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Roman Catholicism is by far the most popular religion in the country. Although the Catholic church has been separated from the state, it still plays a role in the nation's political affairs partly due to Holy See's location in Rome. Some 90% of Italians are Roman Catholic of which one-third are active members. Other Christian groups in Italy include Jehovah's Witnesses 400,000 and the Waldensians (35,000). In the past two decades, Italy has been receiving many waves of immigrants from all over the world especially eastern Europe and North Africa. As a result, some 825,000 Muslims (1.4%) live in Italy, although other estimates indicate that there are up to one million Muslims as well as, 75,000 Hindus, 60,000 Buddhists, and a historical community of 30,000 Jewish members. |
Italy Information: Inside
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