Catholic Party (Belgium)

Catholic Party French: Parti catholique Dutch: Katholieke Partij
Historical leaders	Charles Woeste Paul de Smet de Naeyer Jules de Burlet Auguste Beernaert Gustave Sap
Founded	1869
Dissolved	1945
Succeeded by	Christian Social Party
Headquarters	Brussels
Trade Union wing	Confederation of Christian Trade Unions
Ideology	Belgian nationalism Christian democracy Conservatism Clericalism
Political position	Centre-right
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Colours	Gold
Politics of Belgium Political parties Elections

The Catholic Party (French: Parti catholique; Dutch: Katholieke Partij) was a Belgian political party established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party (Dutch: Confessionele Katholieke Partij).

History

In 1852, a Union Constitutionnelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven (1854), and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections. On 11 July 1864 the Federation of Catholic Circles and Conservative Associations was created (French: Fédération des Cercles catholiques et des Associations conservatrices; Dutch: Verbond van Katholieke Kringen en der Conservatieve Verenigingen).

The other group which contributed to the party were the Catholic Cercles, of which the eldest had been founded in Bruges. The Malines Congresses in 1863, 1864, and 1867 brought together Ultramontanes or Confessionals and the Liberal-Catholics or Constitutionals. At the Congress of 1867, it was decided to create the League of Catholic Circles, which was founded on 22 October 1868.

The Catholic Party, under the leadership of Charles Woeste, gained an absolute majority in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 1884 from the Liberal Party in the wake of the schools dispute. The Catholic Party retained its absolute majority until 1918. In 1921, the party became the Catholic Union, and from 1936 the Catholic Bloc.

At the end of World War II, on 18–19 August 1945 the party was succeeded by the PSC-CVP.

Notable members

• Auguste Beernaert, Nobel Peace Prize in 1909.
• Jules de Burlet
• Paul de Smet de Naeyer
• Jules Vandenpeereboom
• Jules de Trooz
• Gustaaf Sap
• Frans Schollaert
• Charles de Broqueville
• Gérard Cooreman
• Henri Baels

See also

• Politics of Belgium
• Christene Volkspartij
• Rerum novarum
• Graves de communi re
• Het Volk
• Catholic Church in Belgium

Electoral history

Chamber of Deputies

• 1936 Belgian general election: 61 seats, 27.67% of votes
• 1939 Belgian general election: 67 seats, 30.38% of votes

Sources

• Gerard, Emmanuel (2001). "The Emergence of a People's Party: The Catholic Party in Belgium, 1918–1945". In Gehler, Michael (ed.). Christian Democracy in 20th Century Europe. Böhlau Verlag. pp. 98–121.
• Gerard, Emmanuel (2004). "Religion, Class and Language: The Catholic Party in Belgium". In Kaiser, Wolfram; Wohnout, Helmut (eds.). Political Catholicism in Europe 1918-45. Routledge. pp. 77–94. ISBN 0-7146-5650-X.
• Th. Luykx and M. Platel, Politieke geschiedenis van België, 2 vol., Kluwer, 1985
• E. Witte, J. Craeybeckx en A. Meynen, Politieke geschiedenis van België, Standaard, 1997