Alcide De Gasperi was a founding father of Europe who dedicated his life to politics and helped shape the idea of a peaceful union of nations after the devastation of two world wars in Europe. He was an outspoken Catholic, former Vatican employee, and skilled politician who served as the first Prime Minister of Italy in 1946. Despite being hostile to fascists, he was arrested and sentenced to four years imprisonment, but was later released through Pope Pius XI’s intervention and became a librarian in the Vatican. De Gasperi’s path was marked by a continuous and profound relationship with God, matching his religious experience with his political choices. He understood that Europe needed to put an end to the 2000-year war and came to an agreement with other personalities from borders, including the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, to lay the foundations of a united and peaceful Europe. De Gasperi always understood politics as the highest form of charity, in the conviction that democracy can only be born on a sense of fraternity that had Christianity as its source.

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today
EWTN
Share
Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican
Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.
More news related to this article
Can the Catholic Church and Freemasonry Engage with One Another?
On February 16, the Ambrosianeum Foundation organized an event on the Catholic Church and Freemasonry. And one cardinal even launched the hypothesis of a permanent “roundtable” with Freemasonry
Bishop Robert Barron at World Youth Day: An Authentic Encounter with Christ
Colm Flynn: Today, in the year 2023, when we hear so much about religion declining around the world
Crossing the Tiber: Today’s Conversion Stories | Roman Nights
The "Roman Nights" edition, known for its engaging discussions on faith and spirituality, presented a memorable evening on February 8th, 2024, at the Pontifical North American College.
The Vatican warns Bishop’s Conference about a permanent synodal council
The Vatican expressed concerns to the German Bishops’ Conference about a move by the “Synodal Way” in Germany
Discover the Patron Saints of the World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023
As preparations continue for the World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, young people from around the world
Israeli embassy blasts Yemeni laureate for ‘genocide’ comments at Vatican event
The Israeli Embassy to the Holy See condemned Yemeni Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman's comments on alleged "genocide" in Gaza during a Vatican peace event.




