The Masks of the Political God. Religion and Political Parties in Contemporary Democracies

Conservative Catholicism versus social Catholicism? Contrasting patterns in the political engagement of highly religious young Catholics in France and Italy

“…In contrast to France, in Italy Catholicism has been a deeply rooted presence in the public sphere (De Luna, 2013, p. 10). After the disbanding of the Democrazia Cristiana (DC), the Christian democratic party that had a hegemonic role in Italian post‐war politics until the early 1990s, “the influence of the religious factor became almost ubiquitous, with most parties—both in the center‐right and the center‐left—showing some degree of religious orientation” (Ozzano, 2020, p. 131). The demise of the DC did not end the efforts of Italian Catholics to establish a new political party.…”

“…However, they did not sponsor a new Catholic party. Instead, they elaborated a cultural project aimed at defending some non‐negotiable values by pressuring parties across the secular–religious cleavage (Ozzano, 2020, p. 125). During this political season the Church achieved some successes, like the introduction of a restrictive law on assisted reproductive technologies.…”