1008
ITALY
Religion,
The Roman Catholic Church is, nominally, the ruling State religion of Italy ; but the power of the Church and clergy is subordinated to the civil government, and there is freedom of worship to the adherents of all recognised religions. The census returns of 1911 were as follows : —
Profession
Total
Per cent.
Roman Catholics. . . .
32,983,664
95-13
Evangelical Protestants
123,253
0-36
Jews ......
34,324
0-11
Other professions
2,200
—
Not professing any religion .
874,532
2-52
Not known .....
653,404
1-88
Total ....
34,671,377
100-00
1 See also Kome, See and Church of.
Of the Protestants, 22,500 belonged to the Waldensian Church of Piedmont, about 10,000 to the other Evangelical Italian Churches, and 30,000 to foreign Protestant bodies.
Italy is divided into 13 apostolical provinces, comprising 272 episcopal jurisdictions, viz., 1 patriachate (Venice), 49 archbishoprics, 6 cardinal bishoprics, and 216 bishoprics, 11 abbeys, and a number of prelates without dioceses. Every archbishop or bishop is appointed by the Pope, on the advice of a committee of Cardinals ; but the royal exequatur is necessary for his installation. In 1911, the number of parishes was 20,707. According to the census, 1911, the secular clergy numbered 67,147 : the regulars (monks, lay-brothers, nuns, &c), 45,253 ; sacristans, &c, 10,761 ; persons employed at
