ABSTRACT

The essay retraces, from a historical and systematic perspective, the path through which the Central Directorate for Religious Affairs has become the main administrative hub of religious pluralism in Italy. From nineteenth-century policies on ecclesiastical entities to the 1984 Concordat season and Law no. 222/1985, the analysis shows how the governance of religious denominations has progressively shifted from a patrimonial logic to a function of safeguarding religious freedom. Within this framework, the Directorate is examined through its daily practices: recognition and supervision of ecclesiastical entities, rationalisation of confraternities, regulation of fabbricerie, and oversight of the use of otto per mille funds. Against this backdrop, the contribution highlights the link between social cohesion, “active” secularism and institutional dialogue, placing the Italian experience within the European framework shaped by Article 17 TFEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.