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Religion

The Holy See, the episcopal jurisdiction of Rome, contains the government of Vatican City and the worldwide Catholic Church. It is recognised as a sovereign entity, headed by the Pope, who is also the Bishop of Rome, with which diplomatic relations can be maintained.

Although historically dominated by Catholicism, religiosity in Italy is declining. Most Catholics are nominal; the Associated Press describes Italian Catholicism as "nominally embraced but rarely lived". Italy has the world's fifth-largest Catholic population and the largest in Europe. Since 1985, Catholicism is no longer the official religion.

In 2011, minority Christian faiths included an estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians, Protestantism has been growing. Italy has for centuries welcomed Jews expelled from other countries, notably Spain. However, about 20% of Italian Jews were killed during the Holocaust. This, together with emigration before and after World War II, has left around 28,000 Jews. There are 120,000 Hindus and 70,000 Sikhs.

The state devolves shares of income tax to recognised religious communities, under a regime known as eight per thousand. Donations are allowed to Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu communities; however, Islam remains excluded, as no Muslim communities have signed a concordat. Taxpayers who do not wish to fund a religion contribute their share to the welfare system.