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The Beginning of Catholic Action in the Region of Gottwaldov and Veselí

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2012

Abstract

The task of Catholic Action which was started in June 1949 was to disorganize Catholic Church and to make priests to collaborate with and support the communist regime. It ideologically abused the original laymen movement in the church which was developing since the beginning of the 20th century.

On behalf of that movement the authorities tried to gain control over the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. After several meeting the Catholic Action was declared in early June 1949 and it soon spread into respective regions.

In the region of Gottwaldov a constituent meeting was held on 23 June 1949 and a month later the Catholic Action was founded in the region of Veseli. Main task of the members of the Catholic Action was to attract the subscribers to Catholic Newspaper, to attract followers of the Catholic Action, organize pilgrimages, etc.

In the south-east of Moravia the catholic Actuion did not get much of a support. Only one year after its work the authorities of the region of Gottwaldov observed that that the Catholic Action was on its decline.

The region of Veseli was presented as a deterrent example of what the Catholic Action should not look like and a year later the Catholic Action ceased to exist on a national level.