Catholic communism is founded on the belief that the principles of
social justice,
charity, and
communal living espoused in Catholic social teaching can be fully realized only through a communist social and economic structure. The Gospel has been described within the movement as a "sublime Labour Charter". This synthesis distinguishes itself from traditional Marxism by its rejection of anti-religious and materialist doctrines. Proponents drew parallels between Christian and communist ideals. Guido Miglioli, a leader of the "white Bolshevik" trade unions, argued that the message of the Russian Bolsheviks was ultimately Christian, asserting that peasants who fueled the revolution were "extraordinarily religious." He saw the
1918 Soviet Constitution as an "evangelical document" and framed its policies in biblical language, comparing the
redistribution of land to the provision of
manna from heaven, where no accumulation was permitted and all received according to their needs. When asked why he remained a Catholic rather than simply becoming a communist, Miglioli stated that "Christianity brought communism beyond the limits of earthly life." This sentiment was echoed by others who saw the two ideologies as compatible. The writer
Arthur Koestler, before his disillusionment with communism, observed that Catholicism and communism offered viable "theoretical blueprints of the future" and that Catholicism could complement communism by combining "the spiritual realm with the promise of social revolution." == History ==