Although the Italian state had been an essentially secular one since its creation in 1861, Italian social ethics had not broken free from the influence of the Catholic Church in many respects. Contraception, divorce and abortion in any circumstances were condemned by the teaching of the priests, and Italian laws reflected the condemnation. But archaic laws were likely to be challenged as Italy became increasingly merged in spirit with the rest of Western Europe. The challenge came at first from a new political party, the Radical Party, and its secretary, Marco Pannella. A bill legalizing divorce was passed in 1970, but the real struggle came a few years later. Devout Catholics organized a referendum to repeal the Divorce Law, and were passionately supported by Fanfani, who tried to link a pro-divorce stand with a pro-Communist stand. The referendum was voted in 1974. Nineteenth million voted for divorce; thirteen million against. More anti-sexist legislation followed in 1975. A Law allowed wives to keep

their maiden names, a practice now more common in Italy than elsewhere in Europe. And wives were no longer obliged to live where their husbands wanted. Even abortion was legalized in 1978, and two referenda against abortion were defeated in 1981.

In thease liberating laws and their accompanying referenda the Radical Party played an active role. It was an unusual party in that it had little organization of the normal kind, but used television effecyively, and gained from links with ecological or green groups. Its lack of organization, however, meant that it soon seemed to have played out its role, and have no further immediate function. But the Radical Party, too, has made its contribution to the fabric of Italian civilization.

As Italy moves towards the twenty-first century, with her sophisticated constitution, and her ever-questioning political sensibility, she will not lose her identity, either in a united Europe or in a shrinking world. She has retained her unity through two world wars. With her inheritance of the sublime culture of Dante and Michelangelo, it is unlikely that she will fail to contribute greatly to a Europe which may well be on the threshold of a brilliant new era.