To what extent did Church State relations improve? 1920 - 1939

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• Mussolini views on Catholicism changed to become more clerical.
• 1922-26, Latern Pact 1929 and anti-semetic decrees
• Church-state peaked after the Latern Pact as the Roman question was deemed to be solved, however, Mussolini move to a more Nazi-like state increased tensions

Question 2

Move away from anti-clerical 1922-26

Answer 2

• 1923 Mussolini helped save the nearly bankrupt bank of Rome which managed the assets of the Catholic Church
• Mussolini granted 3 million lire to the restoration of damaged churches
• Mussolini went on a form of a moral crusade by tightening laws on divorce, abortion and adultery (Swearing in public was made an offence)
• Mussolini had his children baptised and married his wife in church

Question 3

Latern Pact 1929

Answer 3

-Vatican city est. as an independent state based in Rome the pope was the head of this state. Catholicism was recognised as the sole faith of the Italian nation
-the financial agreement where the Church was compensated for the loss of land during the process of Italian unification in 1861, 750 million lire and 1 billion in bonds
-Church, administrative and religious structure; remained separate and independent state institutions. Religious education compulsory in state secondary schools. Teachers and textbooks had to be approved by Church.
Also: Catholic Action recognised as an official organisation.

Question 4

Anti-Semitic decrees 1938-1939

Answer 4

• Clash with Pope Pius XI when the state tried to suppress Catholic Action. Pope criticised Mussolini in the newspaper
• Anti-Semitic decrees - Italian press condemned Catholic Church who openly opposed Mussolini anti-semitic decrees
• Church concerned and angry that the ban on inter-marriage between Christians and Jews went against the concordat

Question 5

Line of Argument

Answer 5

• The move away from clericalism, shown by Mussolini kind gestures reduced tensions between the two
• Latern Pact led to real promised in a Catholic-State relationship as Mussolini claimed to have solved the Roman question
• Was ruined by the Nazi influence as the fascist state introduced anti-Semitic policies