Pietro Tacchi Venturi

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Pietro Tacchi Venturi SJ (born March 18, 1861 in San Severino Marche , † March 19, 1956 in Rome ) was an Italian Jesuit , priest and historian who played an important role in the relationship between state and church during fascism .

biography

He was the sixth of the eight children of Orsola Ceselli and Antonio Tacchi Venturi, a royal lawyer.

1861–1922 studies

After completing his studies at the Liceo Sant'Apollinare in Rome , he entered the Society of Jesus on November 12, 1878 and began his novitiate in Cossé-le-Vivien in France. From 1883 to 1886 he studied philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University and wrote a biography of his novice master, Padre Camillo Mearini. From 1887 to 1891 he studied art at La Sapienza University . He was ordained a priest on July 28, 1892. He gained a reputation as a historian and literary scholar: his articles appeared on " Civiltà Cattolica ". Venturi was inducted into the Pontifical Roman Academy of Archeology .

His main work was a history of the Society of Jesus in Italy, which he wrote on behalf of General Luis Martín García : The first volume on the period of Ignatius of Loyola , published in 1910. It was followed by an essay on the state of religion in Italy in the 16th century. Century preceded. The reception of historical works has been good, especially because Tacchi Venturi uses the method of historical criticism and stays away from apologetics. Another important work by Tacchi Venturi was the publication of unpublished writings by Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit missionary in China: the "Historical Works of P. Matteo Ricci , SJ" They were printed in two volumes in 1911 and 1913 and contain Ricci's correspondence and his "Commentarj of China ", which until then was only published in the Latin version by Nicolas Trigault (" De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas "). However, since Tacchi Venturi could not speak Chinese, it was necessary for Father Pasquale d'Elia to publish another edition of Matteo Ricci's manuscripts with improved annotations ("Fonti Ricciane") thirty years later.

Venturi was General Secretary of the Society of Jesus from 1914 to 1921: he was elected in the last months of his government by General Franz Xaver Wernz and will be a valuable collaborator of his successor, Vladimir Ledóchowski , who was elected general in January 1915 .

1922–1939 The relationship between Pius XI. and Mussolini

1922 The transfer of the Biblioteca Chigiana

On October 28, 1922, after the March on Rome , Benito Mussolini became dictator of Italy and settled in Palazzo Chigi , where the Italian Foreign Ministry was relocated from the Palazzo della Consulta . The initiation of the first meeting dictated the already blind Venturi on November 15, 1951 in his memoir :

“Mi venne allora il pensiero d'ottenere dal nuovo padrone d'Italia la risposta da tanto tempo attesa, e, grazie agli uffici del giovane Segretario della Stampa, il Dott. Amedeo Giannini, nominato presto Consigliere di Stato e Ambasciatore, fui ricevuto dal Senatore Salvatore Contarini, siciliano, uomo di acuto ingegno nell'afferrare il vero stato delle questioni politiche e nel dare energica opera alla loro soluzione. Il sagace diplomatico, parco di parole ed anche più di scritti, udito ciò che desideravo, mi guardò fisso in volto e mi disse: "Conosce Lei Mussolini?" No, risposi, non l'ho mai veduto, ed egli soggiunse: «aspetti un istante che gli chiederò se vuole riceverla» ”

“I intended to get an answer from the new master of Italy that we had waited a long time for, thanks to the offices of the young press officer Dr. Amedeo Giannini , soon to be appointed Councilor of State and Ambassador, I was received by Senator Salvatore Contarini , Sicilian, a man of keen ingenuity who grasps the real state of political questions and vigorously supports their resolution. The clever diplomat, conduct in the word and even more in the scriptures, who had heard what I wanted, looked me straight in the face and said, "Do you know Mussolini?" No, I replied, I never saw him, and he added: "Wait a moment and I'll ask him if he wants to see you" "

- Pietro Tacci Venturi : ARSI, Fondo Tacchi Venturi, vol. 76,, «I miei ricordi (1861-1891-1931)», dettati il ​​15 novembre 1951,

Tacchi Venturi was welcomed and took the opportunity to see what Benedict XV had said before . Suggested transfer of the Biblioteca Chigiana to the Holy See. It was an extensive book legacy that comprised over 26,000 printed works and whose origin is assigned to the Sienese library by Enea Silvio Piccolomini , incunabula. Because of this, it became "the normal tool for messages between the Pope and Mussolini". Tacchi Venturi convinced Mussolini to give the old collection of religious books to the Vatican. The Vatican's attempts to acquire the library followed since the pontificate of Pope Benedict XV, who did not have the necessary funds. Mussolini's transfer of ownership initiated the process of reconciliation between Italy and the Holy See, which had been problematic after the conquest of Rome in 1870 and had robbed the Pope of his state. Together with Count Galeazzo Ciano , Mussolini's son-in-law, Venturi acted as an unofficial but no less authoritative mediator between the Palazzo Venezia and the Vatican. Tacchi Venturi was jokingly titled as confessore privato (private confessor) and consigliere consigliere en questioni ecclesiastiche (advisor in church affairs) by Mussolini. However, he never held these roles. His political views can be seen as a kind of clerical fascism .

1927–1929 Lateran Treaties

Tacchi Venturi led the delegation of the Holy See to the Lateran Treaties , signed on February 11, 1929 , which answered the " Roman question " in the form of the sovereignty of the Holy See as a subject of international law . In May 1928, Tacchi Venturi survived an attack by a stranger with a letter opener who had introduced himself to the gatekeeper as "Signor De Angelis" and left him with a neck injury. Two years later, another priest who resembled Tacchi Venturi was killed.

The New York Times described Tacchi Venturi as "the chief negotiator who remains in the shadows and is almost unknown". The Times highlights Pius XI. And Mussolini's desire for confidentiality in the negotiations emerged, continuing to describe Tacchi Venturi as "a calm person who can say many things" but refused to acknowledge that he was anything more than the "personal ambassador of" Mussolini to the Vatican. In nominal terms, Francesco Pacelli ( 1872-1935 ), Eugenio Pacelli's brother, was appointed head of the negotiating delegation, and Tacchi Venturi was his mediator with Mussolini in the final phase of negotiations (after the death of State Councilor Domenico Barone (1879 † January 4, 1929)). The other negotiators were Francesco Borgongini Duca , Secretary for Extraordinary Affairs, and Professor Gianinni Barone , Domenico's brother; however, Tacchi Venturi himself was the origin of the negotiations.

In May 1932, in recognition of his role as head of the negotiating delegation for the Lateran Treaty, Tacchi Venturi was awarded a Grand Cross in the Order of St. Mauritius and Lazarus added. Francesco Borgongini Duca, apostolic nuncio in Italy from 1929 to 1953, succeeded Venturi as the official mediator between Pius XII. And Mussolini, but Venturi did not lose his influence.

1931 Catholic action

In 1931 Tacchi Venturi negotiated the end of the dispute between Pius XI. And Mussolini on Catholic Action . For this reason, Tacchi Venturi had twenty audiences with Pius XI, including an hour-long meeting during his summer vacation, followed by an interview with Cardinal Secretary of State Pacelli and thirteen hearings from Mussolini. The Vatican stated that Tacchi Venturi himself only "felt the ground for an official negotiation". Don Luigi Sturzo, the founder of the Italian People's Party, attributed the end of the dispute to Venturi.

Mussolini integrated 15,000 Catholic action groups into the Opera Nazionale Balilla . The terms of the agreement allowed the church to play a role in "educating the fascist youth" and limited the Catholic association to the diocesan level, thereby depriving it of national leaders while also serving as chaplains for the balillas. Tacchi Venturi himself was at the last meeting between Pope Pius XI. and Mussolini present. This was the only audience that Pope Pius XI. Mussolini (February 11, 1932) granted.

The Abyssinian War and Other Interventions

During the Abyssinian War (1935-1936), Tacchi Venturi, as the Pope's envoy, met the Duce four times in order to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. He intervenes with Mussolini also over minor concerns of the Pope: on the occasion of the rationing of food, for the morale of public performances, for the improvement of the prison regime of anti-fascist prisoners, including Alcide De Gasperi .

Because of his diplomatic skills and services, Pius XI considered. To appoint Tacchi Venturi cardinal , which would have been understood by the British government as a diplomatic upgrading of the relationship with the fascist state and indirect approval of the Abyssinian War. In agreement with General Vladimir Ledóchowski , he appointed Father Pietro Boetto cardinal. So Father Tacchi Venturi performed his diplomatic duties as a simple priest.

1938 Italian Racial Laws

Tacchi Venturi was briefed by Mussolini on the preparations for Italian racial laws and expressed reservations about the effects of the laws on Catholics, both for mixed marriages and for Jews converted to Catholicism. In particular, Tacchi Venturi tried to avoid the ban on marriages between "Aryans" and "non-Aryans". After his attempts to soften the racial laws bore little fruit, Father Tacchi Venturi intervened with Mussolini to request exceptions on a case-by-case basis, both for Jews who converted to Christianity and for Jews who professed to be Judaism.

1939–1956 The pontificate of Pius XII.

After the election of Pius XII. in the conclave of March 2, 1939 it was announced that Father Francesco Tomasetti , Attorney General of the Salesians, would replace Tacchi Venturi as the unofficial messenger between Pope and Mussolini after "a struggle of a different kind, less" openly, but with the same elements that made the election of the new Foreign Minister had ". Tacchi Venturi remained the official representative of the police department and the Consiglio superiore sulla demografia e la razza (Supreme Council for DemoRazza ). In some cases, Tacchi Venturi used his influence to help Jews who converted to Catholicism. Michael Phayer documents an episode in which Tacchi Venturi intervened to stand up for Croatian converts.

Mussolini began the Italian occupation of Albania on April 7, 1939 Good Friday inspired by the occupation of Bohnen and Moravia , on April 9, 1939 Easter Sunday , Pius XII called. on the Vatican Radio publicly for peace. He condemned the arms race and the violation of what he called "solemn treaties and promises of faith". On May 3rd and 4th, 1939, the Holy See appealed to Great Britain, France, Poland, Germany and Italy to peacefully resolve the problems between Germany and Poland. He intended to include the United States as well. However, Britain and France did not want another conference with Germany after being betrayed in Munich. Vatican representative Pietro Tacchi Venture, SJ had better luck with Mussolini. The Duce was interested, but wanted to include disagreements between Italy and France and German-Polish issues. When the other four states did not agree to the conference, this caused Mussolini to stop his own support for it.

On the evening of August 24, 1939, Pius XII called. on Vatican Radio : "Another difficult hour rang out for the great human family ... The danger is imminent, but it is not yet too late. Nothing is lost in peace, everything is lost in war ... How great will the relief be when ... the bloodshed of brothers and the annihilation of nations can be prevented. “Tacchi-Venturi was sent again to Mussolini on August 29th to stop Hitler. Instead, the Duce recommended Pius XII to encourage Poland to give in to the Free City of Gdansk and to negotiate the status of the Polish corridor.

1943 The repeal of the race laws

In August 1943, when Pietro Badoglio's government was discussing the repeal of the racial laws, Tacchi Venturi asked Interior Minister Umberto Ricci to abolish measures affecting Jews who had converted to Catholicism. According to Goldhagen, in a report to Cardinal Secretary of State Luigi Maglione , he revealed that the racial laws according to the principles and traditions of the Catholic Church contain provisions that must be repealed, but also contain others that are worth confirming. On January 20, 1944, the race laws were repealed.

Rastrellamento del ghetto di Roma

On Sabato nero (Black Saturday) October 16, 1943 from 5:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Gestapo, under the command of Theodor Dannecker , raided the Jewish ghetto on Via del Portikus of Octavia in Rome and deported 1,259 people, including 689 women , 363 men and 207 children. After the release of some foreigners or people from mixed marriages, 1,023 people were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp . Fifteen men and one woman survived. In response to pressure from relatives of the deportees, Tacchi Venturi suggested that Cardinal State Secretary Luigi Maglione undertake a symbolic investigation into the fate of the deportees.

Storia della Compagnia di Gesù in Italia

After Mussolini's death on April 28, 1945, he devoted himself to his Storia della Compagnia di Gesù in Italia .

Today's perception

In 1909 the journalist Mussolini had published an anti-clerical novel Claudia Particella l'amante del Cardinale in the socialist local daily newspaper “Il popolo di Trento” in 57 episodes. The fact that he wrote a book Una conversione about his conversion to Catholicism in 1929 , to which Tachi wrote the preface, is fiction of a novel by Antonio Scurati .

plant

  • Memorie biografiche del P. Camillo Mearini dCdG , Città di Castello, 1886.
  • Stato della religione in Italia alla metà del secolo XVI , Roma, 1908.
  • Storia della Compagnia di Gesù in Italia (4 vol.), Roma, 1910–1951.
  • Opere storiche del P. Matteo Ricci, SI vol. 1: Commentari della Cina ; vol. 2: Lettere dalla Cina , Macerata, 1911-1913.
  • Il beato Roberto Bellarmino. Esame delle nuove accuse contro la sua santità , Roma, 1923.
  • La casa di S. Ignazio di Loyola in Roma , Roma, 1923.
  • Storia delle religioni (curatore) (2 vol.), Torino, 1934–1936.
  • I santi, i sacerdoti, i missionari italiani in Europa nel medioevo [con P. Pecchiai], Roma, 1951.

bibliography

In Italian

  • G. Castellani, Memo biografiche del P. Pietro Tacchi Venturi SI , Roma, 1958.
  • A. Giannini, Padre Tacchi in funzione diplomatica , in Doctor Communis , vol. 9 (1956), pp. 227-236.
  • F. Margiotta Broglio, Italia e Santa Sede dalla grande guerra alla Conciliazione. Aspetti politici e giuridici , Bari, 1966.
  • Giacomo Martina , La mancata nomina cardinalizia del p. Pietro Tacchi Venturi , in Archivum historicum Societatis Iesu , vol. LXV, 1996, pp. 101-109
  • A. Martini, Studi sulla Questione Romana e la Conciliazione , Roma, 1963.
  • A. Riccardi, Roma "città sacra"? Dalla Conciliazione all'operazione Sturzo , Milano, 1979.
  • Mario Scaduto, Il P. Pietro Tacchi Venturi, 1861-1956 , in Civiltà Cattolica , vol. 107 (II 1956), pp. 47-57.

In English

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ^ A b c d e f g h Salvatore Cortesi, "Italy to Indemnify Church, Rome Hears". New York Times , February 11, 1928, p. 4th
  3. ↑ Tacchi Venturi, Pietro , Enciclopedie online, Treccani.it.
  4. ↑ a b c New York Times . 1956, March 19. "Obituary 3 - No Title". p. 31.
  5. ↑ "Dictionnaire Português-Chinês:葡汉辞典(Pu Han cidian): Portuguese-Chinese dictionary", di Michele Ruggieri , Matteo Ricci ; a cura di John W. Witek, Biblioteca Nacional, 2001 ISBN 972-565-298-3 ( KVK  • GBV  • HBZ  • SWB  • BVB  • KOBV  • HeBIS  • obv  • IDS  • swissbib  • NEBIS  • Worldcat ) . Disponibile parts see Google Books , p. 179.
  6. ↑ Lucia Ceci, L'interesse superiore: Il Vaticano e l'Italia di Mussolini, [2]
  7. ↑ a b Chadwick, 1988, p. 62.
  8. ↑ a b c " ITALY: Jesuit Stabbed ", Time, 12 maggio 1928.
  9. ↑ La Biblioteca Chigiana
  10. ^ Webster, 1960, p. 115.
  11. ↑ a b Webster, 1960, p. 122.
  12. ↑ a b Fabrizio Mastrofini, Il gesuita di Mussolini? Una storia da scrivere , La Stampa, 11 December 2011
  13. ^ "Stabs Jesuit Agent in Vatican Issue", New York Times , 29 February 1928, p. 5.
  14. ↑ ITALY PAPAL STATE: Man In Black, [3] "Time, 7 settembre 1,931th
  15. ^ Edwin L. James, "Mussolini Presses Accord with Church". New York Times , April 16, 1928, p. 1.
  16. ^ Arnaldo Cortesi, "Formula Reported for a Papal State". New York Times , 11 gennaio 1929, p. 28.
  17. ^ New York Times , "Italy Offers Pope Additional Land and Indemnity", 15 January 1929, p. 1.
  18. ^ TJC Martyn, "Holy See to Appear as a Sovereign State". New York Times , 20 gennaio 1929, p. XX3.
  19. ^ New York Times , "Italy's Chief Order is Given to Pacelli", March 4, 1932, p. 11.
  20. ↑ Morley, 1980, pp. 167-177.
  21. ^ A b Arnaldo Cortesi, "Pope Consults Aide on Italian Dispute", New York Times , 20 agosto 1931, p. 6th
  22. ^ Arnoldo Cortesi, "Italy and Vatican Approach Solution", New York Times , August 26, 1931, p. 7th
  23. ^ Webster, 1960, p. 203.
  24. ^ "Mussolini to Make Peace with the Vatican", New York Times . 27 agosto 1931, p. 1.
  25. ^ Arnaldo Cortesi, "Vatican to Share in Fascist Youth Education; Rome will Permit Catholic Clubs to Reopen," New York Times , 29 agosto 1931, p. 6th
  26. ^ Arnaldo Cortesi, "Italy Begins Return of Clubs to Church", New York Times , September 1, 1931, p. 1.
  27. ↑ Giacomo Martina , La mancata nomina del cardinalizia p. Pietro Tacchi Venturi , in Archivum historicum Societatis Iesu , vol. LXV, 1996, pp. 101-109
  28. ^ Arnaldo Cortesi, "Italy Intensifies Curbs Upon Jews," New York Times , November 11, 1938, p. 1.
  29. ^ "Italy's 'Race' Laws Take 15,000 Jobs", New York Times , November 20, 1938, p. 33.
  30. ↑ "Father Tomasetti, Head of Salesians," New York Times , 6 maggio 1953, p. 31.
  31. ↑ Michael Williams, "Idea of ​​Strength Radiated by Pope," New York Times , March 11, 1939, p. 4th
  32. ↑ a b Blet, 1999, p. 156.
  33. ↑ Phayer, 2000, p. 39.
  34. ^ Susan Zuccotti, Under His Very Windows: The Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy, p. 72
  35. ^ Dennis Castillo, Papal Diplomacy from 1914 to 1989: The Seventy-Five Years War, p. 121 f .
  36. ↑ Camille M. Cianfarra, "Pope Seeks to Bar Soviet Pact from" The New York Times , June 7, 1939 p. 1 .
  37. ^ Herbert L. Matthews, "No Military Moves Apparent in Italy," New York Times , Aug. 24, 1939, p. 1.
  38. ^ Herbert E. Matthews, "End of Versailles' is Italy's Demand," New York Times , 31 August 1939, p. 7th
  39. ↑ Goldhagen, 2002, p. 149 f.
  40. ↑ Riccardo Calimani , Storia degli ebrei di Roma , Mondadori, 2017, p. 591
  41. ↑ RDL nn. 25 e 26 , 20 gennaio 1944
  42. ↑ Goldhagen, 2002, p. 170 .
  43. ↑ Robert Aleksander Maryks, Pietro Tacchi Venturi, “Pouring Jewish Water Into Fascist Wine”: Untold Stories of (Catholic) Jews from the Archive of Mussolini's Jesuit Pietro Tacchi Venturi, [4]
  44. ^ New York Times , "Mussolini Writing of his Conversion," 26 maggio 1929, p. E8. [5]
  45. ^ Mussolini in 1910 viene mandato dal suo partito, il partito socialista, a Trento ad aiutare Cesare Battisti, direttore del quotidiano socialista locale “ Il popolo di Trento ”. Benito Mussolini - Claudia Particella l'amante del Cardinale, 2015, [6] romanzo a puntate, Claudia Particella, l'amante del Cardinale, che sarà pubblicato dal Popolo per 57 giorni di seguito.
personal data
SURNAME Venturi, Pietro Tacchi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Venturi, Pietro Tacchi SJ
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian Jesuit, priest and historian
DATE OF BIRTH March 18, 1861
PLACE OF BIRTH San Severino Marche
DATE OF DEATH March 19, 1956
Place of death Rome