Preserving Unity: the Threats of Catholicism and National Liberal Support of the Kulturkampf

Western Oregon University Digital Commons@WOU

Academic Excellence Showcase Proceedings Student Scholarship

2021-05-27

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Recommended Citation Collver, Lillian, "Preserving Unity: the Threats of Catholicism and National Liberal Support of the Kulturkampf" (2021). Academic Excellence Showcase Proceedings. 294. https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/aes/294

This Poster is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Academic Excellence Showcase Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Preserving Unity: The Threats of Catholicism and National Liberal Support of the Kulturkampf Lillian Collver Professor Doellinger, Professor Goldsworthy Department of History, Western Oregon University

Introduction Source Conclusions The “Dogmatic Constitution Pastor aeternus ,on the Church of Christ” is My paper topic is the German a declaration of the first Vatican Council from 18 July 1870. It is an •My preliminary conclusion is Kulturkampf, which was the “culture war” official declaration by the Catholic Church that all Catholics are that the National Liberals and the German government undertook supposed to follow. The “Dogmatic Constitution” first establishes the other German politicians saw against Catholics in the 1870s to maintain Pope as the official, undisputed head of the Church, then it establishes Catholics as a genuine threat German national unity. My thesis is that infallibility of the pope’s declarations, and then the requirements for all to German national unity. the National Liberal Party, who supported Catholics to obey this declaration. In the 1860s and 1870s, there was •The doctrine of infallibility growing tension between the pope, European state governments, and the Kulturkampf, did not think they were combined with earlier anti- liberalism. The “Constitution” was a response from the Church to this betraying their values in their support. liberal declarations of the pope Instead, they viewed their efforts as tension.1 was the tipping point causing defending their country from the threat of “when the Roman Pontiff speaks EX governmental persecution of Catholicism. CATHEDRA…he possesses…that I Catholics. infallibility…in defining doctrine •Most historiography focuses concerning faith or morals.”2 more on the motives behind Image of the “Dogmatic Constitution” the perpetrators of the The German government, including the National Liberal Party, saw the Kulturkampf. I focus on the “Dogmatic Constitution” as evidence that Catholicism was a threat to justifications used by the the German nation. The Vatican Council released the “Dogmatic National Liberals, rather than Constitution” six months before Germany unified, and the presence of their motives. Catholics in Germany made addressing the implications of the •My thesis adds to the study of infallibility doctrine vital for Germany. The doctrine of papal infallibility religion in Germany, and how was one of the first concerns that started the snowball of decisions that persecution can be justified. led to the Kulturkampf. Because the “Dogmatic Constitution” made the pope the primary, infallible authority in the lives of Catholics, questions were raised immediately on the implications of the doctrine and loyalty of German Catholics.

Literature Cited 1. “First Vatican Council.” Britannica.com. Accessed 5 May 2021. https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Vatican-Council 2. “Vatican I’s Dogmatic Constitution Pastor aeternus, on the Church of Christ.” ewtn.com. Accessed 27 April 2021. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/vatican-is-dogmatic-constitution-pastor-aeternus-on-the-church-of-christ-243