In 1852 King Victor Emmanuel’s ministers proposed legislation to recognize civil marriages in the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont). This proposal was opposed by Pope Pius IX and other Catholic apologists who argued that it would result in undermining the official status of the Catholic Church and one of the church’s sacraments. Even worse it would mean that Jewish and Protestant marriages would be recognized. This legislation coincided with Mormon missionaries proselytizing in Torino and the public announcement that the church practiced polygamy. Catholic opponents of this legislation argued that even Mormon polygamous marriages would be recognized if the legislation passed. During fierce debates that took place Catholic apologists also claimed that Mormons formed alliances with other Protestant “sects” to push through the civil marriage litigation. The specter of Mormon plural marriages in a civil marriage system continued to be mentioned until civil marriages were finally recognized in 1865.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
November 2019
Research Article|
November 01 2019
Separating Church and State in Italy: Civil Marriage and the Mormon Connection Available to Purchase
Michael W. Homer
Michael W. Homer
Michael W. Homer, 8 East Broadway, No. 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. Email: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Nova Religio (2019) 23 (2): 64–84.
Citation
Michael W. Homer; Separating Church and State in Italy: Civil Marriage and the Mormon Connection. Nova Religio 1 November 2019; 23 (2): 64–84. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2019.23.2.64
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.