Réseaux catholiques féminins. Une perspective de genre sur une mobilisation transnationale.
Abstract
This article is devoted to the transnational dimensions of Catholic women's movements before and shortly after the Great War. The main source material comes from the rich documentation of the Vatican's Secret Archives, namely, for the period under consideration, the extraordinary ecclesiastical affairs collection, that the Secretary of State and that of the Nunciature in France. The article analyses the birth of these Catholic women's movements, focusing on the role played by a religious secular institution connected to the Society of Jesus. These initially informal networks adopted a more formal shape when they joined the International Federation of Catholic Women's Leagues. The War interrupted the ties between members of belligerent countries. However, the networks were reactivated after the War under the control of the Holy See, confirming the ambiguous place of lay women within the Church hierarchy.
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