The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-03-02
Mussolini's Peace with the Vatican

After several years of negotiations treaty has at last
been concluded between the and Musson true that
this treaty has yet been published officially but its exist
longer denied The treaty provides for the ress
taon of the sovereign pape church state According to this
treaty the territory of the Vatican together with several
other pieces of ground in and about Rome to be recognized
as the papa state with the pope sovereign
Diplomats to the papal court will have to take up their
residence within the territory of the papa state The
to regain all the rights of state ruler In Geneva the
ton admitting the papa state to the League of Nations
already being considered This step would put the under
obligation cooperate in all the diplomatic and military
actions taken by the League There is special treaty to
cover military forces of the papa state The vatican is to
receive from Italy mard lire compensation for the
papa property confscated in 1870
Though the power of the new papal state may be but
very limited this reconciliation between the fascist state and
the Vatican of symbolic political significance The
abolition of the papa state important act of the bour
geos revolution against the feuda powers of the Middle
Ages.
After the proclamation the Roman Republic in 1898 the
papa state was practically destroyed In 1915 it for
while restored by the Vienna Congress of the Holy Alliance
upon the overthrow of Napoleon, only to be
abolished by the bourgeois national revolution in Italy in
1860 After this revolution the papa state confined to
Rome until September 90 1870 when the troops fighting for
the national unity of Italy wrested Rome too from the papal
power.
Since that time the popes who have recognized
this revolutionary act have lived in voluntary imprisonment
in the Vatican have entertained relations with the
Italian State The rise the Italian bourgeoe and the
sodaton of the united national state of Italy effected
through fierce anticerca fighting against the influence of
the church.
In the beginning fascsm adopted this anti-clerica
ona tradition But as he had got into power Musso
began rt with the pope and the catholic church, The
alliance contracted between fascsm and the Vatican repre-
sens confederation of the most reaconay forces of the
day and ymbozes manfesty the rerogresve development
of the onetme progressive national bourgeose in the period
of imperialism.
Mussolnis reconciliation with the pope effected out
of considerations of domestic and foreign political nature
In home affairs Musson hopes thereby to dsarm the grow
ing opposition of the peasant and bourgeois
gathered low catholic clergy of the Catholic Peoples
Party.
In foreign affairs, by recognizing Italy the catholic
power the pope will strengthen the positions of Italian i'm
periasm the colonies especially against France Up to
the present France has been the patron of all catholics in the
colonies and has therefore been supported by the catholic
missionaries Italy will be able to exploit the catholic
missions agencies of its Imperialism and give set
back to its French rival.
This alliance between popery and fascism is de-
signed strengthen fascist Imperialism against its rivals
and fascist reaction against anti-fascist forces.