Gonella, Guido

Born in the family of a municipal employee.

He studied philosophy with a focus on the philosophy of law at the University of Bari and Pavia University . In 1928 he received a diploma from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. Upon completion of training, he worked as a journalist.

In 1928 he moved to Rome, where he received a second legal education. In 1928 he became the first chief editor of Azione Fucini, a newspaper of the Italian Catholic University Federation, in the 1930s. - Editor of L'Osservatore Romano , edition of the Holy See (1933-1940). This period includes his acquaintance with Giovanni Montini, the future Pope Paul VI . He was also a professor of philosophy of law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome (1962-1975). As editor-in-chief, he clearly took the position of the adversary of fascism and national socialism, especially with regard to the violation of political and religious freedom.

In subsequent years, he became an opponent of the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini and was detained in 1939, but was soon released thanks to the intervention of the Holy See. During World War II, he worked as a journalist for Il Popolo , a political newspaper of the Christian Democrats, after the war in 1946, was appointed its editor. In 1943, he was one of the authors of Codice di Camaldoli, a draft program of a Christian-democratic political and economic system for post-war Italy.

After the end of World War II, in April 1945, he became a member of the National Council, and in June 1946 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly . From 1948 to 1972 He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, representing Verona there. In 1950-1953 He was the political secretary of the Christian Democratic Party .

Repeatedly included in the Italian government:

• 1947-1953 - Minister of Education. In this post, he developed a 10-year school development program called the “Gonella Plan”,
• July-August 1953 - Minister of Justice,
• 1955-1957 - Minister without a portfolio, dealt with issues of administrative reform and the implementation of the Constitution,
• 1957-1962 - again Minister of Justice.

In 1966-1968 - Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies, as well as Deputy Chairman of the Library Control Committee. In 1969-1972 - Chairman of the election commission of the Chamber of Deputies.

In June-December 1968 and in 1972-1973. again served as Minister of Justice of Italy. Repeatedly holding this post, contributed to the creation of the Supreme Judicial Council, the reform of the penitentiary system and the updating of codes.

From 1972 until the end of his life he was a member of the Italian Senate. At the same time since May 1979, he was a deputy of the first European Parliament and his deputy chairman.

In February 1963 he was elected the first president of the Order of Journalists of Italy.

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