«Iddio vuole le guerre?» L’esegesi cattolica della Grande Guerra fra «ragioni» antiche, condizionamenti politici e «sentimenti» moderni

On the path of an ancient exegetical tradition, the Roman Catholic Church interprets the Great War as God's punishment for modern world's apostasy. Beginning from the refusal by Gioventù italica - the periodical of the Italian Catholic Youth Society - to accept this interpretation, this article focuses firstly on the resistances to the theology of punishment in 20th century Italy and France. Furthermore, the analysis shifts to the modern apologists of the theology of punishment (Benedict xv, La Civiltà Cattolica, Études), pointing out in particular the compromises they are forced to make in order to adapt their discourse to the modern «feelings».