Page 139 - La Grande Guerra dei Carabinieri - Flavio CARBONE

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militari impegnati nell’assistenza religiosa dei soldati, ma Desidero ringraziare Sua Eccellenza Mons. Santo Marcianò,
non meno importante fu l’apporto dato dalla Chiesa ca- Arcivescovo Ordinario Militare per l’Italia per avermi dato la
strense sul piano civile, sociale e culturale, rivelandosi possibilità di partecipare a questa significativa iniziativa culturale.
una realtà preziosa per l’Italia ed il suo popolo. Un sincero ringraziamento va a Mons. Vittorio Pignoloni per le
sue ricerche documentarie sui Cappellani militari.
Adolfo Parente

The Great War and military Chaplains:
Chaplains:

religious assistance, civil obligation and social support

he role of military chaplains during the first World has been studied from different perspectives. Thanks to
the documentary material of the Historical Archive of the Military Ordinariate in Italy, now freely acces-
T sible according to the provisions of the law, another story emerges that the author puts well in evidence. It
deals with the relationship with chaplains during the conflict, looked upon at the beginning with suspicion and
tolerated by lay officers who saw so many priests as a useless burden. In reality, the role of chaplains soon be-
came fundamental since they succeeded in supporting the faith of the soldiers in all moments of life at the front,
from the most peaceful during the organizing of the second lines to the more dramatic ones on the frontline and
during attacks against the enemy. Some particular and moving “Testimonies” of the Great War have emerged. In
this context, the Soldier Houses (born from the initiative of Don Giovanni Minozzi) were of fundamental impor-
tance; small lodgings, often huts, used as recreational places where it was possible to go during periods of rest.
In those places soldiers read books, magazines, and wrote to their families. Thanks to the interest of chaplains,
small discreetly furnished libraries were set up, according to numerous accounts, and pre-eminent among those
chaplains was don Giuseppe Bocchino (field hospital No. 232). Their work made it possible to provide postcards,
writing paper, books for reading as well as holy prayer cards, sacred images and religious texts. For example, don
Giuseppe Dall’Ora not only succeeded in establishing a military library but also to impart some notion of litera-
cy to the many soldiers who knew not how to read. The Italy of the early twentieth century suffered from a wide-
spread situation of illiteracy, which mainly fell on the working-class and poor masses, from which most of the
troops came from. And also in this field numerous military chaplains distinguished themselves.