Carlo Maria Curci: da antisocialista a socialista cristiano.

A leading exponent of the intransigent Catholic tendencies and founder of the periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, Carlo Maria Curci strongly supported the temporal power of the Pope until he became a passionate proponent of the conciliatory theories. This was the cause of his expulsion from the Society of Jesus, where he was readmitted few days before his death. He was also one of the main opponents of Socialism and Communism, that he criticized both on a theoretical and on a practical plane, suggesting Christianity as a counterpart, a real and safer bulwark against such threatening doctrines. Especially after the Paris Commune, that he regarded as a synthesis of all those systems long acting in Europe to destroy Christian orders, the Neapolitan Jesuit used the spectre of Communism to try to unite antisocialist forces. But, after having gained new experience, Curci considered the idea of “Christian” socialism – i.e. socialism where Christian principles were inserted, the only able to show individuals the existence of an absolute good as well as not to delude them, as “profane” socialism does, giving false hopes of happiness on earth.