The beatification cause of Don Luigi Sturzo, the founder of Italian Christian Democracy, is gaining momentum.The present generation of politicians hardly knows that a Sicilian priest, Don Luigi Sturzo, is the founder and mentor of Italian Christian Democracy.
Don Sturzo was one of the founders of the Partito Popolare Italiano, a centre-left Catholic party, in 1919, and was forced into exile in 1924 with the rise of Italian fascism. The Partito Popolare Italiano was the predecessor of the Italian Christian Democrat party.
Other parties in Europe, among these Malta, embraced the philosophy, principles and values of Don Sturzo.
I am glad to see the interest of Pope Francis and the Vatican in the final phase of his beatification. Pope St John XXIII said the Church thanks him for the example he gave of priestly virtues.
Pope Benedict XVI said Don Sturzo was a shining example of love, freedom, tolerance and service to the people. In fact these were the values upon which he built Christian Democracy, which should be the pillars of those parties who follow his philosophy. This was the path of the Nationalist Party until recently. Many ask if the PN today is still true to its roots. Perhaps with time it will once again become closer to the guiding principles of Christian Democracy.
Don Sturzo was born in Caltagirone, Sicily on November 26, 1871, into a family of landlords. His was a very religious family and his brother became Bishop of Piazza Armerina, which is close to Catania. The young Luigi attended the Seminary in Noto and was ordained a priest on May 19, 1894. He then went to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. Soon after he started teaching at the Seminary and doing pastoral work in Caltagirone.
From here began his social and political life among the poor, the unemployed and those who worked in the fields. Don Sturzo started from the grassroots by being one with the people. At one time he was considered to be a Communist because he was hostile to liberal capitalism and was openly anti-Fascist. Pope Leo XIII had in fact just issued the Rerum Novarum encyclical on the Church’s social teaching.
This encyclical, together with the Gospel, became part of Don Sturzo’s daily mission. He used the principles in the encyclical to guide the first group he established and for 15 years he was vice mayor of Caltagirone, an office he held with a dispensation from the Pope. He was also elected to the Catania Provincial Council, where he spread his teachings.
He spoke openly in a language which was against the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. He strongly condemned the corruption and violence of the fascists. As he was never a silent compromising politician he became an enemy of the fascists. This is why he was advised to leave Italy. Among the countries proposed he should go to, I am told, was also Malta, but in 1924 he left for London, then Paris and then until the downfall of Mussolini he lived in New York, from where he continued writing and did pastoral work in a hospital.
After his exile Don Sturzo became a point of reference for Italy’s Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi and other democratic politicians. On September 17, 1952, Italian President Luigi Einaudi nominated him a senator for life, after which politicians from various Italian parties sought his counsel.
Don Sturzo died on August 8, 1959 at the age of 86. We now pray that the cause of his beatification will be concluded soon.