Italian Police Include the SSPX in their List of Cults in Italy

(Rome, Italy; April 29, 1998)

The Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs filed a police report on cults with the Italian Parliament today. This report, entitled Sette religiose e nuovi movimenti magici in Italia (Religious Cults and New Magical Movements in Italy) was prepared by the General Direction of Preventive Police in February 1998. Among its other duties, the General Direction of Preventive Police co-ordinates the police intelligence activities in Italy.

The report was received by the Commission for Constitutional Affairs of the Camera dei Deputati (House of Deputies) at a time when a law on religious minorities and religious liberty is being debated. The report gives a snapshot of current police studies on cult groups and new religious movements now active in Italy. There are 70 groups named on the report, but on pg. 17 the report mentions that in total 137 groups are currently being monitored as either new religious or new magical movements.

The Italian police divide the groups into three categories: movements "inspired by the East" (including Transcendental Meditation and groups started by Italian-born gurus); movements arising from "Western religious innovation" (including New Age and occult groups); and finally movements "with a Christian origin" (and here the Italian police briefly include the Society of St. Pius X).

While the police report notes that no movement mentioned in the report is currently accused of any criminal activity in Italy, possible criminal problems connected with "some individual movements" are listed: brainwashing and mind control, fraud, covering under the religious facade immoral practices or illegal activities, preaching doctrines so "irrational" that they may bring the members to activities dangerous for the national security, and subversive political plans. Of all these, the risk of fraud seems to be the main concern of the Italian police.

Dr Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions in Turin, Italy, says that the Italian police report is more scholarly than those filed with the French and Belgian parliaments. According to Dr. Introvigne, the Italian Police really did their homework, and while he can't comment on some of the "anonymous" intelligence sources they used, he says that the sources that are named in the report are quite reliable. An English summary of Dr. Introvigne's commentary on the police report can be read at http://web.tin.it/cesnur_org/Report.htm. Click here for Dr. Introvigne's commentary on the report on this site.

My thanks to John T. for alerting me to this report.