Italy Quotes
This line was used in the WPA Federal Theater Project. The play was closed down, because the State Department was distressed that the Federal Theater quoting heads of State might be insulting to the world leaders. Mussolini was another character in the play and he was depicted as the boorish thug that he turned out to be. It was that which offended the government officials who closed the show before it could open. FDR used a similar line 6 years later. See {32529} . Dolores Ibarruri in the Spanish Civil War is quoted with a similar phrase at about the same time. See {604321}
While Aquinas brought much wisdom and good to the Church, this statement and others laid a foundation for murdering non-believers and organizing the Inquisition.
This was quite shocking to most Italians where Jews had been very assimilated for years and anti-Semitism was not as embedded in society as in Germany.
This document was the first organized argument against capital punishment.
Later, Italy was totally subservient to Germany later and Mussolini accepted German racist policies. Actually, there is only one human race and all members of it have the same original common ancestor, and African female.
This was a Nationally Broadcast Speech speech in the run up to American entry to WWII, Lindbergh had been a national here for being the first aviator to fly over the Atlantic to Europe. Politically, the National Hero became an active fascist supporter of Mussolini and Adolph Hitler who awarded him a Medal for Supporting Fascism, Anti-Semitism and advocating for America to allow Hitler to conquer German and the rest of Europe. After WWII he was in disgrace. This quotation is one of his many attempts to keep America from interfering with Hitler in Europe as he was a great admirer of Fascism and the two leading proponents in Europe.
This quotation comes as a surprise to most readers who are amazed that the first American Legion National Commander described the role of the Legion as parallel to that of Mussolini and the Fascists of Italy. The early Legion leadership were themselves very right wing and fascistic themselves. See {640098} which shows that the Legion of that time was fomenting race hatred against Asians. The Legion leadership was not alone in its fascist tendencies; many of the right wingers from Charles Lindbergh to Joseph Kennedy—father of JFK were admirers of the fascists and advocated many of their practices. They even praised Hitler and Mussolini.
The Fascist Dictator hinted at all the Church property that the State might seize and began to place taxes on the Church and in a brilliant political stroke actually negotiated the Lateran Pacts of 1929 with the Church whereby the Dictator would guarantee all the churches property and protect its officials end exempt the church from taxation and all the Church had to do was have all their Italian Bishops swear to this oath of political support for the dictatorial fascist state and its outrages and aggression and denial of rights. He actually have the church more religious power than they had enjoyed in Italy for years. For example he turned over the public school curriculum to the church with no other religion considered. Despite thus oath of the Italian bishops, there were a number of individual Catholic priests who aided the anti-Fascist resistance, but for the most part Mussolini bought the political and moral support of the Catholic Church. Apologists for the Church at the time point out that the entire Vatican and the Pope was totally within the dictator’s span of control, and he could jail any of the Holy see who criticized him or have them executed as he did so many others. He could also loot the Vatican and sell off holy relics and other object to finance his wars of aggression and his alliance with Hitler. They argue that there was nothing any priests could say that would break the iron hold Mussolini had on Italy and at least, the priests could perform their pastoral functions so long as they supported the Fascists. The debate continues to this day. However, after WWII Italians left the Catholic Church in droves and it is one of the least religious states in Europe.
Naples was an independent kingdom before the unification of Italy. This quotation illustrates one of the lowest periods of the Roman Catholic Church where the personal morality of the Pope and Cardinals was greatly at odds with the earlier and current positions of the Church. This hypocrisy, nepotism, and corruption was one of the major factors that led to the Reformation. Note that the Pope had an illegitimate son who he named a Cardinal and the Pope wanted his son to marry the daughter of the king. The king was not enthusiastic given the son’s status as a Cardinal of the Church.
