The author discusses three issues which the fall of Austria-Hungary and the transition to Italy
created for the Trieste Church. He first deals with the legal-institutional aspect of the relationship
between the Catholic hierarchy, the lay powers and the society, with special reference to
the status of the Church in the Trieste society. He finally examines the standpoint of Vatican
towards me Slavic Church and the Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe, since this relationship
influenced fundamentally the attitude of the Trieste Diocese.