Italy is the symbol of the Catholic church. Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world, is situated right in the heart of Rome. The Holy See is the sovereign of Vatican City and it's an absolute monarchy under the Pope. Italy is the country which is conditioned more than any other by the presence of the church. Political, social, and economic choices, as well as everything else in Italy are deeply influenced by the church.
The pedophilia scandal that involved the Catholic clergy in the entire world didn't really blow up in Italy. One of the major problems is that there's been a reticence to actually deal with the problem. There's been a slowness to recognize that there is a problem and there's also a culture of silence and shame. On the other hand the clergy is convinced that there is a tendency to belittle the church since it still has a lot of followers.
