Italy

Italy Factbook

Italy is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, but the church is steadily losing its influence. Many are searching, but few are turning to Christ. A shortage of workers means that many never hear the gospel.

Italy is located in southern Europe. It is a boot shaped peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea and two islands - Sicily and Sardinia. The terrain is a combination of mountains and plains.

The population of Italy is approximately 58 million. Most (over 90%) are native Italians. There are significant cultural and economic differences between northern and southern Italian people.

Italy is a member of the European Union. Northern Italy has more industry and is wealthier than southern Italy. Rampant crime coupled with government inefficiency and instability has hampered economic growth.

Italy became a nation in 1861. After a series of authoritarian rulers, Italy became a republic following defeat in World War II. However, the elected governments have typically been unstable and short-lived. Corruption and crime are widespread. Much of the power in Italy lies with organized crime. These organizations have such influence that the government has had little success against them.

The Roman Catholic Church lost its position as the official state church in 1984. Although it still dominates, the Catholic Church has lost a significant amount of influence since World War II. The number of members and priests has fallen rapidly in recent years, and many are disillusioned with the church.

Unfortunately, most of those who have left the Catholic Church have turned to New Age thinking, the occult, or groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses. Evangelicals account for approximately 1% of the population, and there has been some growth in the last 20 years.

We can praise the Lord that Protestants are no longer persecuted as they once were. However, the church has significant needs. There is a lack of native Italian pastors and much infighting among those who are pastors. Pray that the Lord would call more men to the ministry.

Italy needs more evangelical missionaries. Italy is a difficult place for missionaries to work. There is much opposition to the gospel and significant cultural differences. Unfortunately, only 10% of missionaries return to Italy after their first term. Pray that the Lord would send more missionaries with the grace to stay for the long term.

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