The church

Following the dissolution of clubs and societies, political parties and the print media, it was the clergy – almost all of whose members had remained in their posts – who filled the void that had formed following the persecution and emigration of politicians and teachers. They organised themselves as the Congregation of Devotees of St Paul. Organisations such as the Marian Society became centres of instruction and education. Choral singing was limited to church choirs, which also began incorporating profane songs into their repertoire. Members of the clergy also did the lion’s share of the work of teaching the Slovene language – the mother tongue of their flock – which they taught in the context of religious instruction. The Fascist authorities were well aware of the role played by priests and saw their activities as the last obstacle to the assimilation of the minority. Even during the period of occupation, numerous local priests were replaced by military curates. Later, local Fascist authorities waged a deliberate campaign against individual priests and demanded their replacement. From 1930 onwards they even faced prosecution.
Priests continued to sustain their people even during the Second World War. Many of them supported the national liberation movement and collaborated actively with it.