Benito Mussolini – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mussolini was an avowed atheist,[69] however, motivated by a desire to consolidate his power in Italy, he submitted to baptism. Privately he remained hostile to the church.[70] Mussolini's earliest political pamphlet was titled God does not exist.[71] He was known to refer to priests as "black germs"[citation needed], he had a secular civil wedding[citation needed], and during speeches before large crowds he dared God to strike him dead.[citation needed] He also said: "Religion is a species of mental disease. It has always had a pathological reaction on mankind."[72] "The God of the theologians is the creation of their empty heads." "The history of the saints is mainly the history of insane people." "Science is now in the process of destroying religious dogma. The dogma of the divine creation is recognized as absurd."