1. Life in Fascist Italy Mussolini and the Roman Catholic Church By Bridget O’Hara, Anna Lodge, Evelyn Bravo, Jorah Smith, and Maddie Hammerschmidt

2. Who was Mussolini??? ●He was an Italian politician ●Journalist and leader of the Fascist Party ●He ruled the country as Prime Minister ○ Dropped everything about democracy and set up a legal dictatorship.

3. Young Mussolini and the Church ●Was raised to dislike Church ●Mussolini Sr. was a committed Socialist, and he disliked the power of the Church ●Young Mussolini referred to Priests as “Black Germs”

4. ●Once he reached power in 1922, he changed his views ●Realized that the pope “represents 400 million men scattered the world over” ●Recognized that this is a huge power Young Mussolini and the Church cont.

5. Winning over the Church ●Needed to win over Church to improve his view in the Public’s eyes ●Had his children baptized in 1923. ●Had a religious marriage ceremony with his common-law wife Rachele in 1926 ●Closed down many wine shops and night clubs ●Swearing in public was made a crime

6. ●Pushed ideas of the Church ○Women should stay home while men worked ○Disapproved of contraception ○Wanted to ban divorce ●Trying to bring credibility to his government Winning over the Church cont.

7. Lateran Treaty ●Created in 1929 ●It was between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See ●It was a concordat regulating relations between the Catholic Church and the Italian state ●Signed February 11, 1929 ○ Ratified by Italian parliament June 7, 1929

8. Lateran Treaty cont. Papal States lost land in 1879 during unification Church received £30 million in compensation (1929) 109 acres in rome as new papal state~ The Vatican Allowed small army, police force, post office, and rail station 1929- mussolini’s popularity was at its highest Mussolini and the Roman Catholic Church were to quarrel fought in 1930’s Quickly made up Pope sent letter protesting Charter of Race

9. Concordat ●Another part of the treaty ●Roman Catholic Church became state religion ●Pope appointed bishops, but they had to receive the Government’s approval ●Religion had to be taught in primary and secondary school ●Church was given full control of Marriage

10. Charter of Race ●July 1938 ●Took away the Jews right of Italian nationality ●No longer allowed to: ○Teach ○Have state jobs ○Be members of the Fascist party ○Work a bank or insurance company ○Marry non-jewish italians ○Join the army ●Laws were so unpopular the Pope sent a disapproving letter to Mussolini about what was happening

11. Work Cited Charter of Race (http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/hol/cou/ita/hi-race.html)http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/hol/cou/ita/hi-race.html Mussolini and the Roman Catholic Church article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini