***(3) Relationship with the Catholic Church

Question 1

What had Mussolini originally called for with regards to the church in his 1919 policy?

Answer 1

The confiscation of all church property.

Question 2

How did the PNF’s policy towards the church change with the new programme in 1920?

Answer 2

Fascist policy was no longer anticlerical and Mussolini declared that Catholicism could be used as a political force to drive Italian unity and nationalism.

Question 3

How was the relationship between the PNF and the Church strengthened with the death of Benedict XV in 1922?

Answer 3

His successor, Pope Pius XI was predominantly concerned with the communist threat in Italy and saw fascism as the antidote to the menace from the left. He was happy to support Mussolini as PM.

Question 4

What policies did Mussolini introduce early on which were favourable to the Catholic Church?

Answer 4

Increased clerical pay, reintroduced religious education in schools and restored crucifixes in public buildings.

Question 5

What did Mussolini promise the Vatican that he would do by January 1923?

Answer 5

That his government would bail out the Bank of Rome.

Question 6

What did Mussolini ban?

Answer 6

Freemasonry (cults) and anticlerical journals.

Question 7

What proposed policies did Mussolini drop?

Answer 7

Proposed policies on taxing church property.

Question 8

What was the result of Mussolini’s pro-Church policies on the PPI?

Answer 8

Undermined the PPI as the Pope had put his support behind the PNF at the expense of the PPI.

Question 9

Who did Pius XI order to resign in June 1923?

Answer 9

The PPI leader, Luigi Sturzo.

Question 10

When were the Lateran Pacts signed by Mussolini and the Catholic Church?

Answer 10

11 February 1929 - after 3 years of negotiations.

Question 11

What did the Lateran Pacts officially end?

Answer 11

The conflict between the church and state that had existed since 1871.

Question 12

What did the Pope agree to recognise? What did the state recognise in return?

Answer 12

Pope agreed to recognise the Italian state and its possession of Rome and the old Papal states. In return, the state recognised the Pope’s control over the Vatican City as a part of Rome but independent from the Italian state.

Question 13

How much financial compensation did the Pope receive for surrendering his claim to Rome?

Answer 13

£30 million

Question 14

What did the Lateran Pacts make Catholicism?

Answer 14

The sole religion of Italy.

Question 15

What would be made compulsory in state schools? (after LPs)

Answer 15

Religious education of a Catholic nature.

Question 16

What were Catholic youth groups allowed to do? (after LPs)

Answer 16

Allowed to continue as long as they did not carry out political activity.

Question 17

What was the name of the only non-fascist organisation that was allowed to continue after the Lateran Pacts?

Answer 17

Catholic Action

Question 18

What were the successes for Mussolini by signing the Lateran Pacts?

Answer 18

1. The conflict between church and state appeared to have been solved.
2. Mussolini’s prestige in Italy and abroad had been extended.
3. Solved the Roman Question.

Question 19

What did the Lateran Pacts mark in terms of state-Church relations?

Answer 19

The high point

Question 20

What did the Lateran Pacts say about the agreement of power between the state and church?

Answer 20

That the PNF and Church had a sort of unsaid power-sharing agreement that suited both of them - showed the limitations of M’s dictatorship.

Question 21

What organisation did the Church sponsor?

Answer 21

Catholic Action

Question 22

What was Catholic Action?

Answer 22

A rival to fascism’s own youth and leisure organisations. It had 250,000 members.

Question 23

What idea was the Catholic church very concerned with?

Answer 23

The idea of one being completely loyal to the state - this did not seem to leave room for an individual to also be Catholic.

Question 24

What did the Church support in 1935?

Answer 24

Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia

Question 25

When did Catholic youth organisations begin to grow in popularity?

Answer 25

1930s

Question 26

How many members did Catholic youth organisations have by 1939?

Answer 26

388,000

Question 27

What did the Pope publish in June 1931? What did this say?

Answer 27

Non Abbiamo Bisogno (We Have No Need) - the Pope condemned fascism’s attempt to steal children from Christ so that they would worship the state alone.

Question 28

What did Radio Vatican broadcast?

Answer 28

Alternative news and information - resistance to fascism’s totalitarian claims to control every aspect of life.

Question 29

What did Mussolini and Pope Pius XI have mutual views on when they met in February 1932?

Answer 29

Societal and gender values and foreign policy towards the Soviet Union and communism.

Question 30

What is an example of the Church openly endorsing the fascist regime?

Answer 30

It promised that it would mobilise support for the fascists in a plebiscite called by Mussolini in 1929 - Catholic Action appealed to voters to vote in support of the Lateran Pacts.

Question 31

What did the Church disapprove of in fascist youth organisations?

Answer 31

Girls being involved in physical activities - worried it went against gender roles.

Question 32

What Fascist attitude did the Church condemn?

Answer 32

The Fascist attitude towards prostitution.

Question 33

What did Mussolini attempt to do in 1931?

Answer 33

To close down Catholic Action which led to the Pope publicly criticising Mussolini.

Question 34

What compromise was reached after Mussolini attempted to shut down Catholic Action in 1931?

Answer 34

Catholic Action Youth groups could stay open as long as they did not organise sport.

Question 35

What was the result on both sides after Mussolini’s attempt to shut down Catholic Action?

Answer 35

Both sides were less trusting.

Question 36

What was Pope Pius XI openly critical of?

Answer 36

Mussolini’s anti-semitic decrees which he put forward in 1938.

Question 37

How did Fascism’s attitude towards Jews clash with the Church?

Answer 37

By 1938 the Fascists defined Judaism in biological terms and prohibited intermarriage with pure Italians. This went against the Catholic Church’s right to allow Jews to convert to Catholicism.