La politicizzazione del cattolicesimo italiano. La «questione Sturzo» nella nuova storiografia cattolica del secondo dopoguerra

Within the historical and ideological debate of the early 1950s, this essay
deals with the development of the Italian Catholic historiography on Luigi Sturzo’s political
culture and the issue of «popolarismo», which was seen as a crucial turning point
in modernising the post-Unification Catholic movement. The reference to Sturzo’s political
thinking and partisan action took place in the debate between two historians,
Gabriele De Rosa and Pietro Scoppola, acquiring for both a critical meaning with respect
to the stronger religious commitment of post-Fascist Christian Democracy. On
the historiographical ground, the question of «popolarismo» enabled the analysis of
continuing intransigent Catholic opposition to the liberal State, thereafter also creating
the framework of an «a-confessional» framework like the Popular Party.