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Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.

They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Italy, Bavaria, France and Belgium.

Catholic Action is not a political party, although in many times and places this distinction became blurred. Since the World War II the concept has often been eclipsed by Christian Democrat parties that were organised to combat Communist parties in places such as Italy and West Germany.

Australia

A Catholic Action group was active in Australia, called "The Movement" and later the National Civic Council, under B.A. Santamaria. They were active in the Australian Labor Party, but were expelled by more left wing elements and went on to form the Democratic Labor Party.

Chile

In Chile Catholic Action was the name of a nationwide youth movement. Under the aegis of Saint Alberto Hurtado it was responsible for the founding of the Chilean Trade Union Association.

Italy

Azione Cattolica is probably the most active Catholic Action group still around today. Catholic Action was particularly well suited to Italy where Catholic party political action was impractical firstly under the Anti-Clerical Savoyard regime from 1870 until about 1910^[1] and later under the Fascist regime which prohibited independent political parties. The present association Azione Cattolica was founded in 1867 by Mario Fani and Giovanni Acquaderni with the name of Società della Gioventù Cattolica Italiana (Italian Catholic Youth Society), then reformed during the Mussolini regime when the association was structured into 4 sectors and was called Azione Cattolica.

Catholic Action in other countries

Catholic Action was organised in many other countries, including:

Argentina
Brazil (see Alceu Amoroso Lima)
Canada (see Catherine Doherty)
Croatia (see Croatian Catholic movement)
France (see La Croix)
Ireland
Poland (See Aleksander Cardinal Kakowski)
Spain, where it gave rise to Cursillo
United Kingdom
United States (See Friendship House and Catholics for the Common Good)

Notes and References

^ For example in the encyclical Custodi di quella fede [Leo XIII] asked Catholics to become more involved in forms of Catholic Action away from the "Masonic" state: "Masonry has confiscated the inheritance of public charity; fill the void, then, with the treasure of private relief." Para 18, Custodi di Quella Fede

IL FERMO PROPOSITO (On Catholic Action in Italy), Pius X, 1905

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[custodi-1] For example in the encyclical Custodi di quella fede [Leo XIII] asked Catholics to become more involved in forms of Catholic Action away from the "Masonic" state: "Masonry has confiscated the inheritance of public charity; fill the void, then, with the treasure of private relief." Para 18, Custodi di Quella Fede

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 *[[Liberation Theology]]
 *[[Political Catholicism]]
+*[[Student Catholic Action]]
 *[[Young Christian Workers]]