25. And We do not wish to omit mentioning another guarantee that
Catholic Action abstains from politics, a reason well known to the Bishops of
Italy. Catholic Action has been, is, and will always be, dependent upon the
episcopate, under your direction, under you who have always assigned
ecclesiastical assistants and have nominated the presidents of the diocesan
committees. Whence it is clear that in trusting and recommending to you,
Venerable Bishops, these Associations which have been assailed, We have not ordered and disposed anything substantially new.
When the Popular Party was dissolved and passed out of existence, those who
formerly belonged to Catholic Action continued to belong to Catholic Action, and
they submitted themselves with perfect discipline to the fundamental law of
Catholic Action, that is, abstention from every political activity. So did all
those who on that occasion asked to be received as members. And with what
justice and charity could all these people have been expelled or not admitted
to Catholic Action when they possessed the necessary qualifications required by
the Constitutions? The regime and the party which seem to attribute such a
fearful and feared strength to those who belong to the Popular Party for
political reasons, should show themselves grateful to Catholic Action, which
removed them precisely from that sphere and required them to make a formal
pledge not to carry out any political activities, but to limit themselves to religious
action.
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