Only half of Italian population is Catholic, survey reveals

A recently published survey reveals that only half of the people in Italy consider themselves as Catholics.

In a poll conducted by SWG and published in the Italian newspaper L'Unità on March 29, researchers discovered that while 63 percent of the 1,500 respondents are Christians, only 50 percent affiliate themselves with the Catholic church. Evangelical Focus reports that 22 percent of the respondents said they are atheists; 8 percent believe in a God but is not affiliated with any religion; 4 percent belong to the Orthodox and Protestant Christians group; 2 percent are Bhuddists; while Jewish, Muslims and Hindus each take up 1 percent of the population.

In an interview with AdnKronos as reported by Religion News, Monsignor Bruno Forte, archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, said, "It is not that those who do not believe in God don't believe in anything; on the contrary, they risk believing in everything, as a 'surrogate' to faith."

Of those questioned, 75 percent said that there was more interest in spirituality in the past than in the present. Majority of the respondents, at 48 percent, think that religion is more of one's relationship with themselves; 44 percent believe that it's one's relationship with God; and 32 percent view it as a relationship with other human beings. It's about community, said 13 percent of the respondents, while for 11 percent, it's with all of humanity.

Meanwhile, 46 percent of believers said that faith has no impact on everyday life but 22 percent say that it does.

As for other beliefs, 53 percent believe in coincidence, 41 percent believe in luck, 25 percent believe in reincarnation, 24 percent believe in predistination of the soul, and 21 percent believe in miraculous healings. Eighteen percent believe in karma, and 17 percent believe in astrology. As for aliens on Earth, bad luck, and seances, these had 16 percent each; while 14 percent believe in demonic possessions, and tarot cards and magic had 9 percent each.