“The sole catholic church allied with nazism”: the Ljubljana diocese during World War II

With the words quoted in the title of the presentation, Friedrich Rainer, the Carinthian Gauleiter, characterized the conduct of Bishop Gregorij Rožman and his Catholic clergy during the Second World War in the Province of Ljubljana. This paper endeavours to fathom the underlying motivations behind this political alignment, which triggered a violent civil war in occupied Slovenia in 1941 that tragically tore the Slovenian nation apart – a legacy that can still be felt today. To comprehend the mindset of the Slovenian clergy, it is essential to look at the historical role of the Catholic Church in shaping Slovenian national and cultural identity throughout the 19th and first half of the 20th century. In a predominantly agrarian society, the Catholic clergy assumed multifaceted roles, encompassing spiritual, educational, political and economic functions, underpinned by the conviction that they were the sole interpreters of the nation. To be a true Slovenian was equated with being Catholic. With the beginning of the occupation and the partitioning of Slovenia among the aggressors – Germany, Italy and Hungary – in 1941, the emergence of a Liberation Front, led by the Communists was perceived by the Church in the Province of Ljubljana as a direct challenge to the established social order. Deeming this emerging movement as the paramount adversary of both God and the nation, Bishop Rožman opted to fight it, even if it entailed forging an alliance with fascist Italy and later the Third Reich. This paper will delve into the intricacies of this dynamic process, including the role of the Vatican in its evolution.