Focus: Anti-clericalism and clericalism between perception and political polemic
On Tuesday, 18th June, the seventh and final event before the summer break of the lecture series promoted by the cultural association "Manlio Cecovini Study Society" was held at the Antico Caffè San Marco in Trieste. The talk by Ivan Portelli - a teacher of philosophy and history in secondary schools and the president of the Institute of Social and Religious History of Gorizia - introduced by the president of the Association Giuseppe Antonione and moderated by the scientific director Luca G. Manenti, delved into the dualism between anticlericalism and clericalism in the Upper Adriatic area between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Portelli highlighted how these concepts intertwined with the political, national, and social currents of the time. Clericalism, often negatively connoted as unconditional support for the clergy, opposed anticlericalism, which represented resistance to Catholicism in favour of modernity. The Church of the time was described as intransigent, fighting against liberalism, which was seen as an enemy of religious tradition.
In the area of the Austrian Littoral, tensions between Italian nationalism and liberalism on one side, and clerical traditions and Slavic influences on the other, created a complex landscape of cultural and political oppositions. The speaker offered an in-depth view of the challenges and transformations that characterised the region, providing new perspectives on a crucial period in European history. It was also emphasised how the battle between clericalism and anticlericalism was not just an ideological issue but also a reflection of the struggles for national identity. Portelli's analysis clarified the roots of the tensions in a historically rich and culturally diverse area.
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Portelli highlighted how these concepts intertwined with the political, national, and social currents of the time. Clericalism, often negatively connoted as unconditional support for the clergy, opposed anticlericalism, which represented resistance to Catholicism in favour of modernity. The Church of the time was described as intransigent, fighting against liberalism, which was seen as an enemy of religious tradition.
In the area of the Austrian Littoral, tensions between Italian nationalism and liberalism on one side, and clerical traditions and Slavic influences on the other, created a complex landscape of cultural and political oppositions. The speaker offered an in-depth view of the challenges and transformations that characterised the region, providing new perspectives on a crucial period in European history. It was also emphasised how the battle between clericalism and anticlericalism was not just an ideological issue but also a reflection of the struggles for national identity. Portelli's analysis clarified the roots of the tensions in a historically rich and culturally diverse area.
WATCH THE GALLERY
