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.