Italy’s Catholic Cultural Identity: Pope Leo XIV and the Declining Catholic Youth

Over the past few weeks since Easter Monday, the world’s eyes have been locked on Rome and its neighboring landlocked territory, Vatican City, following the passing of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope, on May 21, 2025. Since then, life in Rome and the Catholic Church have experienced a historical period marked by solemn ceremonies. The world honored Pope Francis’s life and legacy with days of mourning as hundreds of thousands paid their respects at Saint Peter’s Basilica. In the following days, his final journey began, moving from Vatican City to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he was laid to rest in peace.

After the Vatican went into official days of mourning, the Cardinals, around 200 senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church, announced the start of the Conclave: a series of votes held in top secrecy to select the next Bishop of Rome. After less than two days of voting, which started on May 7 and ended on May 8 just a few minutes past 6:00 p.m., a new pope was ready to enter the world. It was one of the quickest Conclaves reported in church history: after four ballots, three of which resulted in black smoke signaling no consensus, the fourth produced white smoke, signaling that there would be a new pope.

The new papa 

It’s Robert Francis Provest, an American-born citizen with Peruvian citizenship, who spent a significant chunk of his life as a missionary before being appointed as a cardinal by Pope Francis himself. He chose the name Leone XIV, honoring Pope Leo XIII for his commitment to social issues and workers’ rights, shocking the world as the first Northern American pope, which was declared never to happen. In his first few days of the papacy, he is already showing substantial strides in following in Pope Francis’s footsteps, aiming for world peace and shedding light on the underrepresented populations of our world. 

In his first Sunday mass, which was this past Sunday, May 11, in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV relayed a few key messages to the over 100,000 faithful who came to celebrate mass in the square. First and most importantly, no more war. But another message he said very slowly and clearly, with great emphasis, is for the young youth not to be afraid. He declared so in Italian: “Non abbiate paura, accettate l'invito della Chiesa e di Cristo Signore (Don’t be afraid. Accept the church and Jesus Christ’s invitation). 

So, Is there a declining interest in the youth in the Catholic church? 

Current Church vs. Italian State

It may be hard to say, but let’s scale things down and look at Italy. Italy is a Catholic country. This is not just because the Vatican’s presence happens to have its territory in Italy. But culturally speaking, catholicism is nearly everywhere in Italy, and although there is no “official” religion of Italy, and citizens, under Italian law, can practice any religion freely, nearly 80% of Italian citizens identify as Roman Catholics. 

The Catholic Church is fully incorporated into daily life, art, language, and public holidays. The city of Rome has nearly 1,000 churches, almost all of which are catholic, making it the largest church city in the world. As holidays, for example, in the city of Rome, the Feast of Saint Peter and Paul, the city’s two official saints, is an annual public holiday celebrated on June 29. On December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, is another public holiday with deep religious roots, that now symbolizes the start of the Italian Christmas season. There are also major life events steeped in traditions and rituals, such as baptisms, marriage, and funerals, are almost always connected with the Church. 

But there is no denying that the number of Italian Catholics practicing has decreased. A study from 2023 shows that only 23% identify as practicing Catholics, yet look at all these deep-rooted daily Italian life rituals. Pope Leo must be onto something. 

School Teachings Haven’t Changed

To take it a step further, although Italy is a country without one “official” religion, the Catholic religion is still taught in Italian public schools, which has existed since 1929 when the Fascist regime made a deal with the Vatican for religious teachings at school. The agreement was revised in the 1980s, stating that "the Italian Republic, recognizing the value of religious culture and taking into account that the principles of Catholicism are part of the historical heritage of the Italian people, will continue to ensure, within the framework of the purposes of the school, the teaching of the Catholic religion in non-university public schools of all levels." (Macioti, M. I., & Musaraj, A. 2017). Although the religious hour in school is optional, and students can opt-out if they wish, alternatives to the hour are often limited and without much value. 

So, what’s the catch?

In November 2024, Italy’s prominent newspaper Il Messaggero reported that the Italian Catholic Church has been facing turbulent times as there is a large decline in the youths' faithful followings. The reporting shows that the real disaster, however, concerns the new generations. In the age group of 18 to 34, the percentage of those who declare themselves Catholic according to various 'gradations' has dropped to 58.3% (Il Messaggero). 

Could this Italian age group be more attracted to a laissez-faire approach to religion? They may be spiritual but do not need one governing body, i.e., the Catholic Church, to confide in. They view religion as something individual, customizable, and adaptable. Yet, the Italian youth may still participate in religious ceremonies because it’s all they know, and there aren’t many alternative options that produce the same meaningful extravagance as before. 

Pope Leo XIV’s words, “Non abbiate paura,” feel like a direct dialogue to this generation, who is taking a step back. Italian youth may no longer feel bound to the Church, yet they haven’t let go entirely. Perhaps they’re not rejecting the Church entirely but waiting for it to meet them in new, more modern ways. What do you think?

Written by Gabriela Prioetti

A journey to and from Italy: Then and Now

Italy: the land of delectable food, pristine coastlines, snowy mountain caps, romantic language, and mesmerizing dialects—one may say this country seems to offer it all. But what about 100 years ago?

A short history lesson

It wasn’t until 1861 that most of the Italian peninsula was united. It became the Kingdom of Italy ruled by Victor Emmanuel II hailing from Sardinia and was named the King of Italy. Before that, Italy was divided into smaller states, far from being anything close to united. But a more important date to pay close attention to is June 10, 1946, when the short-lived Italian Monarchy was overthrown and the Repubblica Italiana (italian Republic) was born. But this was not an easy feat. Between World War I and World War II, Fascist ruling, a dictatorship, country, language confusion, heritage division, and territory destruction, those years between the monarchy and liberation were far from what us Italy lovers experience now, AKA la dolce vita.

Then

So, what were these Italian people forced to do? Find life elsewhere. There were two waves of one of the largest voluntarily emigrations ever recorded in world history, commonly known as the Italian diaspora. The first wave began in the late 1800s continuing into the first four centuries of the 1900s, estimating that more than 13 million Italians voluntarily left Italy, escaping extreme poverty and fascism, especially those hailing from the south (think Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria, and Campania). These populations were mostly peasant farmers or poor city-goers who didn’t see much light at the end of the tunnel. The second wave began shortly after the war, continuing until the early 1970s. It is estimated that over the century, more than 25 million were living outside the country. But, where did they all go?

Argentina and Brazil quickly became two of the most popular destinations for migrants to settle (still to this day, Brazil and Argentina have the largest Italian populations outside of Italy in the world!). Other countries included America, specifically cities close to Ellis Island, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, and Canada. After the war, migration was seen heavily in northern European countries like Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and France.  Despite where these immigrants ended up, building a new life was far from easy. Most faced harsh working environments, cramped, unkept living conditions, and prejudices. But as we say in Italian piano piano (slowly slowly), those Italian immigrants created life in big cities and began to integrate themselves into their new home and society thanks to a lot of determination and patience (patience).

Now

Today, over 80 million people around the world claim to have some type of Italian ancestry, i.e. full Italian heritage or partial Italian Heritage, and over 5 million Italian citizens live outside of the country. So we could say that history seems to repeat itself, but these 5 million citizens didn’t choose to leave due to war-stricken lands. But, there is still a fine line between job opportunities and sustainable living wages here in The Boot. As of 2023, the average yearly salary in Italy is just over 30,000 euros (around 2,500 euros a month) and this is some of the highest it has been in the 21st century. Although you may be thinking after a recent trip to Italy that the cost of living is more reasonable compared to big cities like New York and Sydney (sure, you may be on to something), the cost of rent and food prices are rising, the job market is slow, and pay is steadily staying the same. So it is no wonder that more and more giovani (youth) are deciding to pack up and say goodbye when an industrial, economic city like Milan isn’t cutting it anymore. Let’s not forget that nearly 25% of Italy’s population is made up of people over the age of 65, one may say anziani (elderly).

That being said, there’s no denying how much population change our beloved Italy has faced over the decades and in recent years. What do you think the faces of Italy will be like in the next ten years? Are we in the midst of the country’s third wave of Italian diaspora? Let us know in the comments below!

Quick, easy and delicious soup as we head towards the end of winter. This quantity feeds 5 with leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

Half an onion

1 large carrot

3-4 celery sticks

2 potatoes

1 small tin of crushed tomatoes

2 tins lentils (or fresh soaked over night if prefer)

1 large bunch chopped chard

Salt and pepper to season

Water - enough to cover ingredients

METHOD -

Watch instagram reel for method using this link here

Cook until all vegetables are cooked but not mushy.

Ingredients -

500gr 00 flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

250 gr butter (cubed and room temp)

Lemon rind from 1 lemon

Method - mix the butter and flour together so it forms a crumble. Add the rest and knead away. Watch reel over at instagram for the rest https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Ingredients -

500gr spaghetti or linguine

2 cloves garlic (whole to remove or crushed - whichever you prefer)

1/4 (or a splash more) cup extra virgin olive oil

1kg clams

approx 400gr ripe cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have - or none at all if you prefer in bianco)

Salt

Pasta water in case it needs to be added at the end

Watch the instagram reel as a method guide. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcY_45ylU4M/

When the pasta is cooked, grab it with the tongs and move it to the pan with the sauce, without draining it too much so some of the pasta water goes in the pan with it creating a nice sauce.

I’m not sure when it happened, I’m just glad it did. I’m glad the world has become smaller and we are all embracing each others diversities. We still have a way to go maybe, but for Italians the world looks peachy. The beauty of our culture is shining all over the globe. Apparently it’s really ‘on trend’ to be Italian.

Things were a little different for the first wave of immigrants and their children back in the 1950’s post World War 2. The struggles were real. An unknown race was flocking overseas in search for opportunities they didn’t have in Italy at the time. Italians & Italian culture was the unknown, those ‘greasy wogs’ - ‘bloody garlic munchers’.

Italian immigrants proved themselves, and earned respect. The Italians of that generation are known as hard workers - the heads down and get on with it sort. No handouts, no complaining (they couldn’t speak English anyway) and they had one goal in mind - survival. Sometimes they were called names or mistreated, but that was child’s play compared to the hardship they had left behind in Italy.

We can thank our ancestors for giving Italians a good reputation around the world, and thank gosh for travel being more affordable these days so people can see how beautiful our culture is by visiting Italy and immersing themselves in it. Italians proved themselves and now the rest of the world can’t get enough of all things Italy!

So what are the things non Italians love to love about Italians and Italian culture? According to my language students the list from a foreigner’s perspective is long. Let’s begin -

1. Family values

   ‘La famiglia’ is the most important part of an Italian’s life. ‘La mamma’ and ‘la nonna’ are two of the most respected family figures.

   All ages matter - especially the children and the elderly.

   There are definitely some sexist undertones still going on, but that’s a global issue. I would dare say it is a matriarchal society. In the eyes of my students, Italian women are ‘generally’ strong and confident, with a bit of ‘sass’.

2. Food & drink culture

   For the way it brings people together, the rituals around it, the way food is spoken about in a positive light. The ‘aperol spritz’ & ‘burrata’ fads in other countries may pass (thank gosh), but the deep rooted culture around food will always remain. It runs deep in the veins.

3. Community, Traditions, La Piazza

   The holding on to traditions and ancient (usually religious) festivals, that bring everyone together. The ‘passeggiata’ and the piazza, where people can just ‘be’ on a daily basis without the pressure of always having to ‘do’ or ‘purchase’.

4. People’s pride and loyalty to the town or village they are from

   Italians speak of their birthplace with such love and pride. Most are able to tell you story after story with so much oomph you leave believing they live in the most special village in all of Italy.

5. Language

   People simply love the sound - hence the name ‘la dolce lingua’ (the sweet language). It is very easy on the ear

6. Art, music, literature, architecture, fashion

   I have bunched all of these into one. These are the things Italy used to promote to the tourist and are extremely significant. Italy is flooded with history. I can say that 99% of my students, when visiting Italy enjoy a trip to the local museum, stand in front of stunning architecture with jaws dropped, love to walk the high streets of fashion in Milan & Rome, but much prefer to immerse themselves in the everyday living of an Italian when possible. They will always tell me stories of people more than places, and the warmth they feel from Italian locals when travelling.

But everything goes in and out of fashion. People are always searching for the next best thing or something new. This trend may pass too - but I imagine that because it is the Italian people and culture stealing hearts, not just the ‘place’, foreigners will be forever pining for Italy - as though it were their first love.

This cake was delicious!

For the pear prep

2 - 3 pears sliced and cooked in a small pan with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and a drop of water until browned.

Place them in a greased flan tin.

For the batter - in one bowl and in this order

3 eggs

12 tablespoons sugar

grated lemon rind and the juice

1 teaspoon powdered Vanilla (or from a pod or paste)

2 heaped tablespoons yoghurt

12 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon baking soda & 1/2 of bicarb soda

(STIR) then add

12 tablespoons 00 flour

(if you don’t have raising agents then just use self raising flour)

Bake on 175c for approx 40 minutes (or until cooked - each over is different)

Head to reels on our instagram to watch the method

https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

Raspberry & Cream Cake

allora - grab a bowl, a spoon , a cup and a whisk and in this order pop everything in the bowl and stir….

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup cream ( I used thickened)

1 grated rind of a lemon

1 vanilla sachel (or from a pod, or vanilla essence - whatever you have)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

about 1 1/2 cups raspberries (blended in food processor - I used frozen)

2 1/2 cups 00 flour ( or if you use self raising you don’t have to put the baking powder or bicarb)

METHOD

Put the ingredients all in a bowl in the order written and stir. Place batter in a greased cake tin and bake for abotu 40 minutes on 175c

Sicily in a plate. Tuna is huge in Sicily and nope - no Sicilian ties on my part at all, apart from my mamma’s ‘vicina di casa’ (neighbour) who has been sharing some amazing recipes with me…..and here is one of them.

I had onions on hand, old wine that we now use as vinegar, and tuna steaks I had picked up at the supermarket. Simple, easy and delicious and great with a loaf of bread and a salad.

You’ll need -

At least two onions (I used the purple spanish ones but the white onions are fine also great)

About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 Tuna steaks

3/4 bottle red wine vinigar (it will evaporate and make a nice juice)

For the method head over to the reel on our instagram account https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Method in summary - cut onions, place in bowl of water. Heat pan, place onions on pan and salt - lid on and let collapse. Add oil - cook a little more. Place cooked onions to the side of the pan, fry tuna steaks. Remove tuna, add red wine vinegar and let cook with the onions until it has reduced. Place your tuna back in the reduced ‘agrodolce’ (sweet and sour sauce). Enjoy x

I am lucky to have been able not only to live in Italy, but also to return to our loved ones there on a yearly basis (apart from the last two covid stricken years).

This helps to stay up to date with changes, which are happening more rapidly now because of technology, and things are definitely always evolving – yes even fairytale Italy!

There are some Italian cultural traits that are pretty standard, but of course still always ‘general’. Things like family values, meal rituals and no cappuccino after 11am are thankfully embedded in the bloodline. Then, there are the others that make us cringe when we hear them being mentioned.

‘Ciao bella!’

No. Just no. You just won’t hear it in Italy. And it makes me cringe when I hear it. By all means, ‘ciao bella’ your heart out. Just remember it’s not an Italian saying.

‘Italians speak loudly’

Well, let’s say we are animated…and sometimes it can get loud when there’s a room full of family or friends. I also think this depends on the different Italian regions. Southern Italians are generally a little more animated than northerners.

‘We use our hands and body language to speak’

This is definitely true, but some people more than others. It will always depend on what is being spoken about. The gestures are often more prominent when the discussion is getting heated or when someone really believes in what they are saying.

 ‘We listen to the piano accordian all the time’.

NO ! Infact the opposite! Italians love music and like most cultures have their traditional folk songs. The instruments played can vary but the most well known about overseas is the piano accordian. But no, you barely hear or see it these days like once upon a time. It still exists, a few still play it, it’s no doubt a beautiful part of history, but over the last 40 years I have seen it played once at a baptism because my friend’s brother pulled it out, blew the dust off it and belted out some tunes. The new generation don’t really dig it.  

‘We eat pasta and pizza everyday’

Well, I can say that this can actually be true. Pasta is a mealtime staple. Pizza is one of those things you may grab in the evening when you go out and get peckish. I think people imagine we eat huge quantities of it all in one day– and that is simply not true. Small portions are key to a balanced diet.

It is also true that what other cultures dress their pasta with, or slop on their pizza, may be the reason for weight gain, and why they think pasta and pizza are bad for you. Our condiments are generally light and delicate, and often vegetable based! On special occasions we like to lash out and may eat something fried.

Italians aren’t afraid to show affection in public

This is true. It really is a way of life, and I think it’s wonderful. Infact we don’t mind displaying all of our other emotions in public either.

Italians are always late

I wouldn’t agree with this one. Maybe our relaxed approach to life confuses everyone. Most of the people in our circle are pretty punctual, but like anyone anywhere, you’ll always get the person who is always late to everything.

Family is the most important thing in life

This is true. The family unit is everything. Could this be why a lot of Italians seem so sassy and confident? It’s a pretty good bet it is. Family is the foundation of life and you can always count on them. If you have nothing else, you have always got your family, and they always have your back.

All Italians are ‘Mafiosi’

Just no.

Italians love coffee

This is generally true but I know many Italians who don’t drink coffee, but those who do are extremely passionate about it. The ‘pausa caffe`’ is so much more than just about the coffee. It’s about pausing, chatting, and briefly catching up on what’s been happening, so even those who don’t drink coffee may prefer a different drink to enjoy the ritual with.

All Italians are soccer crazy

Well a lot of us are, but of course not all. So I guess you could say this has a little truth to it.

Italians live at home until they marry.

If we are living in the same town as our parents that is very likely. It used to be standard, but nowadays a lot of Italian youth are leaving to find work overseas, so yes if we need to we will, and we aren’t ashamed of it! When I married we ended up living with our parents for a year or two until we could move out. Family stick together.