The home of the Catholic Church for 2000-years is set to authorize same-sex marriage.
The Church’s influence on Italian politics has managed to derail attempts by previous administrations to get the law enacted, and while it still plays a strong role in Italy, its influence over the gay rights debate seems to be diminishing.
“It’s not like 30 years ago,” Paolo Segatti, a political sociology professor at the University of Milan, told The Local.
“There are fewer practising Catholics in Italy…this decline has been happening for some time. The Church’s influence is now very small, so I don’t think it will be able to block this.”
This is good, on two fronts.
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Excepting on suspicion of child abuse, no state anywhere has a licit interest in the sex lives of its citizens.
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It points toward the declining influence of religious ignorance.
So, good.