On Saturday, May 12, 2007, tens of thousands took to the streets in Rome to protest Italian President, Romano Prodi’s recent legislation giving greater rights to unmarried couples, including homosexual partners. The legislation has come under critical debate in the historically Catholic country, but stops short of legalizing gay marriage. The so-called “Family Day” rally was expected to attract up to 250 thousand people in Rome’s St. John Lateran Square, but far exceeded expectations. Saturday’s rally coincided with Pop Benedict XVI’s visit to Brazil and may be a sign of Europe’s changing political mindset as it affects religious issues in secular Italy. The rally’s size and scope reflects Italy’s rising social tensions and ongoing political divisions concerning the separation of church and state. It is likely that if President Prodi continues to make concessions to one side of the debate, we will see rallies of this nature and perhaps of greater strength in the near-term.
So-called “Pro-Family” Groups Rally
Purportedly between 500,000 and 1.5 million “pro-family” proponents gathered in Italy’s capital over the weekend to protest against laws giving more rights to homosexual couples. The newly proposed law would allow unmarried couples greater rights in areas such as inheritance, but stops just short of legalizing marriage between same sex couples. In response to Saturday’s rally, counter-demonstrations staged by gay rights supporters occurred in nearby Piazza Navona. The divisive issue has led to increased tensions between Italian Premier Romano Prodi’s supporters and center-right dissenters.
While music and clowns entertained children, speeches and presentations including a video of the late Pope John Paul II and other Catholic clergymen were displayed at the protest site. The demonstration was backed by the Vatican and Italy’s Catholic bishops which has led to consternation by opposition leaders including Italy’s Minister of International Trade and European Affairs, Emma Bonino, who publicly condemned the Vatican’s perceived interference with domestic political issues.
Politicizing the Day
Born of Catholic roots, Italy’s modern secular government is struggling to accommodate an increasingly liberal population. Italy’s political environment echoes the atmosphere felt elsewhere in Europe, to include Spain, which recently legalized gay marriage. With purportedly 500,000 unmarried couples currently without shared rights or benefits, Italian gay couples find themselves at odds with other otherwise comparable European nations. The recent election of Romano Prodi brought the promise of government-installed protective laws for cohabitating couples. However, this goal has been difficult to achieve due to Prodi’s slim majority rule in the Senate. In essence, Prodi is in for a tough battle to attain and maintain the support of his coalition on all sides of the issue. Prodi’s Cabinet passed the controversial bill in February 2007, however it is currently awaiting parliamentary approval.
Demonstration organizers assert their intentions were not to stage an anti-government protest. However the so-called “Family Day” has proven embarrassing for Prodi’s center-left political coalition, with at least two ministers taking part in the rally, while other center-leaders attended the counter-demonstration. Following the rally, Prodi made a last minute effort to defuse tension by publicly declaring that religion should not be manipulated and touting secularism as an “essential principle” of politics.
Separately, other center-left political leaders promised to attend the counter-demonstration. Tensions were heightened in April 2007 when graffiti threatening the leader of the Italian bishops, Genoa Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, were scrawled on buildings in the northern city and a bullet was sent to his office. Bagnasco has spoken out against the proposed legislation. Many center-right leaders, including political opponent and former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, attended the “Family Day” event.
Pope Benedict’s Americas Visit Well-Timed
The Vatican is visibly displeased with President Prodi’s proposed legislation. Thus prompting Pope Benedict XVI to conduct a strong public awareness campaign to protect the vestiges of the so-called “traditional family” based on marriage between a man and woman. Additionally, Saturday’s rally coincided with the final day of Pope Benedict XVI’s inaugural official visit to Latin America. Seen as the first trip to a new frontier, the Pope’s visit to the region may have been a well-timed effort to diffuse the situation at home and focus attention on what may be the future of Christianity, the Americas.
The Vatican is waging an increasingly difficult campaign in Europe. The Church faces increasing fragmentation and secularism among Europe’s populations, to include Italy. In a speech praising Latin America as the future of Christianity and perhaps in response to increased criticism over its current political stance on European issues of morality, Pope Benedict announced, “If the Catholic Church were to become a political subject, she would do less, not more, for the poor and for justice, because she would lose her independence and moral authority.”
Rally Numbers Indicate Popular Support for Traditional Values
Saturday’s rally to protest a bill that would increase legal rights for unmarried couples fuels a debate that has effectively split the country. For some time now Italy, like much of Europe, has continued to move away from the vestiges of old-world concepts of religion and indeed has become a champion of secular ideology. However, in today’s world of increased threat to the safety, security, and overall way of life a desire has been created to better understand and perhaps place stricter classifications on individuals who do not exemplify the traditional values of a native born Italian.
As the debate over moral and social issues stemming from religion continues – either ignited by President Prodi or otherwise, we will likely see more public demands for a return to traditional values. More social instability will occur as these competing tensions divide the population.
