The Vatican, Italian law and the autonomy of the state

The Vatican announced at the end of December that it will not automatically accept Italian jurisprudence in future. The decision was based on contradictions among several laws as well as a lack of conformity with positions of the Roman Catholic Church. The left-liberal daily La Repubblica writes that this will undermine the integrity of Italian society: "The world is large, but Italy is nearby. From now on its jurisprudence will be subject to constant ethical surveillance. ... The Vatican's new line may spark off conflicts of loyalty among Catholics in parliament, who are torn between their civil duties and the Vatican's announcement that it may reject ... these very rights and duties. ... This conflict of loyalty could spread well beyond parliament and destroy Italy's already damaged social integrity. What is at stake here is the autonomy and laicity of the state, the very fate of freedom."

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