Wouter Lutkie, Catholicism and fascism

Two years before his death, R.L. Schuursma and Sj. Vellenga interviewed the Catholic priest Wouter Lutkie from North Brabant. This interview discusses his views on Catholicism and fascism.

Wouter Lutkie was a Dutch priest who was constantly at odds with virtually the entire Dutch episcopate – yet was never excommunicated. He was an idiosyncratic, stubborn character and always went his own way. He was however not a loner. He conducted correspondence with hundreds of people, wrote many books and was active as a journalist for decades, especially for his own magazine Aristo. Lutkie was the only Dutchman to be on friendly terms with the Italian fascist leader Mussolini, with whom he was allowed seven private audiences. Lutkie had close ties to fascism, but was never charged with collaboration despite of investigations.

After the war, he continued his work as a priest without office and his magazine Aristo continued to exist. This had since become a literary journal. In early 1965, the magazine had to cease publication for good, due to lack of subscribers. To what extent Lutkie and his Aristo had been fascist or even national socialist remained the subject of much debate. This interview addresses this issue.

For more information about the interview and the interviewee, see: SFW work issue no. 8 (1995), p.31.