With the passing of Domenico Rosati, the ACLI loses not only a long-standing leader, but a historical figure who embodied the heart and memory of a crucial movement in the history of Italian social Catholicism. Born in Vetralla, in the Viterbo area, in 1929, Rosati linked his name to that of the ACLI, dedicating almost his entire existence to the promotion of workers’ rights, always maintaining a close connection with his homeland.
After graduating in Law and starting his journalistic career, he worked alongside Livio Labor in directing Social actionthe ACLI weekly magazine. Under his leadership, the periodical became a beacon of battle and debate during the turbulent phase of the Second Vatican Council, when religious and political issues were forcefully intertwined. His leadership coincided with the years of student and worker protests, the end of Catholic political unity and the first timid attempts at trade union unity. An era marked by ideological and social tensions that saw the ACLI at the center of the ecclesial and political scene. Elected eighth president of the ACLI in May 1976, Rosati led the association in one of the most critical moments in its history. At the time, the organization was facing a crisis in relations with the Church, aggravated by the socialist hypothesis advanced by its predecessor Emilio Gabaglio. A fracture culminated in the public deploration of Paul VI in 1971. Rosati, with intelligence and diplomacy, managed to re-establish ties with the ecclesiastical hierarchy, culminating in a historic meeting with Pope John Paul II in January 1983. Under his leadership, the ACLI not only did they strengthen the bond with the Church, but they also managed to rebuild internal unity, opening up dialogue with more advanced political forces and overcoming a rigidly classist vision of social relations.
One of the most significant moments of his work was the organization of the Palermo-Geneva Peace March in May 1983. The event, in which the United States and the Soviet Union were asked to find a compromise on Euromissiles, represented a clear example of ACLI’s commitment to international peace and justice, under the presidency of Rosati. His open dialogue with the Italian Communist Party, controversial at the time for a man coming from the Catholic world, found its culmination on 13 June 1984, when he was invited to speak during the funeral of Enrico Berlinguer in Piazza San Giovanni. An event that symbolically marked the recognition of his role as a bridge between the Catholic world and the Italian left.
Rosati was also elected to the Senate on the lists of the Christian Democrats in 1987, where he stood out for his political commitment, without ever betraying his principles. His famous decision to vote against the military mission in the Red Sea during the first Gulf War was a pacifist choice that distanced him from the political mainstream and probably contributed to his brief parliamentary experience, which lasted only one legislature. After his political experience, Rosati returned to his role as an intellectual and historian. He published important volumes on the history of the ACLI, continuing to collaborate with Caritas and always remaining close to the ACLI movement, participating in events and meetings, testimony to a profound love that never faded.
Domenico Rosati spent his life for social justice and workers’ rights, inspired by the light of evangelical teaching. With his wit and sarcasm that have always distinguished him, he maintained a constant presence within the ACLI, even after the end of his mandate, visiting clubs and offices throughout Italy. His moral and political legacy will remain a beacon for future generations. Domenico Rosati’s funeral will be held in Rome on Wednesday 16 October at 10:00 am at the Santissima Trinità parish in Villa Chigi. The ACLI rally around his large family in this moment of mourning, fondly remembering a man who gave everything for the good of the movement and the country.
