Extracts from a letter from Joseph P. Walshe to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)(Secret and Confidential)

My dear Secretary,
Perhaps, while communications are still fairly safe, I should give you a general report on the Italian situation especially in regard to the repercussions on the Catholic Church. A good deal of espionage is going on already, and I am reliably informed that, before long, Diplomatic Bags will begin to have a particular interest for the Communists in the Postal Service.

Our own Minister as well as all the other Members of the Government are fully aware that the fight now going on in Italy is a fight for Western Civilisation. If Catholicism loses in Italy we also shall have lost. A communist victory in Italy, according to the best minds I can contact, will be followed by Communist penetration of the whole of Western Europe. We are in it, therefore, up to the neck and, eventually, we must do something about it.

Let us look at the situation somewhat in detail. The total number of Voters for the April elections is roughly 29 millions. About 22 millions will vote. Ten million votes will be the approximate strength of the Communist party, and that is a minimum figure. The Christian Democrats and other right wing parties believe they should get twelve millions, but they fear that the superior organisation of the Communists and their apparently unlimited resources may encroach on that figure even to the extent of two millions. There are six million workers on the Communist books and each one is supposed to subscribe two thousand lire to the Election funds. This gives an additional five million pounds (approximately, on basis of present prices) to the Communists, over and above the funds received from outside. The Catholics on the other hand have a total of only one million workers on the rolls of the Christian unions and they labour under the additional disadvantage that Italians ? apart from the Communists who have their own methods of compulsion ... have lost the habit of subscribing voluntarily to political parties, as they have lost it in regard to the Church.

The Catholics, thus far, have received from outside sources for the election struggle about one hundred thousand pounds. Of course, the other non-Communist parties taken together have received a certain amount from outside, but I am assured that the sum is incomparably smaller than that received from external sources by the Communists. I have not been successful in my attempt to discover the approximate amounts in the two latter cases.

A factor of extreme and of very grave interest is the relative capacity and speed with which the two sides are arming themselves. You will have seen in the Press frequent reports of gunrunning across the Adriatic, and of the measures being taken by the Italian GOVT. to put an end to the traffic, (so far with little or no success). On the Catholic side about one hundred and eighty thousand young men are armed, and from what I know of them, from personal contact and through their Leaders, they are prepared to make a desperate fight should the Communists attempt a Coup d'Etat. The number of Communists who are armed is near the million mark. In their case, although far better equipped, there is not the same zest and readiness for an actual fight. This attitude is doubtless explained by the fact that the doctrine preached to them is purely materialistic and has none of the element of sacrifice. Indeed, the ordinary poor communist worker is being promised a heaven on earth with the loot taken from the soi-disant Capitalist ... a diminishing species in Italy.

Some quite well informed people speak about a civil war around Easter, but the probabilities are that a Coup d'Etat would not be attempted until the Communists were reasonably sure that they were going to be defeated. The date would therefore be much nearer to the polling date (18th April). If the Communists win the Catholics would, of course, wait until the inevitable infringement of their fundamental rights before having recourse to Arms. In my opinion, a Communist coup d'Etat would be a much more favourable opportunity, i.e. better for the Catholic morale and more in accord with the type of preparations they have been making. It seems also clear that a Communist Coup d'Etat would be much more likely to provoke American intervention on the other side than the slow process of religious persecution and reprisal.

To what extent is the Church involved in all this? For the moment I don't mean doctrinally; that is clear beyond doubt. But is the Central Governing Body of the Church; i.e. the Holy Father himself involved? The reply is unequivocal. All organised Catholicism in Italy, inside and outside the Vatican, has turned all its activities to the one purpose of defeating the Communist menace. Never before has the Vatican led such a powerful movement in this country. Most fortunately, during the difficult years of Fascism the Catholic youth, now in mature manhood, underwent a splendid spiritual formation. External activities were almost forbidden to Catholic Action,¹ but in the internal sphere unheard of progress was made. Those years produced men of the type of Prof. Luigi Gedda,² Prof. Carlo Caretto,³ Vittorino Veronese,⁴ Giovanni Vicentini,⁵ La Pira,⁶ Dossetti,⁷ Lodovico Montini⁸ (brother of Monsignor Montini)⁹ etc together with a group of priests, religious and secular, all of the very highest order in cultural and spiritual formation. Gedda, an eminent medical man, is beyond comparison the best organiser in the Catholic movement, and I know that he has been entrusted by the Holy Father with the central control and direction of all activities relating to the elections. This organisation is, naturally, a secret organisation. It has been modelled largely on Communist lines, cellular and almost self diffusive. Every branch of the Azione Cattolice (comprising about two million members), all the sections of the Vatican Secretariat, the Heads of the Religious orders in Rome and all their subjects in Italy, all the Bishops and priests of the Peninsula, all have received very particular instructions as to the active role they are to play in the struggle.

Does the Holy Father approve of the armed movement? No other conclusion can be drawn from His address to the AVANGUARDIA CATTOLICA ITALIANA on January 4th. The AVANGUARDIA is precisely the core of the Catholic armed movement, and the mere fact of giving the Group a special audience and delivering to them a long and carefully worded address would have been sufficient indication of his approval of their aims. But again and again, during the address he came back on the need for courage even to death in the defence of the Faith. His language, as always, was somewhat involved, but for those who understand His outlook and the nuances of His language there was no shadow of doubt. Moreover, as I have already informed you, I know personally all the Leaders mentioned above and several others, and they are constantly at the Embassy. They have confirmed fully my own conclusions as to the Holy Father's attitude. Pius XII in spite of His great meekness, charm and very great sanctity, is of the stuff of the great warrior Popes and He intends to fight.

[matter omitted]

If, (as the Minister will, no doubt agree,) that the fight in Italy is one for the future of Christian Civilisation ? fought around the very person of Christ's representative on earth ... have we in Ireland any urgent duty in relation to it. I suggest with the greatest possible deference that we have. How and when we can help is a matter for the Government to decide. Talking to the British and Americans doesn't seem to do any good ... except one could get to Marshall or Truman. I feel sure that if Marshall came to Italy with adequate powers, he would get decisions at least in relation to the allocation of arms and money for propaganda. The Representatives seem to be terrified of the home political set-up and I doubt if they are getting anywhere. The C.d'A. to the Holy See is worried lest he should be seen too much with priests!

I understand his Colleague to the Italian Govt has corresponding phobia. The British are not affected that way, but they are doing nothing.

If we could send a substantial sum of money for propaganda purposes out of S[ecret] S[ervice], it could be kept a complete secret. Even a few thousands would help ... and would be very gratefully received at the point where we appreciate gratitude most. If Civil war comes, and if it does
the Church will be the first victim, I have no doubt that volunteers from Ireland, well equipped, would be most warmly welcomed. They will only be one of many contingents.