ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the Catholic Church and democracy as it emerged after the French Revolution in continental Europe, leaving aside the history of Great Britain, the Northern European countries, and the role of the Protestant Churches. It deals with the way Christianity has influenced various theories of democracy. The chapter looks at Christian Democracy which, especially after the Second World War, played an important role in establishing and consolidating democracy in various European countries. The ecumenical movement reminds that Christian unity has not withstood the passing of time. The Church’s relationship with democracy was for a long time conflictual, and this was also true for its relationship with Christian Democracy, which, especially in its early years, was a movement of religious, social, and political reform. The union of philosophical-theological and political-institutional elements meant the Church was faced with a difficult choice.
