concordat of 1985

Catholic and Italian history

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

The concordat of 1985 marked a significant shift in the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Italian state. This agreement, which replaced the Lateran Treaty of 1929, officially ended Roman Catholicism's status as the state religion of Italy.1

Key changes introduced by the 1985 concordat included the discontinuation of compulsory religious education in public schools and alterations to tax exemptions for religious institutions. A concordat is a pact between ecclesiastical and secular authorities that regulates matters of mutual concern, often concerning the rights of the church, appointments of clergy, and religious education. The Lateran Treaty, prior to the 1985 concordat, had recognized papal sovereignty over Vatican City and established Catholicism's privileged position in Italy.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Lateran Treaty
With the signing of the concordat of 1985, Roman Catholicism was no longer the state religion of Italy. This change in status brought about a number of alterations in Italian society. Perhaps the most significant of these was the end to compulsory religious education in public schools. The new concordat…
Read More
With the signing of the concordat of 1985, Roman Catholicism was no longer the state religion of Italy. This change in status brought about a number of alterations in Italian society. Perhaps the most significant of these was the end to compulsory religious education in public schools. The new concordat…
Read More

Italy
Demographic and social change
In 1985 a new concordat that recognized many of these changes was ratified by the Vatican and (significantly) a government led by the Socialist Bettino Craxi. Roman Catholicism ceased to be the state religion, religious instruction in schools became voluntary, and the state stopped funding priests’ salaries.
Read More
In 1985 a new concordat that recognized many of these changes was ratified by the Vatican and (significantly) a government led by the Socialist Bettino Craxi. Roman Catholicism ceased to be the state religion, religious instruction in schools became voluntary, and the state stopped funding priests’ salaries.
Read More