The Catholic Church and the political transition in Trentino. 1919-1922

This paper analyses the impact of the Holy See as a multi-layered actor in the political change occurred in Trentino after World War I. The region, previously controlled by Austria-Hungary, was annexed by Italy after the Treaty of Saint-Germain, together with the German speaking Sudtirol, being the new border set at the Brenner Pass. Consequently, one of the major issues faced in this period was the status of the German minority. Moreover, since the Prince-Bishopric of Trento (that was secularised in 1803), Trentino had a long history of administrative independence. For this reason, the question of autonomy from the centre and, in general, the institutional structure that the “new provinces” were to assume, were of great importance in the political debate. The Holy See had a proactive role in defining the outcome of this political change. I will argue that this action took place on three interconnected levels: the Holy See itself, the local church and the laity. The transition from Austria-Hungary to Italy caused a change in legislation that affected the relations, both diplomatic and political, between the Holy See and the State concerning the administration of the Region. At a local level the central character of this transition was the Bishop Celestino Endrici. Proclaimed Bishop in 1904, Endrici was then confined in Heiligenkreuz in 1916 due to concerns of irredentism. After his triumphal return to Trento November 13th 1918 he was elevated to champion of Italian identity. The myth surrounding his figure allowed him to play an important role, making him an unavoidable interlocutor for the Italian governors. Lastly, the role of the Church in the political change in Trentino depended on the diffusion of Catholicism in the region. It was, and for some extents still is, one of the main characters shaping the local identity: the so-called trentinismo. Furthermore, the laity was organized in mass associations, such as the Società dei Padri di Famiglia (Family men’s Society), and in a party. The Popular Party was founded in Trentino in 1904 (while in Italy it appeared only in 1919) and by the end of World War I was the major political group in the region. The interaction of these three levels, Roman hierarchy, local clergy and laity, provided a multifaceted and widespread action by the Catholic Church, that could thus be considered one of the main actors in shaping the Trentino’s political transition. This paper presents a single case-study of a past political transition. However, it aims at providing a framework of analyses for similar cases. Particularly, the study of the role played by the local clergy, a feature often neglected in the analysis of the Holy See’s foreign politics, would be valued as pivotal.