How the Church Under Pius XII Addressed Decolonization: The Issue of Algerian Independence

By paying attention to Algerian Independence, this book reconstructs the action of the Catholic Church regarding the issues of the spread of Islam in colonies, to Arab nationalism, Marxist propaganda in non-European countries, and the effects of the Algerian crisis upon the French political system. The complex relations between the Holy See and France, as well as those between the Vatican and the Episcopates and clergy of the overseas territories, are vital aspects of decolonisation, a topic which, to date, has been overlooked by historiography because of the impossibility of accessing documents relating to the pontificate of Pius XII (1939-1958) held in the Vatican archives. The opening in March 2020 of the archives of Pius XII, the Pope who had succeeded in imposing the strategic role of the Holy See upon the international scene, has made a vast amount of unpublished documentary material available to scholars. This book is useful for all students and scholars interested in the Cold War, the history of contemporary Europe, the history of the Church, postcolonial studies, and religious phenomenon in post-World War II Europe.

About the Author

Marialuisa Lucia Sergio is Associate professor in Contemporary History at Roma Tre University. Her research interests focus on the Christian inspired political movements and on the contemporary Roman Catholic Church. Among her latest publications: The European Union of Christian Democrats and the controversy regarding the Spanish accession to the EC in the 1970s (2022 ); Il Secondo dopoguerra in Spagna nelle carte italiane e vaticane (2021); Bonaventura Cerretti and the Impossible Missions (2020), Diario di Alcide De Gasperi 1930-1943 (2018).