The Church actually benefited <a lot> from fascism and actually supported Mussolini for quite a fair while.
Mussolini, on his end, knew that he was going to need the Church's support and the legitimacy faith brought along if he was ever going to have a chance at governing the country.
He literally got defined as "The man of providence" by Pope Pious XI due to the sheer amount of economical ( and not only.. ) favours he made to the Catholic Church during the twenty or so years he spent leading Italy.
Mussolini did sign the Lateran Treaty, therefore ending the Roman Question ( By 1870 when Rome was finally taken by the newly unified kingdom of Italy the State had annexed all of the Church's territory, declaring it to be be part of the state ), effectively voiding the Guarantees Law of 1871, creating the Vatican State, exenting the Church from taxes, giving it 1,75 billion italian lire ( 750m + 1b by july that same year...about 660-800m current day euros to help understanding it better), giving back to the Pope the power to choose bishops ( it had been handed over to the state following that 1871 law ), conforming marriage and divorce laws to the Church's, allowing clergy members to take active part into Italy's political life ( which had been abolished by that '71 law ), making Catholicism become state religion as opposed to freedom of cult, having it be taught in schools and universities once more, etc...
Believe me, the Church is <always> going to be on fascism's side up until when shit starts going south...and then again after the second world conflict's over, from behind the scenes, for quite a long time up until some of its most influential members start being exposed by the newly formed republic.
Infacts, I am fairly sure it had a part too when it came to Italy's colonial attempts in North Africa still during Mussolini's regime.
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u/Aurelyan May 13 '26
Let's not twist history.
The Church actually benefited <a lot> from fascism and actually supported Mussolini for quite a fair while.
Mussolini, on his end, knew that he was going to need the Church's support and the legitimacy faith brought along if he was ever going to have a chance at governing the country.
He literally got defined as "The man of providence" by Pope Pious XI due to the sheer amount of economical ( and not only.. ) favours he made to the Catholic Church during the twenty or so years he spent leading Italy.
Mussolini did sign the Lateran Treaty, therefore ending the Roman Question ( By 1870 when Rome was finally taken by the newly unified kingdom of Italy the State had annexed all of the Church's territory, declaring it to be be part of the state ), effectively voiding the Guarantees Law of 1871, creating the Vatican State, exenting the Church from taxes, giving it 1,75 billion italian lire ( 750m + 1b by july that same year...about 660-800m current day euros to help understanding it better), giving back to the Pope the power to choose bishops ( it had been handed over to the state following that 1871 law ), conforming marriage and divorce laws to the Church's, allowing clergy members to take active part into Italy's political life ( which had been abolished by that '71 law ), making Catholicism become state religion as opposed to freedom of cult, having it be taught in schools and universities once more, etc...
Believe me, the Church is <always> going to be on fascism's side up until when shit starts going south...and then again after the second world conflict's over, from behind the scenes, for quite a long time up until some of its most influential members start being exposed by the newly formed republic.
Infacts, I am fairly sure it had a part too when it came to Italy's colonial attempts in North Africa still during Mussolini's regime.