Politica sanitaria e disciplinamento sociale. Leone XII e la questione dell’obbligo

Pope Leone XII limited the imposition of mandatory practices as an instrument of health regulation. This choice was full of implications for the way of governing the population and the territory, which conditioned relations between the Roman government and the provinces. Two issues stand out in this regard: the construction of suburban cemeteries and the diffusion of smallpox vaccinations. For both, Leone XII excluded the possibility of the State imposing an obligation. This position did not deny the need for the modernisation of the Papal States, but reaffirmed the importance of respecting religious traditions and sensitivities which were linked to community needs in contrast with those of the State.