nito Mussolini rose to power. Pius XI who followed the fascist movement with interest feared the repercussions that would occur after what was witnessed during the war, yet he stirred the Church into an alliance with the new party even though plans were underway to form a coalition government with the socialist reformists that could have quelled the fascist takeover. Instead all clergy were ordered not to identify themselves with the Catholic party and to take a position of neutrality effectively paving the way for fascism.
             Mussolini realized that a good rapport with the Catholic Church was essential the Church represented a powerful institution that gover
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