ABSTRACT: At the beginning of January 1966, the Radicals established the LID - Italian League for the Institution of Divorce. In April of that same year, they presented the constitutive document specifying the goals and the organizational pattern of the battle for divorce.

APPEAL OF THE "ITALIAN LEAGUE FOR THE INSTITUTION OF DIVORCE"

Italian society is faced with the urgent, uncompromising solution of the problem of divorce.

No one must be allowed any longer to ignore the intolerable testimony of the often desperate and tragic sufferance of hundreds and hundreds of families that survive banished to illegality, of millions of citizens humiliated in the humanity of their interests and feelings as parents, children, spouses.

The Italian leadership cannot ignore that its responsibility is at stake faced to this major social issue, and that the State's moral maturity, political vitality and awareness, and the democratic autonomy of the qualified currents that form it will be judged according to this parameter.

A reform ratifying the dissolubility of marriage with laws of the State, after having been rejected or dodged for decades, with a pattern that seems to have united the most progressivist and the most reactionary forces of our country, would finally conform the Italian society to levels of civilization, life conceptions, laws and regulations that have long since been a characteristic of the civilized world.

We are asking the laws nothing else than to enable Italian citizens to live according to the common usage of our time; nor are we asking ourselves, as citizens, and each citizen of our country anything other than to organize ourselves and to struggle, engaging in an inflexible and rigorous civil battle for this purpose. And this because a nation cannot isolate itself, cannot reject conceptions that are the very basis of the civilization of our time; because a population that isolates itself from the other populations declasses itself both collectively and individually. When the opponents of divorce proclaim an alleged immaturity of Italian citizens to resort to an institutions which is widely accepted in other countries, they prove that all reactionary and backward positions share a fundamental contempt for the country on which they intend to prevail. When they defend the principle of the believers' subjection and juridical subordination toward their religious confession, thus denying the State any autonomy,

and basing on this argument their defence of the marriage regime in force in Italy, they prove to ignore that a contrary principle has successfully penetrated the Vatican Council II itself, after having conquered the vast majority of civilized States already decades ago.

No one is asking the Catholic Church to give up its spiritual laws, its traditions, its dogmas; no one is asking the Church to convert itself to the dissolubility of marriage.

The problem is another one: the laws of the State must be based on the need for a correct social order and progress, in order to ensure and promote the dignity and well-being of its citizens.

The indissolubility of marriage denies this well-being, denies dignity to too many citizens for the State to continue to ignore its damages.

No one can deny that the indissolubility of marriage favours a relaxation of morals, resorting to hypocritical compromises suggested by its very defenders to maintain it, to avoid clashing against the irrepressible reality of life and to cover and eliminate the most patent and disgraceful situations that are the consequences of it.

No one can deny the damage that the archaic system in force causes in the education of children and youths, and the absurdity that the persistence of ties, that are dead at the root, determines in the lives of so many families.

Nothing therefore, not different religions, nor political choices, even if they confront each other in the wide spectre of democratic forces, nor differently based moral choices seem to oppose the achievement of a broad unity concerning the pro-divorce reform. In fact, its necessity is already understood by the majority of citizens.

But if we want this to go beyond pure clamour, and is we want a new law to issue from this awareness, then it is vital for the pro-divorce position not to remain isolated.

The Italian Divorce League was created precisely to offer this majority of citizens the possibility of organizing themselves, of acting effectively and rapidly, of being firm and harmonious. It must be a major democratic force, direct, powerful, listened to and even feared; its goals must be must clear, its structures solid, it means adequate; it must consolidate itself immediately as an absolutely autonomous fact, void of any ideological subordination and party influence, capable of clarity and inflexibility.

The aim of the Italian League for the Institution of Divorce is both topical and extremely important. It is dutiful and at the same time hard to pursue. It will surely not be achieved without a widespread and consistent contributions and sacrifices. We invite all citizens to contribute their personal effort as well as to formally join the League. We await their response, confiding in the fact that a free population must necessarily be concerned about divorce.

Rome, April 4, 1966.

PRESIDENCY

BERUTTI Mario - Judge

BONESCHI Mario - Lawyer

BUZZATI TRAVERSO Professor Adriano - University of Naples

GALANTE GARRONE Professor Alessandro - University of Naples

FORTUNA Loris - Lawyer, Member of Parliament

LUZZATTO Lucio - Lawyer

MELLINI Mauro - Lawyer

PERRONE CAPANO Giuseppe - Lawyer

PICCIOTTO Ada - Lawyer

NATIONAL SECRETARIAT

FARANDA Giuseppe -

FILOTICO Giulia

FRISINI Gino

PANNELLA Marco

PARCA Gabriella

DIRECTIVE COUNCIL

ADDIS Flaminia

ANDOLCETTI Maria Luisa

ACCATINO Pierangelo

AVERARDI Giuseppe - (MP)

BANDINELLI Angiolo

BALESTRIERI Leonida

BONESCHI Luca

CARUCCI Giuseppe

CASTAGNA Giuseppe

CIFARELLI Michele

COFFARI Girolamo

DE CATALDO Franco

DE GORI Giuseppe

DEL GATTO Luigi

DE MARCHI Luigi

FARIOLI TURTURA Maria

FRIORE Nina

GALLI Giorgio

GALOPPINI Annamaria

GERLI FORMENTINI Annamaria

GIALLOMBARDO Salvatore

GODUTI Giantomasso

LOMBARDI Nicola

MACIOCIA Matilde

MANCINI LAPENNA Fausta

MAZZOTTI Giuseppe

MORETTI Silvana

OLIVA Carlo

PANDINI Attilio

PERILLI M. Antonietta

PIRACCINI Omelia

PUGLIESE Alberto

QUADROZZI Fausto

ROSSI Ernesto

RENDI Aloisio

SABATINI Alma

SANDESKI SCELBA Teresita

SALADINI Francesco

SPADACCIA Gianfranco

Comitato Promotore

ACCARDI Carla - Rome

ACCATINO Pasquale - Turin

ACCIARI Pasqua - Rome

ADDIS Flaminia - Rome

ALGARDI Leonardo - Rome

ALI' Salvatore - Romes

ALOISI Sig. Antonio - Rome

AVERARDI Giuseppe - Rome (MP)

AMBROSIO Renata - Rome

ANASTASI Luigi - Latina

ANDOLCETTI M. Luisa - Rome

ANGELICI Ezio - Rome

ANTIOCHIA Aldo - Rome

ANZALONE Carlo - Rome

ANZALONE Michele - Rome

BACHMAN Lea - Velletri

BACICALUPI Magda - Rome

BAGNASCO Manlio - Rome

BALDASSARE Maurizio - Rome

BALESTRERI Leonida Genoa

BANDINELLI Angiolo - Rome

BARAGHINI Marcello - Rome

BARBIERI Arianna - Bologna

BAROCCI Egidio - Rome

BARONCELLI Eugenia - Bologna

BARONE Sandra - Pescara

BARTOLETTI Cipiano - Rome

BARTOLETTI Mario - Rome

BARTOLOTTI Ada - Ravenna

BASADONNA Luciano - Udine

BASTIANELLO Edvaldo - Rome

BATTAGLINI Mario - Rome

BERUTTI Mario - Rome

BETTOJA Franca - Rome

BEVILACQUA Enrico - - Rome

BIAGINI Francesco - Rome

BIANCHINI Angela - Rome

BIANCHINI Maria - Rome

BIONDI Vincenzo - Rome

BLASI Maria - Rome

BOCCHINI Anna - Bergamo

BONA Rodrigo - Milan

BONELLI Franco - Rome

BONESCHI Luca - Milan

BONESCHI Mario - Milan

BONGIOVANNI Giorgio - Genoa

BORLANDINI Iris - Rome

BOSCHINI Maria - Rome

BOVI Ermanno - Rome

BOVI Guido - Ferrara

BOZZETTI Alberto - Rome

BROUZET Fernanda - Rome

BUONGIORNO Enzo - Rome

BUZZATI-TRAVERSO Adriano - Rome

CALVARESI Lilli - Rome

CANALI Annamaria - Rome

CANNAVO Paolo - Rome

CANTONI Annamaria - Udine

CAPUA Rocco - Rome

CARUCCI Giuseppe - Naples

CASADEI Sergio - Ostia A.

CASTAGNA Giuseppe - Catanzaro

CATENACCI Vincenzo - Rome

CELONA Letterio - Messina

CENSON RADICONCINI Gianna - Rome

CERIELLO Lelia - Rome

CHICCA Luigi - Rome

CHIOCCHIO Antonio - Rome

CHIOCCHIO Cesare - Rome

CIAMPINI Alfredo - Florence

CICCARONE Gaetano - Rome

CIFARELLI Michele - Rome

CIMINELLI Vittoria - Pescara

CEVES Giacomo - Rome

CLEMENTI Perla - Rome

COFFARI Girolamo - Palermo

COLIOLA Anna - La Spezia

COSENTINO Margherita - Rome

CONVERSI Marcello - Rome

CORSI Angelo - Rome (MP)

CRISTIANI Giuseppe - Bologna

CRISTORARI Ruggero - Rome

CURELLI Anna - Rome

D'ADDIO Wanda - Rome

D'AMICO Adriana - Rome

DE ANGELIS Fiorella - Rome

DE CATALDO Franco - Rome

DE FILPO Beatrice - Rome

DEGLI ESPOSITI M. - Rome

DE GORI Pino - Rome

DE MARCHI Luigi - Rome

DE PASCALIS Tommaso - Rome

DE PILATO Giuliana - Rome

DE SANTIS Carlo - Rome

DE SIATI Anselmo - Rome

DESIDERI Osvaldo - Rome

DI GIORGIO Nino - Rome

DI RAGO Giuliana - Rome

DOLLFUSS Roberto - Rome

DUBOIS Teresa - Milan

EREDE Ugo - Genoa

ERMAGORA Ennio - Rome

FADDA Emilio - Cagliari

FARANDA Giuseppe - Rome

FARINA Benito - Rome

FARIOLI Lalla - Bologna

FASANO Luciano - Asti

FERLAZZO Ernesto - Frosinone

FERRERI Paolo - Rome

FERIOLI Eugenio - Milan

FIANDANESE Antonio - Rome

FIDENTE Enrico - Rome

FILOTICO Giulia - Rome

FIORE Nina - Rome

FRAJESE Franca - Rome

FRANCESCHINI Licia - Rome

FRANCESCHINI Vinicio - Ferrara

FRANCONE Giuseppe - Rome

FRANDINI Giulio - Rome

FRANZ Bianca - Udine

FRASCATELLI Enzo - Rome

FORTE Nino - Rome

FORTUNA Loris - Rome (MP)

FRISINI Luigi - Rome

GALANTE GARRONE A. - Torino

GALLI Giorgio - Milan

GALLITELLI Emma - Rome

GALOPPINI A. Maria - Pisa

GARDI Manlio - Udine

GARRONI Emillo - Rome

GASTININI Gianni - Milan

GATTO Ludovico - Rome

GAUDIO Silvana - Rome

GERMANI Ella - Rome

GERLI Annamaria - Rome

GIALLOMBARDO Salvatore - Rome

GIAMMANCO Roberto - Rome

GIAMMONA Franca - Rome

GIANNANTONI Daniele - Rome

GIARDINI Leonida - Rome

GIARDINO Ivan - Naples

GIBERTONI Renzo - Rome

GIOVANETTI Mario - Rome

GIULIANO Antonio - Rome

GOI Gianluigi - Brescia

GRIMALIDI Domenico - Naples

GROSSI Manfredo - Rome

GROSSO Angelo - Genoa

GUASTAMACCHIA Giuseppe - Savona

GIUDUCCI Roberto - Milan

GUTTIERES Mario - Rome

GUZZONI Massimo - Como

IMBRIACO M. Stella - Salerno

INGHILLERI Ernesto - Brescia

IRRERA Vincenzo - Messina

ISGRO' Giuseppe - Rome

IURLARO Vincenzo - Rome

JANNI Marco - Milan

JORIO Giuseppe - Rome

LACORTE Carmelo - Rome

LANZA Tosita - Rome

LEONI Gianfranco - Rome

LESSONA Silvio - Bologna

LISI Antonio - Rieti

LOLLI Franca - Rome

LOMBARDI Elisa - Rome

LOMBARDI Nicola - Rome

LOMBARDO Enzo - Parigi

LONGO Claudio - Rome

LONGONI BOZETTI Stefania - Milan

LUZZATTI Margherita - Trieste

LUZZATTO Lucio - Rome

MACIOCIA Matilde - Rome

MAGGIORA Guido - Asti

MALARA Antonio - Rome

MANCINI Aldo - Rome

MANCINI Fausta - Udine

MANCUSO Emilia - Rome

MANGIALAIO Franco - Londra

MARAINI Fosco - Florence

MARAINI Elisa - Rome

MARTINETTO Claudia - Rome

MARTIN Emilia - Pescara

MARTINI Luigi - Pescara

MASSARI Renato (MP)

MAZZOTTI Giuseppe - Rome

MELCHIONDA Achille - Bologna

MELLINI Mauro - Rome

MICELE Nicola - Bologna

MICHELI Hilde

MILAN Giorgio - Rome

MILAN Luigi - Rome

MILITELLO Giacinto - Palermo

MONCADA Giuseppe - Palermo

MONTALENTI Giuseppe - Rome

MONTANARO Franco - Rome

MORETTI Aldo - Rome

MORETTI Silvana - Rome

MORINO M. Vittoria - Rome

MORONI Giorgio - Rome

MOSCHIN ANTINORI Enrico - Rome

NAPOEONI TERRIBILI A. - Rome

NATI Maria - Rome

OLIVA Carlo - Milan

ORANO Lucio Furio - Rome

ORLANDO Adele - Rome

ORSO Angelo - Rome

OZZO Giovanni - Rome

PALAZZOLO Claudio - Milan

PALESA Giorlana - Rome

PALOMBI Giuseppe - Rome

PALOMBI Lidia - Rome

PALOMBI Luisa - Rome

PAMPALONI Raffaele - Milan

PANDINI Attilio - Milan

PANNELLA Marco - Rome

PAOLUCCI Valeria - Rome

PAOLUCCI FALIANI Giuliana - Rome

PAOLELLI Ugo - Rome

PAPERINI Ornella - Rome

PASCA Gabriella - Rome

PERFETTI Aldo - Rome

PERGAMENTO Silvio - Rome

PERILLI M. Antonietta - Rome

PERISSICH Riccardo - Rome

PERRONE CAPANO Giuseppe - Bari (MP)

PERTILE Antonietta - Rome

PIACITELLI Enrico - Rome

PICCIONI Anna - Rome

PICCINATO Giorgio - Rome

PICCIOTTI Giulio - Rome

PIERACCINI Roberto - Milan

PICCIOTTI Ado - Milan (MP)

PIRACCINI Omelia - Cervia

PITONI Romolo - Rome

POCAR Valerio - Milan

POCHINI Paolo - Rome

POCOBELLI Aldo - Rome

PORCINA Giuseppe - Torino

POLI Angelo - Torino

PORRO Renato - Torino

POZZETTI Alberto - Rome

PORTA Maria Serena - Milan

POZZOLI Piero - La Spezia

PRANDI Carlo - Milan

PRINCIPATO Rita - Rome

PUBLIESE Alberto - Rome

PUGLIESE Giovanni - Rome

PUTOTTO Cesare - Rome

QADROZZI Fausto - Rome

RADENAC Jan Jves - Rome

RAMADORI Giuseppe - Rome

RAVINALE Irma - Rome

REALE Anna Maria - Rome

REGNO Cesare - Rome

REMIDDI Laura - Rome

RENDI Aloisio - Milan

RENDI Giuliano - Rome

RESTAINO Adolfo - Torino

RICCIARDI RUOCCO Maria - Rome

RICCIARDO Alfredo - Rome

RIZZO Franz - Rome

ROGHI Gino - Rome

ROMEGNOLI Lucio - Rome

ROMITI Antonio - Rome

RONCHITELLI Ennio - Padua

ROSAPEPE Giacomo - Rome

ROSSI Ernesto - Rome

AMODEO Rosario - Rome

POSENFELO Olga - Rome

ROSSI Rolando - Rome

RUGGERI Quinto - Rome

RUSSI Olga - Genoa

SABATINI Alma - Rome

SACCHETTI Ida - Rome

SACERDOTI Vittorio - Padua

SAIEVA Fernando - Rome

SALADINI Francesco - Ascoli

SALADINI Giuseppina - Ascoli

SALMAGGI Giovanni - Rome

SALVINI Matelda - Rome

SANDESKI SCELBA Teresita - Rome

SANDRI Giovanna - Rome

SARACENO Benedetto - Milan

SARACENO Pasquale - Milan

SARTI Vincenzo - Rome

SAVELLI Brando - Rome

SCHIERA Adriana - Pescara

SCHIERA Alessandra - Pescara

SEGRE Bruno - Torino

SEMPRINI GIORDANO Vera - Rome

SERGI Maria - Rome

SIERI PEPOLI Stanistao - Rome

SILVESTRI Stefano - Rome

SIRCANA Rfanco - Rome

SLAVICH Sonia - Pescara

SOBRERO Stefania - Rome

SORGI DEL GATTO Francesco - Pescara

SPINA Sergi - Rome

SPADACCIA Gianfranco - Rome

SPELLANZON Renato - Rome

SPINAZZE Domenico - Rome

SPINELLI Barbara - Rome

SQUADRINI Rossana - Rome

STAFFORD PILO Susanna - Rome

STRIK LIEVERS Lorenzo - Milan

TABET BENEDETTI Elena - Rome

TAGLIFERRI BALDONI M. - Rome

TENDAM Ab. - Rome

TENDAM Tina - Rome

TEODORI Maria - Milan

TEODORI Massimo - Rome

TERRIBILI NAPOLEONI A. - Rome

TERZI Luca - Milan

TOGNAZZI Ugo - Rome

TAMASSINI Mauro - Pescara

TORELLI Andrea - Rome

TRAMONTANO Bruno - Rome

TRANQUILLI Antonio - Rome

TREVES Anna - Milan

TREVES Aldo - Rome

TUGNOLI Gilberta - Bologna

TURTURA Maria Cleofe - Bologna

UNGARI Paolo

VALCARENGHI Marina - Milan

VALENTINO Rosa - Rome

VECCHI Enrico - Ferrara

VENTRE Rocco - Rome

VIGANEGO Pier Luigi

VIGO Fazio - Catania

VILLA Elio - Rome

VILLABRUNA Bruno - Torino (MP)

VOLPE Gaetano - Siracusa

BACCI Benito - Plombino

VACCARO Anna Maria - Torino

VERONDI Vlana - Torino

VIVIANI Agostino - Milan

ZECCA Pasquale - Rome

ZUCCHETTO Giovanni - Rome

ZITO Ugo - Rome

"The aim of the Italian League for the Institution of Divorce is both topical and extremely important. It is dutiful and at the same time hard to pursue. It will surely not be achieved without a widespread and consistent contributions and sacrifices. We invite all citizens to contribute their personal effort as well as to formally join the League".

Persons interested in joining the League may write to its home office in Via XXIV Maggio, 7 - Roma.