284. A Catholic Political Party in Italy?
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| The Choir Master leads the congregation at the Cathedral of Vittorio Veneto |
The idea that the Catholic Church in Italy would have a political party of its own like in the days when the “Democrazia Christiana” was the ruling party, was murmured along the corridors of power recently.
In the “good” old days, just after the war, when the
separation between Church and State had not yet occurred, Italy had a staunch
pro-Catholic head of Government, Alcide De Gaspari and a secretary of state at
the Vatican, Giovanni Battista Montini (later Pope Paul VI) who supported him. Together they were able to ensure that the
Christian Democratic Party came into power.
“They” of course, had to win as the only alternative would have been a
totalitarian government headed by the quickly growing power of the Communist
Party, who would have gladly turned Italy over to the then Soviet Dictator, Stalin, causing of
course not an indifferent stir among the NATO Alliance.
Hence, all worked out as it should and the Christian Democratic
Party remained, together with various alliances, the ruling party until the
advent of Silvio Berlusconi’s Party in 1994, Forza Italia, as it was then
called.
What was quite uncommon about Berlusconi’s party is that it
won and continued to win, except for brief periods, the elections without the apparent
support and consent of the Catholic Church of which 90% of Italian citizens
adhere to, (on and off). So from 1994
with the disbanding of orthodox
political parties, including, if not especially, the Christian Democrats, Italian
Catholics could vote for whom they pleased and fancied which turned out to be
Silvio Berlusconi.
Berlusconi revolutionized the political system transforming
a scheme of 30 parties or so into a two party (bi-polare) majority system. The 30 parties did not disappear overnight,
but they did have to adhere to one section (polo) or the other before going to
the polls.
Hence, the present system in Italy is like the one most
countries have, a majority system of left and right. However, there is now a 3rd group
emerging which in Italy is called Terzo
Polo, composed mainly by discontented ex
Berlusconian buddies. The more re-known
of these are Casini and Fini, the latter having become famous or infamous for
leaving Berlusconi’s coalition before the end of the legislature; in other
words disregarding law-binding electoral agreements, turning his back, not only
on the party he co-founded with Berlusconi but also the people who voted for
that coalition. However together, not sure, if they even managed to get 10% of
votes in the last local elections.
It is well to explain that even if Pier Ferdinando Casini
is divorced and re-married, therefore not an ideal candidate to step into
Alcide De Gaspari shoes, is nevertheless the only true survivor of the once
Christian Democratic Party and the spirit it represents. That is why the Prelates of the Catholic
Church are winking their eye in that direction, or so it is murmured.
Fortunately we don’t have a Pope in this day and age who is
Italian, and probably keeps himself out of the caldron of Italian politics, but
the Italian Cardinals are a tough bunch to deal with and it is they who are
spreading rumours of seeking a political party backed by the Church.
But in this millennium the Italian cardinals would do well
to take a good look around themselves and realize that modern Catholic citizens
prefer to manage their own political system.
Nowadays we don’t have a De Gaspari, and a Cardinal
Montini, nor are they any longer needed.
The era of collaboration in politics between Church and State is well
and truly over and is it not best to leave it that way?
After all, do we really want to resurrect situations as the
episode I am to tell you:
Anecdote: My Mother, who taking after her father, was a well and truly left winger told me they had
to go to confession if they did not vote for the Christian Democratic Party...
Maybe our grandfathers should have sued and taken the Pope
to court over that one. But they
remained staunch Catholics and enthusiastically passed the faith on to the likes
of me- even if my granddad was a self-proclaimed Socialist and certainly never
voted for the Christian Democratic Party, not once!
N.B. However, since the Confessional Box saved Italy from being handed over to Stalin, then the only thing Italians have to say is: "Thank you!"
N.B. However, since the Confessional Box saved Italy from being handed over to Stalin, then the only thing Italians have to say is: "Thank you!"
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