San Marino

In this tiny republic nestled between Emilia Romagna and the Marche regions of Italy off the Adriatic Coast, the religious situation is not very different from that of the Italian society that surrounds it, with 95% of the population belonging to the Catholic Church. Yet myth and history have created a distinctive situation characterized by a close connection between faith and freedom, and religion and politics, which is not, however, immune to the growing pluralism and secularization of society.

San Marino is the oldest and second smallest republic in the world, with a territory of 60 square kilometers and a population of 24,000. Legend has it that it was founded around 300 on Mount Titano by Marinus, a stonecutter from Dalmatia and a group of early Christians fleeing persecution for their faith. Protected by its geographical isolation and the strong faith of its inhabitants, San Marino developed over the centuries as a self-reliant community convinced that its freedom had been bequeathed by the founder whose motto Nemi Teneri (“not dependent on anyone”) successive generations strove to implement against feudal lords, popes, emperors, and neighboring Italian states. In 1600, San Marino declared itself a republic, claiming that its sovereignty and liberty were guaranteed by the presence of the relics of its patron saint.

Each year on September 3, the Sammarinesi celebrate together the death of their saint and the foundation of their republic, and most official ceremonies are held in the Basilica and opened by a homily by the Catholic bishop of the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro. Yet Roman Catholicism is not the country's official religion, and the law guarantees freedom of conscience and religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion. Roman Catholicism is, however, the religion of the majority of the population, with only 5% belonging to other faith groups, among whom are Jehovah's Witnesses, members of the Waldesian Church, and small numbers of Baha'is, Muslims, and Jews. Under the law, citizens may allocate 0.3% of their income tax to Catholic Charities, and in 1992, this privilege was extended to the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Waldesian Church.

The close integration of religion and politics is no longer as universally accepted as in the past. In Buscarini & Others v. San Marino (ECHR 7, February 1999), the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of three newly elected members of parliament who refused to make the required reference to the Gospels in taking the oath of office in 1993. The Court found that “requiring elected representatives of the people to swear allegiance to a particular religion was not compatible with article 9 of the European Convention,” which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Since then, the law has been amended to include a choice between the traditional oath and one in which the reference to the Gospels has been replaced by the words “on my honor.”