A Civil War (85 page)

90
‘It will perhaps also be better to speak of the liberation of Milan and not of an insurrection, a word that, for some, can make this concept seem more suspect and even forbidding', wrote Citterio on 13 February, in the name of the GL Lombard Command, to Ludovico of the ‘GL Provincial Command 734' (INSMLI,
CVL
, envelope 93, folder 5, subfolder a).

91
The title ‘Prepariamo l'insurrezione nazionale inseparabile dalla liberazione dai tedeschi e dai fascisti' (‘Let us prepare the national insurrection, indivisible from liberation from the Germans and the Fascists') stretched across the whole front page of
L'Unità
's northern edition of 25 November 1943, while the editorial of the 5 December issue was entitled ‘Dalla guerriglia partigiana all'insurrezione nazionale' (‘From partisan guerrilla-struggle to the national insurrection'). Similar titles appeared in the 10 January and 21 June 1944 issues. The CLN had called for insurrection with its 20 September 1944 appeal (
Atti CVL
, pp. 176–7). On the uncertainties of the CLN itself with regard to drawing up a general plan for insurrection, see G. Grassi, ‘Nota storica',
Atti CLNAI
, pp. 36–7.

92
See Passerini,
Torino operaia
, p. 11.

1
Bianchi's definition, in
I cattolici
, p. 176

2
On this point, see G. Poggi's deft essay, ‘La Chiesa nella political italiana dal 1945 al 1950', in S. J. Woolf, ed.,
Italia 1943–1950. La ricostruzione
, Bari: Laterza, 1974, pp. 255–82, and E. Rotelli, V. Onida, M. Reineri and F. Margiotta Broglio,
La successione
, Rome: Edizioni Lavoro, 1980.

3
See, for example, ‘Timori in sagristia', in
Avanti!
, northern edition, 10 January 1944.

4
See, for example, Bianco,
Guerra partigiana
, p. 36.

5
A trap not totally avoided even by such excellent essays as those of G. Miccoli (‘Problemi di ricerca sull'atteggiamento della Chiesa durante la Resistenza con particolare riferimento alla situazione del confine orientale', in
Società rurale
, pp. 241–62) and of S. Lanaro (‘Società civile, ‘mondo cattolico' e Democrazia Cristiana nel Veneto tra fascismo e postfascismo', in Isnenghi and Lanaro. eds,
La Democrazia cristiana
, pp. 3–71).

6
A card kept in IVSR, folder Stampa antifascista.

7
The words of F. Malgeri, ‘
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
', in Poggio, ed.,
La Repubblica sociale italiana
, pp. 313–33, at the end of a passage (p. 321) in which he dwells on pastoral activities.

8
See E. Brunetta,
Correnti politiche e classi sociali alle origini della Resistenza nel Veneto
, Vicenza: Neri Pozza, 1974, p. 65, quoted in Tramontin,
Contadini e movimento partigiano
, p. 289.

9
These last words were used by Rochat,
Memorialistica e storiografia sull'internamento
, p. 49 and n. 98, to describe the attitude of the chaplain, referring back to the memoirs of P. Bettotti,
Noi della Pusteria. Diario di guerra
, Trento: Tipografia AOR, 1951.

10
As don Pezzin recounted to the author.

11
See A. Fappani and F. Molinari,
Chiesa e Repubblica di Salò
, Turin: Marietti, 1981, pp. 7–8. The two priests commented ‘The sharp reply was not without effect.'

12
Telegram from the secretary of state's office to monsignor Cicognani, 31 May 1944, cited in Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, p. 320.

13
Cited in Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, p. 318.

14
The report of the colloquium is cited in Miccoli,
Problemi di ricerca
, p. 248; and in Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, p. 320.

15
See G. Dossetti, ‘Introduzione' in L. Gherardi,
Le querce di Monte Sole
, Bologna: Il Mulino, 1986, p. xxxvi.

16
F. Traniello has drawn attention to this question in ‘Il mondo cattolico nella guerra e nella Resistenza', in
L'Italia nella seconda guerra mondiale e nella Resistenza
, pp. 325–69.

17
See the May 1944 instalment (cited in Scagliola,
L'Italia Cattolica
, p. 158).

18
The poster (n.d., printed in Treviso) begins by invoking Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy (Fondo RSI, n. 739).

19
The pastoral letter was published in pamphlet form by the Opera Diocesana per la Stampa Cattolica. It is quoted and discussed at length in Rovero,
Il clero piemontese nella Resistenza
, pp. 41–75 (the words cited in the text are from p. 47).

20
Ibid.

21
See the 18 October 1941 issue of
Veritas
, a daily newspaper for the clergy, and the December 1941–January 1942 edition of
Témoignage chrétien
.
Veritas
also referred to the previous decision of 26 June, by which the Dutch episcopate forbade sacraments being given to ‘those Catholics known to have given notable assistance to the National-Socialist movement'.

22
‘Relazione sulla stampa cattolica', in ACS, SPD, CR, RSI, quoted without reference to its date in Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, p. 318.

23
See Rovero,
Il clero piemontese nella Resistenza
, pp. 63, 62. Angrisani's words reported in the text are taken from his brochure
La croce sul Monferrato durante la bufera
, Casale Monferrato: Tipografia Casalese, 1946, p. 18.

24
Don Moretti espoused these ideas in the
Cenacolo di studi sociali
. See Bianchi,
I cattolici
, pp. 182–3, no date indicated. Bianchi comments: ‘Thus also the Catholics who had not asked for or wanted the prosecution of the war had to accept the war among Italians; so, too, because they were convinced that legality was on their side.' The biographical notes on Moretti (pp. 179–80) recall the ‘decisive meeting' with Giorgio La Pira.

25
See Fogar,
Le brigate Osoppo-Friuli
, pp. 296–301, which also features an even-handed judgment on don Moretti's ‘justificationism through theology and doctrine'.

26
See Bianchi,
I cattolici
, pp. 192–4.

27
Fogar,
Le brigate Osoppo-Friuli
, pp. 328–30. For the Garibaldian reaction, see the letter from Marco, ‘A cari compagni', 3 December 1944 (IG,
BG
, 09453).

28
See the letter from the Lombard Divisions Group Command to the delegation for Lombardy, various commands and the CLNs of Chiavenna and Sondrio, 1 December 1944, as well as that of the Piedmont insurrectionary triumvirate official Alfredo to the PCI leadership for occupied Italy, 12 December 1944 (
Le Brigate Garibaldi
, vol. III, pp. 12, 68).

29
See Gobetti,
Diario partigiano
, p. 186, under the date 9 August 1944.

30
Florence: Libreria fiorentina. Ronconi carried out a diligent analysis of the documents produced by the cardinal Dalla Costa, already traced in outline in cardinal Schuster's prior texts. See
Note sui rapporti fra il clero toscano, la Repubblica sociale italiana e le autorità d'occupazione tedesche
, pp. 133–4.

31
‘Lettera aperta a S.E. il Cardinale Dalla Costa Arcivescovo di Firenze',
Voce Operaia
, 5 January 1944. Enzo Enriques Agnoletti replied to the 5 December notification with a letter of his own (see Francovich,
La Resistenza a Firenze
, pp. 104–5), against which Vittore Branca polemicised – in the cardinal's defence – as late as 1984. See the aforementioned ‘La città dell'Arno', in
Nuova Antologia
.

32
See Briguglio,
Clero e contadini
, pp. 324–5.

33
See the texts quoted in Gorrieri,
La Repubblica di Montefiorino
, pp. 177–8, which also recalls the violent reply from the local Fascist daily
Diana repubblicana
, with its article ‘Difesa del crimine'. The canon cited by the bishop reads ‘Qui violentas manus in personam … aliorum clericorum vel utriusque sexus religiosorum iniecerit, subiaceat ipso facto excommunicationi Ordinario proprio reservatae,' ‘Whoever would lay a violent hand on the person of … and other members of the clergy or religious persons of both sexes, should by default be subject to excommunication of the kind specific to his own order.' On the shooting of don Borghi and of the eight patriots, see Bergonzini,
La lotta armata
, p. 70.

34
R. Angeli,
Vangelo nei Lager
, Florence: La Nuova Italia, 1975, quoted in Tramontin,
Il clero italiano e la Resistenza
, p. 35. Don Olindo Pezzin (p. 697, n. 10), after having been separated first from his soldiers and then from his official accompaniment, saw the motives for his own choice frustrated.

35
Quoted in Bianchi,
I cattolici
, pp. 187–8. Monsignor Sismondo did not cease celebrating Mass ‘for our king Vittorio Emanuele' (See also Tramontin,
Il clero italiano e la Resistenza
, p. 29).

36
See on this the observations made by Reineri,
Per uno studio comparato
, p. 270.

37
Ronconi,
Note sui rapporti fra il clero toscano, la Repubblica sociale italiana e le autorità d' occupazione tedesche
, p. 143.

38
Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, p. 321, n. 32.

39
Gorrieri,
La Repubblica di Montefiorino
, p. 230.

40
‘Relazione sulla situazione politica ed economica della provincia di Grosseto', sent by the
questore
Vincenzo Mancuso to the chief of police, 31 December 1943. I thank Gabriella Solaro for having made me aware of this document, kept in ACS, Direzione Generale di Pubblica Sicurezza, Divisione Affari Generali e Riservati; there is also a photocopy in the INSMLI.

41
‘Esame della corrispondenza censurata al 30 giugno 1944' (ACS, SPD, CR, RSI, envelope 9, folder 3).

42
Giovana,
Storia di una formazione partigiana
, pp. 307–11 (also see p. 211).

43
See on this A. Cicchitti-Suriani, ‘ “La Repubblica sociale italiana” ed il Concordato del 1929', in
Nuova Antologia
LXXXVI: 1810 (October 1951), pp. 118–27.

44
See Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, p. 314. On the hard-won recognition of the RSI on the part of the Axis's residual satellites, see F. W. Deakin, ‘Prolusione', in Poggio, ed.,
La Repubblica sociale italiana
, pp. 5–6. Generalissimo Franco, Deakin adds, refused to recognise the RSI in ‘humiliating' fashion. The
Caudillo
was, at that time, more than ever alert to the behaviour of the Vatican (Malgeri, p. 309).

45
See Reineri,
Per uno studio comparato
, p. 271, n. 16.

46
See, for example, the intervention of L. M. De Bernardis at the Brescia conference on the RSI (Poggio,
La Repubblica sociale italiana
, p. 439).

47
On this, see S. Tramontin,
Il clero e la RSI
, in ibid., p. 338. See also Gorrieri,
La Repubblica di Montefiorino
, pp. 228–9.

48
On this episode, see Piscitelli,
Storia della Resistenza romana
, pp. 278–9, and Malgeri,
La Chiesa di fronte alla RSI
, pp. 316–17.

49
‘La criminosa aggressione di San Paolo',
Il Popolo
Rome edition, 20 February 1944, headed ‘I patti del Laterano violati da Mussolini e da Hitler' (‘The Lateran Pacts violated by Mussolini and Hitler'), and subtitled ‘La ferma protesta della S. Sede contro il vile oltraggio al diritto delle genti e all'opera caritativa della Chiesa' (‘The Holy See's resolute protest against the base offence against people's rights and the Church's charitable works'). See the sharp polemic on a point of law – the extraterritoriality guaranteed by the solemn treaty – in the article ‘Violata immunità del monastero di S. Paolo',
La Civiltà Cattolica
LXXXV (4 March 1944) – XXII, Vol. I, §2249, pp. 323–7.

50
‘Le opere e i giorni del nazifascismo', signed ‘Ardito', 1 March 1944. In the
Regime fascista
of 20 February 1944, Farinacci had written: ‘If, then, they do not want to respect our Republic, why do we have to uphold and respect the pacts tying us to the Holy See? In short, will we have to take shelter in the strong and pure fortress of a national

51
See ‘La violazione del Collegio di San Paolo',
La Voce del Popolo
, 15 March 1944.

52
‘Stato e Chiesa', in
Corrispondenza repubblicana
63 (14 July 1944), reproduced in Mussolini,
Opera omnia
, XXXII,
Dalla liberazione di Mussolini all' epilogo. La Repubblica Sociale Italiana
, 1960, pp. 380–1

53
Letter of 12 November 1943 to cardinal Dalla Costa (?) (there is a copy in the ISRT), quoted in Tramontin,
Il clero italiano e la Resistenza
, p. 46, n. 70.

54
This is also Tramontin's opinion:
Il clero e la RSI
, Section 2.

55
Letter to don Tullio Calcagno from Dr Francesco Davolio Marani, 25 May 1944 (
LRSI
, p. 50).

56
See the report from the High Command chief Mischi, which somewhat absolves Colonel G.Z., who had been accused of administrative improprieties (ACS, SPD, CR, RSI, envelope 24, folder 169).

57
On this, we can refer back to A. Dordoni,
‘Crociata italica'. Fascismo e religione nella Repubblica di Salò (gennaio 1944–aprile 1945)
, Milan: SugarCo, 1976.