Catholic Party (Belgium)


The Catholic Party was a Belgian political party established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party. In 1921, the party became the Catholic Union, and from 1936 the Catholic Block.

History

In 1852, a Union Constitutionnelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven, and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections. On 11 July 1864 the Federation of Catholic Circles and Conservative Associations was created.
The other group which contributed to the party were the Catholic Cercles, of which the eldest had been founded in Bruges. The Malines Congresses in 1863, 1864, and 1867 brought together Ultramontanes or Confessionals and the Liberal-Catholics or Constitutionals. At the Congress of 1867, it was decided to create the League of Catholic Circles, which was founded on 22 October 1868.
The Catholic Party, under the leadership of Charles Woeste, gained an absolute majority in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 1884 from the Liberal Party in the wake of the schools dispute. The Catholic Party retained its absolute majority until 1918. In 1921, the party became the Catholic Union, and from 1936 the Catholic Block.
The party remained almost entirely inactive during the German occupation of Belgium during World War II and was officially disbanded on 5 February 1945. A successor party was founded on 18-19 August 1945 in the form of Christian Social Party.

Notable members

Electoral history

Chamber of Deputies