A few legal provisions.
Art 9.2 of the Concordat
“The Italian Republic acknowledges the value of religious culture and the principles of Catholicism as part and parcel of the Italian people’s historical heritage. Therefore it ensures that catholic religious education in state schools of all types will continue to be provided within the framework of the school’s aims.
The right of everybody to decide whether to receive such education or not is ensured in the respect of their personal freedom and of their parents’ educational responsibility.
Upon enrolment either the pupils or their parents will exercise such a right at the school Authorities’ request and their choice will give rise to no forms of criticism or discrimination (discriminatory measures)”.
(Concordat18.2.984)
Catholic religious education (IRC) fosters the dialogue with other beliefs and cultures.
“Catholic religious education (IRC) encourages pupils to tackle religious issues: God’s question and the values of the spirit, a taste for truth and goodness , the rejection of all forms of intolerance and fanaticism, a respect for those who believe in other religions and for non-believers, solidarity with everybody and especially with those who are physically or socially disadvantaged (no. 4).
Catholic religious education (IRC) is also beneficial for the development of the pupils’ language awareness. It is in fact through the acquisition of forms and categories which are specific of religious language that pupils become capable of communicating about fundamental values and of expressing their interior reality even when interacting with different beliefs and cultures (no. 5).
From “Syllabus of IRC at Scuola media” (1987) / “Hello!
Welcome to Italy and to our school!
Maybe you don’t feel at ease in Italy , but you will, I’m sure!
The Italians are known as good people, apart from a few defects…
This partly depends on our own history.
We have such a rich historical background!
While living here, you will become aware of this, as much as we would do if we were in your country.
For about 2000 years Christian religion has deeply influenced our history.
Because, as you know, in Italy there are not only Catholics, but other Christians as well: Orthodox, Lutherans, Waldenses, Baptists……. There are also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses and so on and they all have their own history and their own holy texts, traditions and festivals.
In the Italian school we have a subject called IRC (Catholic Religious Education) : this subject can help you become familiar with this religion, the Bible, the doctrine and the history of the Church as well as of the other religions.
If you think it is right and useful for you to choose this subject, you can do it, and you will be welcome.
But of course you are not obliged to, let alone to become a Christian!
This is actually a subject aimed at enriching your knowledge and helping you better understand your own religion and the one of this country, where you are now living. This subject may also help you cope with many of your personal problems and of the world’s: life and death, war and peace, friendship and love, racism and tolerance, the individual and the community, freedom and the law.
You can talk about all this with your parents, your classmates, with a few teachers, and especially the one teaching Religion in your school.
I’m waiting for you with friendship.”
Your Religion Teacher
  • What is Religious Education for?
The aim of the Italian School is the complete preparation of its pupils, i.e. their full maturity as people and citizens.
Consequently it aims at developing the pupil’s personality at all levels: ethical, religious, social, intellectual, emotional, practical, creative.
The school intends to intervene in two main areas: the passing on of knowledge and the development of the personality.
To this purpose it teaches pupils to express themselves properly, helps them understand the history and the mentality of one people, allows them to appreciate the arts, as well as science and religion.
Religion in fact belongs to all civilizations and in particular Catholicism is part of the Italian people’s cultural heritage.
  • What is the relationship between religious education and Italian culture?
Attending IRC helps everybody better understand all other school subjects. Italian literature, the arts, music, history, philosophy, subjects which cannot be properly understood without continuous reference to the Catholic religion, which is an important element of the Italian cultural tradition. /
  • Why is “Catholic” religion taught?
In its intent to educate the young, the school passes on the achievements of the cultural tradition, i.e. the experiences and the ideas of those who lived before us, which have become the historical and cultural heritage of the Italian people.
The school is committed to making this heritage known, and this is the reason why it presents the Catholic aspect of religion, which is actually part and parcel of the Italian historical heritage. If you just look around, you will see its distinctive traces: churches and bell towers, works of art, the wooden crosses stuck in the fields….
- Is IRC offered only to Catholic pupils?
No, it is available to anybody! The school actually intends to enable pupils to get to know the Catholic religion, thereby offering them one more key to decipher their existence and the environment where they live. One’s faith is a free choice and religious education is not targeted at it. In fact pupils with different beliefs and faiths are a precious resource for mutual dialogue and enrichment