Catholics and Fascism

Question 1

Why did Mussolini want to work with the Catholic Chruch?

Answer 1

To increase support for Mussolini and fascism.

Question 2

What policies did Mussolini introduce that were favourable to the Catholic Church?

Answer 2

Reintroduced religious education into schools and restoring crucifixes to public buildings

Question 3

What was the Lateran Pact?

Answer 3

• Made in 1929
• Pope agreed to see Italy as an independent state
• Italy recognised Popes control over Vatican city
• Catholic youth groups allowed to carry on as long as they did not carry out political activity
• State pays salary of clergy
• No divorce without consent of catholic church

Question 4

Evidence of agreement between Mussolini and the Catholic Church

Answer 4

• Church supported Invasion of Abyssinia in 1935
• Church openly endorsed the fascist regime
• Feb 1920 Mussolini visited the Pope and confirmed their mutual view on societal and gender values and foreign policy towards the Sovient union and communism

Question 5

Evidence of disagreement between the Catholic Church and Mussolini

Answer 5

• Catholic Action provided a rival to fascism own youth and had 250,000 members
• 1931 Mussolini attempted to close down Catholic Action
• Pope Pius XI was openly critical of Mussolini’s antisemitic decrees
• Catholic youth organisations increased in popularity and have 388,000 members by 1939

Question 6

What was the Church worried about?

Answer 6

very concerned with the idea of one being completely loyal to the state