Regarding the article:
1. Not surprising
2. Not really news
3. Vatican is not the government
The real issue is the Vatican's fear of the already rapid increase of more liberal thinking among Italians due to their own hypocracies. They realize Italian citizens are becoming educated and that terrifies the Pope and his cronies.
Dear Pope:
A few years ago we realized Christianity is not specifically defined by Catholicism. We also realized Christianity is not the only religion in the world. This leads us to believe that since all religions tell us they are the only religion that is correct, then they can't all be right, so we're going to window shop a bit. We had our ups and downs, but we just don't see this relationship going anywhere. Don't take it personally, it's not you, it's us. We're prepared to provide you with 6 weeks severence pay, though under the circumstances, we would not feel comfortable writing a letter of recommendation. Good luck with your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Italy
PS - The manse is going on the market, so we will give you a heads-up when prospective buyers come to tour the property.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian