ABSTRACT
Arturo Carlo Jemolo (Rome, 1891–1981) is considered one of the most distinguished Italian jurists of the twentieth century for the vastness and depth of the topics he dealt with in every field of law. Besides legal theory, he mastered the history (especially modern) of theological and canonical doctrines, and of Church-State relations in contemporary Italy. Jemolo advocated for a secular state as a bearer of value that are equally essential as Church values: the principle of Church-State separation; the principle of equality and religious nondiscrimination; and the separation of religious laws from state laws. Jemolo promoted a “believer’s secularism,” that is, a secular conscience even for faithful citizens, as well as a deep historical-political approach to Church-State relations in order to promote mutual understanding.
