Intro: Mussolini realised he had to appease
Catholics to ensure his rule. Hitler wanted to
control the power of the church
Pope condemns unification of Italian state in 1870. Doctrine of papal infallibility (1870), papal bull of 1874
banned Catholic participation in Italian politics. After ww1 relations improved. Originally Mussolini took
anti-clerical policies but realised he needed catholic support. He banned abortion/contraception introduced
compulsory religious education etc
Mussolini and pope pius 11th sign Latern accords in Rome (1929). Vatican
recognised as state/ Italy paid salaries of roman bishops and priests/ 750 million
lira paid to Vatican/Catholicism became official religion of italy
Sep. 1933-Hitler signs concordat with Vatican to limit its powers in Germany. Church still permitted to run its own schools
but their bishops had to take an oath of loyalty to the Reich/end to all church run political/social organisations. 1937 Pope
Pius 11th issues encyclical to German people "with burning anxiety" which openly criticised the Nazis. Led to catholic
persecution. Church becomes quite to Hitler's anti-semitic policies but secretly aids Jews. Some priests continued to speak
out against the party and were sent to concentration camps.
Hitler attempted to unify all 28 separate protestant churches into one entity called the Reichskirche, which was
controlled by Nazi sympathisers whi attempted to instill anti jewish views. Former u boat officer, niemoller set up a
breakaway confessional church in 1934 with 7000 pastors. He was arrested in 1937, spending the remainder of the
war in various concentration camps. The german faith movement was established inorder to promote positive
Christianity- became new state religion but never achieved much popularity
Conclusion: Mussolini was unsuccessful trying to
curb the authority of the church. Hitler was also
unsuccessful.