To the Students of the School of Fascist Mysticism in Sforza Castle (Via Trionfale From Augustus to Constantine)
By Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster
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The conditions of Rome after the Ides of March can be compared to the disastrous conditions of Italy after Caporetto. But just as the "Divina Mens" sent Octavian, so also in Italy there arose the Man of Providence, the Man of Genius who saved the State, founded the Empire and gave to the conscience of the Italians the most perfect national unity in the midst of religious peace. When Caesar Augustus extended his dominion over the whole world and proclaimed himself emperor with a universal peace, he himself was profoundly astonished by this marvel and attributed it to some of the powerful numina of pagan Rome; he did not know who it was, and yet he built a superb altar dedicated to this unknown numen who assisted him and led him to triumph: the Altar of Victory, which the Duce has ordered to be restored as soon as possible.
If Emperor Augustus had read the annals of Quirinus, the governor of Judea, he would have found the name of that mighty numen who led him to triumph: Jesus Christ! He made him a universal emperor because he wanted to use that empire as a very favorable social condition to found his spiritual empire in the world: the Holy Church.
As Tertullian relates, when the governor of Judea sent an account of the life and death of Jesus Christ to Rome, Tiberius Caesar was so moved and amazed at reading that account that he wanted to inscribe Jesus Christ among the Deities! He made a proposal to the Senate; but this proposal, unfortunately, was rejected. Tiberius, angered by the Senate's refusal, said: "And yet He will grow and will grow big enough to carry the whole world!" Emperor Eliogabalus tried again to inscribe Jesus Christ among the Gods: but the Senate still refused. Other attempts by other emperors, such as Alexander Severus, to inscribe Jesus Christ among the Gods always failed due to the obstinacy of the Senate. Finally we arrive at Constantine, who, thanks to the miraculous vision he had in the Alps and especially due to his miraculous victory, converted to Christianity, signed a religious peace in Milan and thus prepared to restore the Empire anew.
But history has wonderful recurrences. After sixteen centuries, there was another march on Rome and another edict of religious peace: the peace which was signed in the Lateran Treaty, which gave God to Italy and gave Italy to God. And the omnipotent and provident God, in honor of whom in December 1931, at this same school, Arnaldo Mussolini pronounced that famous speech which he wanted to regard as his spiritual and religious testament, God also wanted to give the Duce a reward that brings his historical figure closer to the mighty spirits of Constantine and Augustus, crowning Rome and the King with a new luxuriant imperial laurel through the work of Benito Mussolini. And while Pius XI sends missionaries to the ends of the world, the Italian legions occupy Ethiopia, thus assuring to that people the double advantage of imperial civilization and the Catholic faith in the common spiritual citizenship of that Rome where Christ is Roman.
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