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Institutionalization and Evangelization in the Argentine Church: Córdoba Under Zenón Bustos, 1905-1919

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Arthur R. Liebscher S.J.
Arthur R. Liebscher S.J.*
Affiliation:
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
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Extract

To the dismay of today's social progressives, the Argentine Catholic church addresses the moral situation of its people but also shies away from specific political positions or other hint of secular involvement. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the church set out to secure its place in national leadership by strengthening religious institutions and withdrawing clergy from politics. The church struggled to overcome a heritage of organizational weakness in order to promote evangelization, that is, to extend its spiritual influence within Argentina. The bishop of the central city of Córdoba, Franciscan Friar Zenón Bustos y Ferreyra (1905-1925), reinforced pastoral care, catechesis, and education. After 1912, as politics became more heated, Bustos insisted that priests abstain from partisan activities and dedicate themselves to ministry. The church casts itself in the role of national guardian, not of the government, but of the faith and morals of the people.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 45 , Issue 3 , January 1989 , pp. 363 - 381
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1989

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References

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2 Tissera to Antonio Sabatucci, Dec. 14, 1884, “Notas particulares del Señor Obispo, 1884–1903,” p. 38, Archivo del Arzobispado de Córdoba (henceforth, “AAC”), Córdoba.

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6 Bustos, Sept. 2, 1905, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 14–15, AAC; 1906 decrees, nos. 1, 6–7, Sínodo diocesano, 1906, pp. 3–4; cf. similar sentiments in the decrees of an 1877 Córdoba synod, in Sínodo Diocesano, 1906, pp. 97–103.

7 1906 decrees, nos. 8–10, Sínodo diocesano, 1906, pp. 4–5; cf.Concilio plenario, nos. 99, 102–104, 106, 112–113, 119, pp. 71–81, 83–84.

8 Bustos to Américo Orzali, Nov. 29, 1912, “Comunicación del obispo a los prelados,” p. 106, ZByF, AAC; Bustos, “Carta pastoral,” Los Principios (a clericalist daily in Córdoba), Mar. 13, 1910, pp. 2–3.

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12 “Conferencias eclesiásticas de moral, litúrgica, ascética y teología: libro de actas,” 1905–1912, passim, AAC; Bustos, Sept. 29, 1909, and July 13, 1912, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 122–145, 206–207, AAC; Vicente F. Alvarez to López Cabanillas, n.d. (Apr. 4, 1910) and Apr. 7, 1910, López Cabanillas to Alvarez, n.d. (Apr. 5 or 6, 1910) and to Bustos, April 14, 1910, and Eduardo Rodríguez to Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto, Apr. 4, 1918, “López Cabanillas,” ZByF, AAC.

13 Bustos, May 14 and Dec. 20, 1906, Mar. 16, 1907, Oct. 20, 1915, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 23–24, 27–28, 42, 49–50, 280–281, AAC;” La Dirección del Seminario Conciliar,” printed letter, in “Algunas piezas de Juan C. Vera y otros,” 1917–1918, ZByF, AAC.

14 Bustos to Alberto Vassallo de Torregrossa, May 16, 1917, “Prelados,” pp. 195–197, ZByF, AAC.

15 Estanislao S. Zeballos to Bustos, Feb. 28, 1907, “Comunicaciones del gobierno nacional,” vol. 4, no. 38, AAC; Bustos, Mar. 5, 1908, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” p. 66, AAC; Bustos to Congreso Nacional, Sept. 12, 1912, to Ernesto Bosch, Aug. 25, 1913, and to Juan B. Brivio, Aug. 9, 1916, “Copiador de cartas, 1906–1919,” pp. 131, 145, 182–184, ZByF, AAC; Bustos to Vassallo de Torregrossa, May 16, 1917, “Prelados,” pp. 192–195, ZByF, AAC.

16 concilio plenario, no. 267, pp. 349–350; Bustos, Mar. 8, 1912, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 186–188, AAC; Juan Carlos Vera Vallejo to Bustos, Jan. 16, 1916, “Dávila y Vera; del seminario, informes de tres años,” ZByF, AAC; Bustos to Vassallo de Torregrossa, May 16, 1917, “Prelados,” pp. 197–199, 204–208, ZByF, AAC; Bustos, Dec. 7, 1916, “Visitas de parroquias, 1916,” pp. 3–4, AAC; Vera Vallejo, “La enseñanza del oratorio en el Seminario,” Feb. 21, 1918, and Familiar to Bustos, Mar. 8, 1918, “Algunas piezas,” ZByF, AAC.

17 Cabanillas, various reports, 1903–1904, “Notas particulares, 1884–1903,” pp. 94–149, AAC; Bustos, June 17, 1905, Apr. 13, 1914, and June 8, 1915, AAC, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 9–10, 240, 267–269; Bustos, Jan. 29, 1906, “Libro de autos y visitas pastorales, 1885–1916,” pp. 4–12, AAC; Bustos, “Dos pastorales,” n.d. (1915?), ZByF, AAC.

18 Bustos in Río Cuarto and San Javier, Nov., 1905, in Sampacho, Nov. 13, 1905, in Villa María, Oct. 26, 1906, in Cruz del Eje, Aug. 13, 1913, and José Anselmo Luque in Huidobro and Buchardo, July 31, 1913, “Visitas pastorales, 1885–1916,” pp. 29–32, 37–40, 384–386, 389–390, AAC; Inocencio Dávila, in Chilecito, July 9, 1917, “Visitas de parroquias, 1916,” p. 52, AAC.

19 Bustos, in San Alberto, Nov. 24, 1905, in Córdoba, Mar. 7, 1906, in Cruz del Eje, Mar 22, 1908, “Visitas pastorales, 1885–1916,” pp. 19–20, 40–43, 214–216, AAC.

20 Bustos, in San Javier, Nov., 1905, at the Cabildo Eclesiástico, Córdoba, Jan. 29, 1906, at the Córdoba cathedral, Mar. 8, 1906, in Cruz del Eje, Mar. 22, 1908, in Calamuchita, May 21, 1908, and Dávila, in San Francisco de Córdoba, July 11, 1915, “Visitas pastorales, 1885–1916,” pp. 4–20, 38–40, 214–216, 246–250, 432, AAC; Bustos, in Villa del Rosario, Aug. 13, 1906, “Pastorales de visitas, 1906–1909,” p. 57, ZByF, AAC.

21 Bustos, in San Francisco de Córdoba, Oct. 5, 1907, in Villa María, Oct. 26, 1906, and in Dalmacio Vélez, May 6, 1914, “Visitas pastorales, 1885–1916,” pp. 29, 79, 413–415, AAC; Dávila, in Río Seco, Oct. 15, 1917, “Visitas de parroquias, 1916,” p. 59, AAC.

22 Bustos, in Bell-Ville, Aug. 10, 1906, “Pastorales de visitas, 1906–1909,” pp. 62–63, ZByF, AAC; Bustos, in Bell-Ville, Nov. 23, 1915, “Visitas pastorales, 1885–1916,” p. 458, AAC.

23 Bustos, Dec. 15, 1911, and July 30, 1912, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920, pp. 182–183, 208–209, AAC; Bustos to Cabildo Eclesiástico, June 30, 1910, “Prelados,” pp. 33–34, ZByF, AAC.

24 Bustos to Cabildo Eclesiástico, Aug. 7, 1909, Dec. 14, 1914, and Nov. 9, 1917, “Prelados,” pp. 19–20, 144, 214, ZByF, AAC; Bustos, Aug. 14, 1909 (2 decrees), Aug. 8 and Dec. 17, 1910, July 7, 1911, July 20, 1912, May 10, June 3, June 7, June 10 and June 13, 1913, Feb. 26, May 9, May 12, July 4, and Dec. 17, 1914, Sept. 17, 1915, and Dec. 11, 1917, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 99–101, 148–149, 160–161, 177–178, 207–208, 225, 227–229, 230–231, 238, 245–246, 252–253, 258–259, 276–277, 215–316, AAC.

25 Bustos, Feb. 17, Mar. 4 and Aug. 20, 1909, Oct. 28 and Nov. 10, 1910, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 93–94, 101–102, 154–155, AAC; Bustos to Carlos and Enrique Iturraspe, Dec. 19, 1910, to Paz, Jan. 1, 1915, to Pablo Cottenot, Jan. 7, 1915, to Cárcano, Feb. 1, 1917, to Ministro de Hacienda de la Provincia, Aug. 22, 1917, to Rodolfo Reyna and Bermidio de Olmos, Mar. 21, 1914, and to José A. Ledesma, Dec. 31, 1914, “Copiador de cartas, 1906–1919,” pp. 94, 154, 168–169, 191, ZByF, AAC; Bustos to Cabildo Eclesiástico, Sept. 3, 1915, “Prelados,” p. 157, ZByF, AAC.

26 Bustos to Cabildo Eclesiástico, Aug. 23, 1908 (2 letters), to Ardiles, Oct. 18, 1911, to R.P. Guardián del Convento Franciscano, Oct. 25, 1911, to Ardiles, n.d., to Cardenal Prefecto de la Sagrada Congregación Consistorial, Sept. 1., 1919, “Prelados,” pp. 4–5 , 75–78, 97 , 253–254, ZByF, AAC; Bustos, Aug. 28, 1908 (2 decrees), “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 74–76, AAC.

27 concilio plenario, nos. 135–140, 674–675, pp. 90–93, 378–380; 1906 decrees, nos. 22, 223–224, Sínodo diocesano, 1906, pp. 8, 73–74.

28 Bustos to Garzón Maceda, Mar. 11 and Apr. 3, 1909, Mar. 7 and Mar. 15, 1912, to Julio Rodríguez de la Torre, n.d. (1914), “Copiador de cartas, 1906–1919,” pp. 68–69, 72, 114–116, 165–166, ZByF, AAC.

29 Bustos, Nov. 5, 1909, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 114–116, ZByF, AAC; Bustos, Oct. 18, 1912, in Los Principios, Oct. 19, 1912, p. 2; concilio plenario, nos. 154, 706–710, pp. 100–101, 402–405; see also the 1905 Buenos Aires decrees and the 1877 Córdoba decrees, and the 1906 synod, nos. 219–221, 230–232, in Sínodo diocesano, 1906, pp. 71–73, 76, 111–113, 191–193.

30 concilio plenario, nos. 676–677, 679, 681, 684, 686–687, pp. 380–388; 1902 Salta decrees, no. 69, and 1906 Córdoba decrees, nos. 225–226, in Sínodo diocesano, 1906, pp. 74–75, 178–179; Bustos, Nov. 16, 1909, Apr. 11, 1910, Dec. 30, 1913, Apr. 16, 1914, Sept. 18, 1917, Feb. 27 and Apr. 19, 1918, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 117–118, 146, 236, 244–245, 312, 319, 322, AAC.

31 Eduardo R. Ferreyra, Nov. 11, 1912, “Informe de las escuelas,” ZByF, AAC; Argentine Republic, Tercer censo nacional, 1914 (Buenos Aires, 10 vol., 1916–1917), vol. 3, pp. 374–483. The census figures represent the Departamento de la Capital, that is, the city of Córdoba and its environs; they exclude the town of San Vicente, which Ferreyra included in his school report.

32 concilio plenario, no. 656, pp. 367–368; 1906 decrees, nos. 15–17, Sínodo diocesano, 1906, pp. 6–7.

33 Compilaciones de leyes, decretos y demás disposiciones de carácter público, vol. 22, 1895 (Córdoba, 1896), pp. 359–360, and vol. 26, 1899, part 2 (Córdoba, 1899), pp. 230–231, 255–256.

34 Zeballos to Bustos, Feb. 28, 1907, “Comunicaciones del gobierno nacional,” vol. 4, no. 38, AAC; Bustos to M. Moyano, Dec. 26, 1914, and also to Presidente de la Contaduría de la Nación, n.d. (1909?), Bustos to Victorino de la Plaza, July 12, Aug. 13, Oct. 29 and Dec. 16, 1909, to Ezequiel Ramos Mejia, Mar. 9, 1909, Jan. 10, 1910, to Manuel Peña, Sept. 25, 1913, to A. Hudson, Mar. 15, 1913, and June 8 and 17, 1914, to Emilio Caraffa, Dec. 26, 1914, “Copiador de cartas, 1906–1919,” pp. 67–68, 71–73, 75, 78–80, 141–142, 147, 158–159, 167–168, ZByF, AAC.

35 La Comisión (Luis Alvarez, Ceferino de la Lastra, Francisco S. César, José D. Martínez, Nicolás Martínez, Rafael López Cabanillas, Bruno Ferreyra, Pastor Isla), “Los católicos en las elecciones nacionales,” n.d. (1912), printed; unsigned circular, April 7, 1912; Alvarez, César, J. D. Martínez, López Cabanillas, Ferreira (sic), and Isla, March, 1912, all in “Política del clero,” ZByF, AAC.

36 Liendo in Los Principios, Nov. 15, 1912, pp. 2–3, also Nov. 13, p. 3, Nov. 14, p. 2; Bischoff, Efrain U., El cura Brochero: un obrero de Dios (Buenos Aires, 1977), pp. 346–373.Google Scholar

37 Cámara de Senadores de la Provincia de Córdoba, El setenta aniversario de la Cámara de Senadores de la Provincia de Córdoba: su composición (Córdoba, 1941), p. 16; Los Principios, Nov. 15, 1912, p. 3; José Pío Angulo to José Rafael Ardiles, Mar. 10, 1915, quoted in Los Principios, Mar. 13, 1915, pp. 3–5.

38 Bustos to Brochero, Nov. 13, 1912, with copies to Liendo and Angulo, “Prelados,” p. 104, ZByF, AAC; Bustos to Pedro B. Navarro, Nov. 14, 1912, “Copiador de cartas, 1906–1919,” p. 134, ZByF, AAC; Los Principios, Nov. 13, 1912, p. 3, and Nov. 14, 1912, p. 2.

39 Los Principios, Mar 23, 1915, p. 3, Apr. 16, 1915, p. 3, and Apr. 28, 1915, p. 4; La Voz del Interior, Apr. 16, 1915, p. 4, Apr. 28, 1915, p. 5; Cámara de Senadores de la Provincia de Córdoba, Diario de sesiones, año 1915 (Córdoba, 1916), Apr. 28, 1915, pp. 6–36.

40 Los Principios, Mar. 13, 1915, pp. 3–4, and Mar. 14, 1915, p. 3; La Libertad, Apr. 8, 1915, a clipping in “Política del clero,” ZByF, AAC.

41 Bustos, lecture to pastors in late 1914, attributed to Bustos by Vicente Alvarez, in Alvarez to Bustos, Oct. 25, 1915, “Algunas piezas,” ZByF, AAC; Bustos, Oct. 14, 1915, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 289–291, AAC.

42 Alvarez to Bustos, Oct. 25, 191.5, “Algunas piezas,” ZByF, AAC; Bustos, Oct. 25 and Nov. 15, 1915, “Autos y edictos, 1905–1920,” pp. 283, 285–289, AAC.

43 Cárcano to Bustos, Apr. 2, 1917, “Cartas especiales,” no. 31, ZByF, AAC; Los Principios, Mar. 3, Mar. 27, Mar. 29, May 23, and May 31, 1917, p. 1.

44 Los Principios, Apr. 13, May 19, May 20, and June 6, 1917, all p. 1 ; La Voz del Interior, June 7, 1917, in “Política del clero,” ZByF, AAC.

45 de Senadores, Cámara, Diario de sesiones, año 1918 (Córdoba, 1919), p. iiiGoogle Scholar; Los Principios, Feb. 2, 1918, pp. 1–2, and Feb. 3, 1918, p. 7; La Voz del Interior, Feb. 23, 1918, pp. 4–5, and Feb. 25, 1918, p. 4; Bustos to Rómulo Arguello, Feb. 21, 1918, to Borda, Mar. 2, 1918, to Leal, Mar. 2, 1918, “Copiador de cartas, 1906–1912,” p. 193, 194–195, ZByF, AAC; Bustos to Leal, Apr. 19, 1918, “Prelados,” pp. 230–231, ZByF, AAC.

46 Argentina, Conferencia Episcopal, Iglesia y comunidad nacional, May 8, 1981 (Buenos Aires, 1981), no. 161, p. 61.Google Scholar