!!!Politischer Katholizismus

Political Catholicism: the term refers to "those groups and 
forces who consciously endeavour to actively influence social and 
political life out of their sense of responsibility as Catholics" (K. 
Forster). After the severance of the close ties between church and 
state in the 19%%sup th/%  century, the liberal fundamental right 
of assembly and association enabled the Church to play an effective 
role in modern secularised society even though it could no longer rely 
on the authority of the state. In the second half of the 19%%sup th/% 
 century the church in Austria was confronted by opposition from 
liberal, nationalist and social-democratic groups and parties. To 
counteract this opposition, the Catholic-conservative movement was 
founded around 1870, and in 1890/91 the  Christian Social Party 
developed out of a number of Catholic societies; the party developed 
into a mass party around the turn of the century and strongly 
influenced Austria's development during the First Republic. Although 
political Catholicism played a major role in the First Republic 
(Prelate I.  Seipel), this political direction was not continued in a 
comparable form in the Second Republic, neither by the  
Oesterreichische Volkspartei (Austrian People's Party) nor by any 
other political group.

!Literature
K. Forster, Glaube und Kirche im Dialog mit der Welt von 
heute, 2 vols. 1982.


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