Religion in San Marino

Religion In San Marino

San Marino is a small landlocked country with an area of about 61.2 km2 (23.6 sq mi) on a rocky promontory at an elevation of 657 meters (2,156 ft) in central Italy. It is the third smallest country after Vatican and Monaco. It was founded as a Republic in 600 AD and recognized by the Papacy in 1631, and became a member of the United Nations in 1992. As of 2009, it had a population of 31,500. The ethnic composition is about 84.95% Sammarinese, 14.6% Italians and others. The country does not provide exact statistics of the religious affiliations of its people. However, it is inferred that at least 95% of the people are Roman Catholics, as in Italy, but with a historical Jewish and Protestant minority. There are other small groups, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahá'ís, Muslims, and Waldensians. San Marino's schools are all public and financial support is provided by the State; there are no private religious schools.

According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2005 of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, there is harmonious relationship among all religious groups and the government strives to "protect this right in full and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors".

The oath of loyalty as prescribed in 1903 demanded that it is to be sworn on the "Holy Gospel". Those rules were changed in 1993 to give Parliamentarians the choice to replace the phrase of "Holy Gospel" to "on my honor". This legal "formulation" has been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The traditional formulation is still mandatory for other offices like that of the Captain regent and government minister.