Philosophical

Religion in Italy The major religion is Roman Catholicism, with Protestant & Jewish communities and a growing Muslim population made up of mostly immigrants. Before Catholicism was made the state religion in the 4 th century AD they were majorly pagan & worshipped the Roman gods.

Adherents in Italy 53,550,000 – Christian 3,400,000 – Agnostic/Atheist 1,210,000 – Muslim 160,000 – Buddhist 115,000 – Hindu 70,000- Sikh 45,000 – Jewish

(ANSA) - Vatican City, January 12 - Pope Benedict XVI urged authorities in Rome and the Lazio region to overcome political differences in order to deal with the ``inevitable repercussions`` on the region from the global economic crisis. Speaking to Lazio regional president Piero Marrazzo, Rome provincial president Nicola Zingaretti (both of the opposition Democratic Party) and right-wing Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno at a traditional New Year meeting, the pontiff said local institutions must ``overcome divisions`` to take up the ``grave challenge`` the crisis presented. Benedict said the crisis was not only economic but also ``structural, cultural and moral`` and appealed to the local authorities to create a strategic response that would also have an effect in years to come. The pontiff also asked the authorities to collaborate on what he described as an ``educative crisis`` among young people, which he said showed in ``episodes of youthful violence`` and reckless driving as well as drugs and alcohol consumption. Alemanno described the pope`s appeal as ``very important``. ``There is a need for a great communal effort, from both the majority and the opposition, to deal with social, economic and moral problems that are always on the rise,`` he said. Photo: Pope Benedict and Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno.

The main religion in Italy today is Roman Catholicism, but a very long time ago, the Ancient Romans believed in many gods and goddesses. Stories and myths were told about the gods and goddesses. According to the Romans, each and every god and goddess had a certain thing or group of people to watch over. Here is a list of only a few of the many gods and goddesses the Ancient Romans believed in. Saturn -He was one of oldest gods of Rome and was even a ruler, but his son Jupiter took his place. Jupiter - He was the most important god of all the gods in Rome. He was the god of the sky. Juno - She was the wife of Jupiter, the sky god. She watched over the women in Ancient Rome. Neptune- He was Jupiter's brother. Neptune was the god of the seas according to the Romans. Minerva - She was the goddess of wisdom and the work that the Ancient Romans did. Mars - He was the god of all the wars in Ancient Rome. Venus - She was the goddess of love in Ancient Rome. She also loved Mars. The gods and goddesses were worshipped in temples where the people gave up animals and other precious things. According to the Romans, after you died, your spirit went down to the underworld. In order for the dead to reach the underworld, they had to cross a river to reach Hades. The family of the person going to the underworld gave the person a coin for the ferryman. As time went on, more and more people became Christians. In the 4th century A.D. Emperor Constantine decided to make Christianity the official religion of Italy.