampa writes: "The Italians don't know whom to entrust with the teaching of public ethics, in which upbringing and school education play a major role. In Italy the Catholic religion (in its strictly religious sense) has thus become a crucial substitute teacher of public ethics, with Catholic religious instruction as an important component. Naturally in its substitute role the Church can't openly place itself above the secular nature of the state, which it constantly endeavours to stress. But it effectively circumvents this problematic by claiming the right to define what is 'true and healthy secularism' inside and outside the school. And for this it relies on an insecure political class that is open to blackmail."

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