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?
