PIUS IX AND MUSSOLINI, THE WAR OF THE SOULS

Events that shaped the countries of the Mediterranean

An episode from the series ECHOES OF HISTORY

Synopsis

From 1922 to 1942, Pius XI and Mussolini, the two most influential men in Italy, shared power and constantly confronted each other through diplomatic channels.

What role did Pope Pius XI play in the rise of fascism in Italy? What led him to sign the Lateran Agreement with Mussolini and then denounce fascism with encyclicals? How did Mussolini, originally anti-clerical, end up claiming to be a saint on a mission to save Italian civilization?