SOMMARIO: 1. Istituzione della Sacra Arcidiocesi Ortodossa d’Italia e Malta – 2. La laicità italiana - 3. L’intesa del 2007 e la legge di approvazione n. 126 del 30 luglio 2012 – 4. I contenuti, rilevanza del diritto canonico ortodosso – 5. I diritti individuali di libertà religiosa - 6. I diritti collettivi di libertà religiosa - 7. Il potere di certificazione attribuito all’Arcidiocesi - 8. Il riconoscimento degli enti ortodossi - 9. Le attività culturali e scolastiche – 10. Gli aiuti economici - 11. La collaborazione tra le due istituzioni: A. tutela del patrimonio artistico; B. rilevanza dei matrimoni celebrati con rito cristiano ortodosso; C. ulteriori fattispecie – 12. I controlli statali.

SOMMARIO: The essay illustrates some qualifying points of the law 126/2012, which approved the agreement with the Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy. The legislation for the protection of individual and collective rights of religious freedom is framed within the principle of secularism typical of the Italian State that wants to be pluralistic, multi-religious and neutral. It does not aim at the complete secularization of public institutions, but intends to protect religious sensibility as an independent value; hence more forms of collaboration between the State and the Archdiocese are introduced. The legislation in many respects is similar to that of the previous Italian agreements; the few differences are due to the existence in many Italian cities of ancient Orthodox confraternities and institutions, as well as being the Archdiocese an organic structure of an autocephalous church such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.