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Chiesa, cattolici e fascismo

Translated title of the contribution: [Autom. eng. transl.] Church, Catholics and fascism

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

[Autom. eng. transl.] Referring to a wide range of studies, the essay analyzes the orientation matured by the Catholic Church towards the fascist totalitarian claim, which alternated moments of friction and periods of greater detente. If in the 1920s the magisterium condemned the fascist "pagan statolatry", with the racist and pro-Nazi drift of the 1930s it included fascism among totalitarian phenomena, which were in themselves incompatible with a concept that presented the Church as the ideal model of organization collective. The doctrine of the kingship of Christ contributed to this, opposing Catholic universalism to that of the fascist "Third Rome". In turn, the fascist "political religion" alternated anti-clericalism in search of an agreement, which had to be sanctioned by the Lateran Pacts and which would have integrated Catholicism into the regime's ideological apparatus. In this framework we find the liquidation of the Popular Party, the reform of the Catholic Action of Pius XI, the consolidation of the University of the Sacred Heart, the tensions of the mid-twenties and those of 1931, as well as the anti-fascist activity of the Movement Guelph of action. The consonances of the 1930s, conveyed by corporatism, the Spanish war and the foundation of the Empire, were interrupted by the introduction of racism and anti-Semitism in Italy. During the world conflict the Holy See maintained a cautious and realistic line, aimed at assisting the victims and rescuing prisoners and persecuted. The Christmas radio messages of Pius XII produced a doctrinal corpus to which Catholics made reference at the time of democratic education.
Translated title of the contribution[Autom. eng. transl.] Church, Catholics and fascism
Original languageItalian
Title of host publicationStoria religiosa dell'Italia
EditorsLuciano Vaccaro
Pages759-790
Number of pages32
Publication statusPublished - 2016

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

  • Chiesa
  • Fascismo

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