Ecclesial Dissent in Italy in the Sixties

In the wake of the Second Vatican Council, Italian bishops influenced by the teachings of the Council believed the Church should be involved more actively in the plight of the poor. Similarly, some Catholic organizations in Italy decided to withdraw their electoral support from the Democrazia Cristiana, thus making a religious choice. The reactions to these changes were neither few nor slow in coming, as was shown by the positions of some cardinals and the rise of movements committed to defending tradition.