More than 6,000 people gathered in Rome's Casalotti de Boccea district to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome.

The 6,400-square-meter Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

Signifying the stature and prominence of this new Church, the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Mr. David Miscavige, welcomed parishioners to their new home in the historical crossroads of Western civilization. Speaking of what inspired Scientologists to make this new Church possible, he stated:

“How on earth can one possibly speak of history without a nod to Rome? This City of God, this City of Man, this center of the Western world for at least a thousand years—if ever a place was destined for an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s here. For what better arena to show what Scientology can do than this age-old religious empire?”

Among those participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Dino De Pasquale, Disaster Manager of the Civil Protection Agency; Professor Silvio Calzolari of the Theological Faculty at the Vatican University in Florence; Professor Luigi Berzano, Professor of Sociology of Religions at the University of Turin; and Ms. Laura Guercio, President of Legal Aid Worldwide.

The new home for the Church of Scientology of Rome is a contemporary building that has undergone extensive remodeling to accommodate all Scientology religious services, the many community activities of Church members, and introductory services for visitors.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent interactive multimedia exhibit containing more than 230 films covering the Church’s beliefs, practices and activities. Along with descriptions of Scientology principles and information on the life and accomplishments of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the displays also cover the Church-sponsored international social programs that effectively combat drug abuse, illiteracy, criminality, immorality and human rights violations. The Church’s doors are open to anyone to take self-guided tours through the Public Information Cneter to find out about Scientology for themselves.

The Church of Scientology of Rome will coordinate the social betterment programs of the Church in Central Italy. With two decades of experience in drug prevention, its “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” program provides proven solutions to one of the most pressing problems in Italian society.

In his dedication address, Mr. Miscavige emphasized the importance of the Church’s social mission and stressed to the Scientologists in attendance the vital necessity of taking responsibility for the community in which they live:

“You owe [Rome] our salvage campaigns to eradicate drug abuse, instill a respect for human rights and provide basic technology for living through The Way to Happiness.

“You owe her our learning and literacy programs.

“You owe her a system of criminal reform based not on punishment, but the restoration of self-respect.

“You owe every addict a drug free life and every lost and hopeless soul the chance to discover something can be done about it.

“But most of all, you owe every Roman citizen an opportunity to discover Dianetics and Scientology….”

The new Church of Scientology in Rome represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations. As part of the continuing program to meet the increasing demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere. This year alone, new Churches have opened in Malmo, Sweden, Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.