the fascism according to a Monsignore

In 1935 the fascist Italy of Benito Mussolini's attacked Ethiopia, an independent state and a member of the League of Nations, and turned it into a colony. Monsignor Domenico Tardini, undersecretary of the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastic Affairs of Roman Curia, wrote some notes on this colonial war, meant for his talks with Pope Pius XI. Tardini was in favor of Italian colonialism, which he considered a right and a need, to give relief to the overpopulation of Italy. In spite of this, the way in which Mussolini managed the crisis led him to write very harsh words against the Duce, identified as a possible cause of the ruin of Italy. On this point the future proved him right.

The damage made by Fascism is increasingly evident. Actually, Fascism:
1. created a muddle between fascist party, Italy, Duce. Conclusion: a whim of the Duce turns into the ruin of Italy;
2. destroyed any freedom of action and discussion. Conclusion: the Italians are now a population of sheep that run where the shepherd, with his staff, takes them;
3. brought up the generations to violence. Conclusion: all are heroes, ready to come to blows, being sure that the only thing the others can do is ... to take blows;
4. in foreign policy followed a line made of rash acts, rudeness, clashes, threats, bullying. Conclusion: it caused the whole world to be against Fascism;
5. pre-announced, preconized, proclaimed an Empire. Conclusion: it's wearing itself out in a colonial war, hard and expensive, which will have only two goals: to waste money and conquer inhospitable lands;
6. shouted to the four winds the strength, the greatness, the wealth of Italy. Conclusion: today a people of beggars give themselves airs of ... Sardanapalus, a weak and poorly evolved population gives itself the air of the greatest people of the earth;
7. deified the Duce, making everyone bow to this Deity. Conclusion: there is no longer political life, there is no longer any possibility of preparing new energies for the inevitable needs of tomorrow;
8. demanded, imposed on everyone the most absolute and uncompromising docility. Conclusion: at this point there is nothing more than a rabble of slaves, always ready to say yes, to clap their hands, saturated ... with enthusiasm;
9. centralized all powers, all means, all ages in the hands and in the organizations of the State. Conclusion: the Church can no longer count on a huge number of souls who are taken by the demon of Nationalism and who believe more in Mussolini than in the Pope;
10. created a tangle of laws, customs, associations that put everything and every person at the mercy of the State. Conclusion: Communism would find the laws ready tomorrow. It would only have to apply them, with another name, with another spirit, but with the same autocratic tendency, destructive of individual energies.

Text taken from: CECI Lucia. Il Fascismo manda l'Italia in rovina». Le note inedite di monsignor Domenico Tardini (23 settembre - 13 dicembre 1935). Excerpt from Rivista Storica Italiana 1/2008 Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, Napoli 2008. pag. 343-344. Downloaded from Accademia.edu link

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page created: December 15th, 2019 and last updated: December 15th, 2019