Church state relations

Question 1

What had the first party programme called for in 1919?

Answer 1

The confiscation of church property

Question 2

What did the PNF declare about Catholicism in its new programme?

Answer 2

That catholicism could be used as a political force to drive Italian unity and nationalism

Question 3

What did Mussolini say in 1921?

Answer 3

He publicly said that “Fascism neither preaches nor practices anti-clericalism… the only universal values that radiate from Rome are those of the Vatican”

Question 4

Whose death helped M move closer to the church?

Answer 4

The death of Benedict XV as his successor, Pope Pius XI was predominantly concerned with the communist threat in Italy; he saw fascism as the antidote to the menace from the left and was happy to support M as PM

Question 5

What policies of appeasement did M enact upon becoming PM in 1922?

Answer 5

-reintroduced religious education in schools
-restored crucifixes in public buildings

Question 6

How else did Mussolini help the Vatican early on?

Answer 6

The Vatican had a huge stake in the bank of Rome, which was on the verge of bankruptcy and Mussolini helped to save the bank from going into liquidation in Jan 1923

Question 7

What did M ban early on to appease the catholics?

Answer 7

Free masonry and anti-clerical journals

He also dropped proposed policies on taxing church property

Question 8

How did M personally demonstrate his willingness to pursue church state relations early on?

Answer 8

He baptised his 3 children into the Catholic Church and married his wife in a church ceremony

Question 9

How did M attempt to incorporate the Church into government early on?

Answer 9

By appointing PPI member, Stefano Cavazzoni as minister of labour in his first cabinet in 1922, thus urging the PPI to accept a coalition with the catholics

Question 10

What was the effect of M’s early policies of appeasement?

Answer 10

All of M’s measures helped to undermine the PPI as the pope swung his support behind the PNF rather than his own party. Likewise Pope Pius ordered the PPI leader, Sturzo, to resign in July 1923

Question 11

When were the Lateran pacts signed?

Answer 11

11 February 1929

Question 12

What was the effect of the LP’s?

Answer 12

They officially ended the conflict between the church and state that had existed since 1871, thus solving the ‘Roman Question’

Question 13

What were the key aspects of the treaty regarding territory?

Answer 13

-The pope agreed to recognise the Italian state & its possession of Rome and the old papal States. In return, the state recognised the popes control over the Vatican City.

Question 14

How much financial compensation did the pope receive due to the signing of the LP’s?

Answer 14

£30 million for surrendering his claim to Rome

Question 15

What did the LP say about catholicism?

Answer 15

It was to be recognised as the sole religion of Italy- privileges like religious education, of a catholic nature, would be compulsory in all state schools

Question 16

What did the LP say about catholic youth groups?

Answer 16

They would be allowed to continue as long as they didn’t carry out any political activity. Catholic Action was the only non-fascist organisation allowed to continue

Question 17

What did the LP’s say about divorce?

Answer 17

There would be no divorce without the consent of the church

Question 18

What were the positive ramifications of the LP’s?

Answer 18

-The problems that existed between the state and the church appeared to be mitigated
-The Catholic Church saw it as a success as they had extended their role and influence throughout Italian life; eg led to a religious revival with number of catholic marriages and schools increased
-M extended his personal prestige at home and abroad as he had solved the ‘Roman Question’

Question 19

What can be used to counter-argue the significance of the Lateran pacts?

Answer 19

They represented a kind of unsaid power-sharing agreement between the PNF and the Church that suited both institutions, thus elucidating the limits of M’s dictatorship

Question 20

What enactment of foreign policy did the church openly support?

Answer 20

M’s invasion of Abyssinia in 1935

Question 21

When did M visit the pope? What did they discuss?

Answer 21

Feb 1932

M visited the pope whereby they both confirmed their mutual views on societal and gender values, and foreign policy towards the Soviet Union and communism

Question 22

What evidence is there that the Church openly endorsed the Fascist regime?

Answer 22

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 ‘yes’

Question 23

What did the church sponsor? Why was this contentious?

Answer 23

Catholic action; this provided a rival to Fascisms own youth and leisure organisations ( high membership )

Given Fascisms totalitarian aims this was troubling to Mussolini

Question 24

How many members did Catholic action have?

Answer 24

250,000

Question 25

What notion concerned the catholic church?

Answer 25

The idea of being completely loyal to the state- this didn’t leave room for an individual to also be a catholic

Question 26

What evidence is there that Catholic youth organisations grew in popularity?

Answer 26

By 1939 they had 388,000 members

Question 27

What was published that exacerbated church-state tensions?

Answer 27

Non Abbiamo Bisogno; a roman catholic encyclical published in 1931 that condemned the “pagan worship of the state” & a “revolution which snatches the young from the church”

Question 28

What evidence is there of resistance to fascism’s totalitarian claims to control every aspect of life?

Answer 28

Radio Vatican which broadcasted alternative views and information

Question 29

What was the Non Abbiamo Bisogno a response to?

Answer 29

An attempt by M in 1931 to close down catholic action, and although a compromise was reached (Catholic action youth groups could stay as long as they didn’t organise sport), both sides remained less trusting

Question 30

What feature of Fascist youth groups did the church condemn (other than total subservience to the state)?

Answer 30

Girls involvement in physical activities- the church were worried that this defied gender roles

The Fascist attitude to prostitution was also condemned

Question 31

When did church-state relations effectively witness a demise?

Answer 31

The anti-semitic decrees of 1938. By 1938 the PNF defined judaism in biological terms which prohibited intermarriage with pure Italians- This defied the catholic churches right to allow jews to convert to catholicism

Pope Pius XI condemned the decrees

Question 32

What did the concordat, included in the LP’s that were signed, say?

Answer 32

That church structures would remain separate and independent