Catholic Union for Social Studies in Italy (UNIONE CATTOLICA PER GLI STUDI SOCIALI IN ITALIA)

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

UNIONE CATTOLICA PER GLI STUDI SOCIALI IN ITALIA. - An association among Italian Catholics to promote social studies inspired by Catholic thought.

797 UN. CATT. PER GLI STUDI SOC. IN II. - UN. DELLE REP. SOC. SOVIETICHE 798

Article illustration — UNIONE DELLE REPUBBLICHE SOCIALISTE SOVIETICHE (U.R.S.S.).
(propr. Enc. Catt.)

Reviving an ancient project and following the example of a similar organization in the international field, Union of Fribourg (v.), in which various Italians had participated, was established on December 29, 1889, in Padua. Convening there for the occasion were the local bishop, Monsignor Callegari, Monsignor Sarto, then bishop of Mantua, and Professor Toniolo. Monsignor Callegari served as its honorary president and Toniolo as its active president.

The U. Opera dei Congressi (v.) without, however, merging with it, in accordance with express directives from the Pope (November 24, 1897). When the "Società cattolica italiana per gli studi scientifici" (v.) was established, the Union joined it as an autonomous section, remaining active until the new organization given by Bl. Action (v.). During its period of activity, it held two national congresses. The first, held in Genoa, had the following practical results: 1) the founding of the Rivista internazionale di scienze sociali e discipline ausiliarie (v.); 2) the spread of Social Study Circles for lectures and systematic courses in sociology (Genoa, Milan, Naples, etc.) and the establishment of chairs of sociology in seminaries (Milan, Florence, Treviso, Rovigo, etc.); 3) the founding of Higher Schools of Religion, an example of which had existed in Padua since 1890. The second Congress, held in Padua (August 26-27, 1896; an official bulletin, Il Congresso, was published at the time), had as its practical result a series of guidelines for the protection of the working classes, especially agricultural ones, in harmony with the Programma dei cattolici di fronte al socialismo, proclaimed in Milan (January 3-4, 1894) by the Assembly of the U. and signed by Toniolo along with other leaders of the Catholic movement.

BIBL.: Atti del I Congr. catt. ital. degli studiosi di scienze sociali, Genova 1892; Atti e docum. del II Congr. ital. di studiosi di scienze soc., Padova 1896; F. Olgiati, La stor. dell'Az. Catt. in Ital. (1865-1904), Milano 1922; A. Gemelli, Giuseppe Toniolo animatore e anticipatore della Università dei catt. ital., in Vita e Pensiero, 25 (1942), p. 327 seq.; G. Dalla Torre, Il card. Giuseppe Callegari, vescovo di Padova, Padova 1942.

Pietro Palazzini

UNIONE [DEGLI ORIENTALI]: V. ORIENTE CRISTIANO.