Giovanni Minzoni (born 1 July 1885 in

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...

; died on 23 August 1923 in Argenta,

province of Ferrara The province of Ferrara ( it, provincia di Ferrara; egl, pruvîncia ad Fràra) is a province in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Ferrara. As of 2016, it has a population of 354,238 inhabitants over an area ...

) was an Italian anti-fascist

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

priest who was killed by a fascist squad in 1923. Minzoni was born to a middle-class family. He studied in a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

and in 1909 was ordained

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

. The following year he was appointed deputy pastor in the town of Argenta (in

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

), which he left in 1912 to go to study in the Scuola Sociale in Bergamo, where he was awarded his degree.

World War I

Called up by the army of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...

in August 1916, he asked to serve as a

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

among the young soldiers at the Italian north-eastern front, and during a very critical moment in the

Battle of the Piave River The Second Battle of the Piave River, fought between 15 and 23 June 1918, was a decisive victory for the Italian Army against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. Though the battle proved to be a decisive blow to the Austro-Hungaria ...

, he showed great courage, for which he was awarded the

Silver Medal of Military Valor The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry. Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, ...

Antifascism and the scout movement

At the end of World War I, Minzoni returned to Argenta, where he joined the Popular Party ( Partito Popolare Italiano), the fore-runner of the Christian Democrats. Although this was a rather centrist party, he became friends with the

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

labor union leader Natale Gaiba, who was assassinated by the

blackshirts The Voluntary Militia for National Security ( it, Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, MVSN), commonly called the Blackshirts ( it, Camicie Nere, CCNN, singular: ) or (singular: ), was originally the paramilitary wing of the Nation ...

in 1923. This and many other episodes turned him against

fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

. In addition to his ideas about

social rights Economic, social and cultural rights, (ESCR) are socio-economic human rights, such as the right to education, right to housing, right to an adequate standard of living, right to health, victims' rights and the right to science and culture. Eco ...

, he became increasingly convinced of the need for cooperation, thus becoming an open enemy of the

fascist regime Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

that strongly favored corporativism. Minzoni opposed the introduction of the fascist youth movement, the Opera Nazionale Balilla, in Argenta, because he believed the young people of the town should instead be educated in the values of

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. After meeting Father Emilio Faggioli, who founded the scout group Bologna I in April 1917, and who became regional assistant for the Catholic Scouts in Emilia-Romagna, Minzoni became convinced of the virtues and good values taught by the

Scout Movement Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpackin ...

. He therefore decided to found a scout group in his own parish. In July 1923, Minzoni invited Faggioli to speak about the aims of the Scout Movement in the parish hall in Argenta. Local fascists vocally objected to the formation of a youth group not under the control of Mussolini and vowed that no scouts would enter the main square, to which Faggioli replied that the scouts would enter the main square as long as Minzoni was there. More than seventy scouts were subsequently enrolled.

Death

Increasingly in conflict with the local Mussolinian establishment, Minzoni was killed around 10:30 pm on August 23, 1923 by two fascist "squadristi", Giorgio Molinari and Vittore Casoni, who smashed his skull with a club; they were reportedly following orders of the local ''Console di Milizia''

Italo Balbo Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young a ...

, who was so shaken by the scandal that he had to resign from his post temporarily. All the accused were later acquitted at trial in 1925. Just before his death, Minzoni wrote in his diary: His death turned his prayer into reality, fulfilling a promise he made before departing for WWI:

Aftermath

The Italian newspapers '' :it:Il Popolo'' and '' :it:La Voce Repubblicana'', still partly free in 1923, covered the murder extensively, naming those directly responsible and their instigator,

. They were absolved at trial due to interference and pressure from the fascist squads and media. A new trial was held after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, when the fascists were no longer able to threaten and cover up the truth. The verdict absolved Balbo of charges, and condemned Giorgio Molinari and Vittore Casoni for second degree murder. After the war, Giovanni Minzoni became a symbol of the Italian

Resistance, and many books were written about the

martyrdom A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

of this lesser parish priest, widely known for his courage and sanctity. As of 2016, his martyrdom was still being commemorated by groups including

Azione Cattolica The Azione Cattolica Italiana, or Azione Cattolica (Catholic Action) for short, is a widespread Roman Catholic lay association in Italy. History In Italy in 1905, Azione Cattolica was established as a non-political lay organization under the dir ...

and the

Christian Associations of Italian Workers The Christian Associations of Italian Workers (''Associazioni Cristiane dei Lavoratori Italiani'', ACLI; alternatively translated as Italian Christian Workers' Association) are a widespread lay Catholic association in Italy. Its work is based on th ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

wrote the following letter to the bishop of Ravenna on the 60th anniversary of Minzoni's death:

Bibliography

In Italian

* Lorenzo Bedeschi, ''Diario di Don Minzoni'', (1965). * Nicola Palumbi, ''Don Giovanni Minzoni. Educatore e martire'', Milan 2003. *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minzoni, Giovanni People from the Province of Ferrara People murdered in Italy Scouting and Guiding in Italy 1885 births 1923 deaths Italian military chaplains Royal Italian Army chaplains World War I chaplains Deaths by beating in Italy Italian murder victims 20th-century Roman Catholic martyrs People from Ravenna Italian anti-fascists Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests