Post-revolutionary catholic social teaching: Risorgimento, Syllabus and the failed liberalization

Abstract

The research is dedicated to the position of the Catholic Church on the most important aspects of political and economic development of society in the aftermath of the French Revolution. The gradual increase of church’s reactionism towards the emerging political movements and ideologies is considered through the analysis of the papal encyclicals, which contain the doctrinal position of the church. In this paper, in particular, the period of the pontificate of Pius VII (1800-1823 gg.), Leo XII (1823-1829 gg.), Pius VIII (1829-1830), Gregory XVI (1831-1846) is considered. A special attention is paid to the position of the Catholic Church on the most important aspects of political and economic development of the society during the pontificate of Pope Pius the IX, the beginning of which was marked by the pontiff’s desire to liberalize church’s structure and its attitude to political processes in Europe, but as a result, brought to one of the most reactionary positions church has ever had, expressed in landmark act, symbolizing ultramontanism - Syllabus. The main conclusion of the research is the fact that in spite of the attempts of the Catholic Church and its willingness to compromise with the newly arisen political regimes that have emerged as a result of revolutionary republican movement coming to power, the Holy See did not find understanding among Republicans and other revolutionary groups. The most striking example in this case, is Pope Pius IX, who was originally one of the most liberal-minded modern pontiffs, however, because of quite ambiguous position of the liberal movement and revolutionary groups, he came to symbolize the reactionism itself.