GUIDO FORMIGONI

La sinistra cattolica italiana e il patto atlantico (1948-1949)  

N. 4/1985

Summary - The constituent debate on the Italian post-war foreign policy, which focussed on Italy’s adhesion to the Atlantic Treaty, deeply involved the Catholic world. Within it, it is possible to recognize a range of Left tendencies, critical on Italy taking part, in any form, in the blocs, and on the atlantic choice, even though they approved of the culture and civil foundations of the western societies. In particular, this concerned the Dossetti and the Gronchi’s groups within the Demo-Christian Party, and a composite area of cultural and ecclesiastical experiences (which partly reached the Catholic Action itself), besides the fringe groups that joined the Marxist parties. But the reservations and the criticisms of such groups remained isolated and with no contacts with other parties, thus not succeeding either in calling forth a precise position by the Demo-Christian Party — where an attempt was made to avoid any disagreement to leak out — or to modify the positions of Alcide De Gasperi who, in close syntony with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, led Italy to adhere to the Alliance. Those critical positions, in any case, are still interesting for a better comprehension of the Catholic culture on international problems, and also of the actual context in which the atlantic choice ripened: some of the proposals made by the "Catholic Left" were not short of some political sense, as that of "Federalism of the European Neutral Countries". On the background of the debate there emerges the importance of the Vatican orientations (which still have to be investigated), that however were not much available in respect of the positions of the Left. After the political defeat, some groups found a new undertaking in criticizing the systematic compliance of the Church with the western bloc.