25th Anniversary

The Catholic Apostolic Roman religion is the only state religion.

--The Lateran Pact

In Rome one day last week, church and state celebrated the 25th anniversary of Mussolini's famed pact with the Vatican, which church and state still hold solemnly binding. Flags flew, and there were services and speeches commemorating the recognition of the Pope's sovereignty over Vatican City and the designation of Roman Catholicism as the state religion of Italy. Thereafter, Italian police marked the anniversary in their own fashion.

In Leghorn, a squad marched into the mission hall of the largely Texas-supported Church of Christ, where a score of worshipers were holding services, herded Italians out. Americans were not disturbed, but an Italian pastor from Florence was taken into custody, later handed a one-way ticket to his home town.

In Rome, another squad descended on the building of the same Protestant sect, obliterated the 10-in. stone letters on the building's front, which read: "Chiesa di Cristo [Church of Christ]."

The week's troubles were an old story to Church of Christ missionaries, who have been trying since 1949 to win Italian converts. Though the postwar Italian constitution recognizes freedom of religion, non-Catholic congregations have to get licenses from the police. The Church of Christ missionaries (TIME, Sept. 29, 1952 et seq.) have had continuing trouble getting and keeping licenses.

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