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Religious Liberty in Argentina During the First Perón Regime, 1943-1955

Part of: Looking Forward, Looking Back: Christianity in Latin America and the Caribbean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

David F. D'Amico
David F. D'Amico
Affiliation:
Director of International Ministries in the South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.
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Extract

This article describes and interprets the ebb and flow of religious liberty in Argentina from 1943 to 1955, concentrating on the restriction of Protestant liberties. Most authors have not included the situation of Protestants in their discussions of the first Perón regime, but since new source material on the subject has become available, it may be treated somewhat objectively. The following essay will evaluate the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the intricate developments which led to the coercion of Protestants and will examine the role played by General Perón during the last year of his first regime as it affected Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Church History , Volume 46 , Issue 4 , December 1977 , pp. 490 - 503
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1977

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References

1. Canclini, Santiago, Papers and Documents relating to the Baptist Defense of Religious Liberty in Argentina, 1930–1960 (Nashville: Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1974)Google Scholar (hereafter cited as Canclini, Papers and Documents). For a comprehensive survey of the literature on the first Perón regime see Hoffman, L. Fritz, “Perón and After,” Hispanic American Historical Review 36 (1956): 510–528,Google Scholar and “Perón and After, Part II (Conclusion),” Hispanic American Historical Review 39 (1959): 212–233.Google Scholar In the first article, p. 515, he stated: “The relations between Perón and the Roman Catholic Church still need to be studied impartially.”

In the realm of religious liberty, even in specialized studies dealing with church and state relations, attention has been concentrated on the 1954–55 period when Perón became hostile toward the Roman Catholic Church. See Mecham, J. Lloyd, Church and State in Latin Amerlca: A History of Politico-Ecclesiastical Relations, Rev. ed. (Chapel Hill, 1966);Google ScholarPike, Frederick B., ed., The Conflict between Church and State in Latin America (New York, 1964).Google Scholar

Anderson, Justice, “Church-State Problems Among Baptists in Argentina in the Light of the Historic Baptist Perspective” (Th.D. diss., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1965),Google Scholar and Sweeney, Ernest S., Foreign Missionaries in Argentina, 1938- 1962 (Cuernavaca, 1970)Google Scholar discussed the issue of church-state relations in Argentina.

In 1972 an Argentine Baptist leader published his memoirs and brought to light the significant role of Protestants in the struggle for religious liberty. Canclini, Santiago, Los Evangélicos en el tiempo de Perón, (Buenos Aires, 1972).Google Scholar See review by D'Amico, David F. in Journal of Church and State 15 (1973): 481–482.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2. Enns, Arno W., Man, Milieu and Mission in Argentina (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1971), p. 184.Google Scholar

3. For a differing interpretation, more favorable to Catholic Action, see Kennedy, John Joseph, Catholicism, Nationalism and Democracy in Argentina (Notre Dame, Ind. 1958), p. 181.Google Scholar

4. Howard, G. P., Religious Liberty in Latin America? (Philadelphia, 1944),Google Scholar describes the role of the United States Roman Catholic hierarchy in defending Roman Catholic oppression in Latin America.

5. Mejia, Jorge, “Religious Freedom in Latin America,” in Human Rights and the Liberation of Man in the Americas, ed. Colonnese, Louis M. (Notre Dame, Ind., 1970), p. 208.Google Scholar

6. Carta Pastoral Colectiva del Episcopado Argentino sobre Ia Propaganda Protetante (Buenos Aires, 1945), pp. 24–25Google Scholar in Canclini, Papers and Documents, No. 66. All translations from Spanish are my own.

7. Sweeney, , Foreign Missionaries, p. 205.Google Scholar

8. “Las iglesias evangélicas reflérense a la pastoral del episcopado católico,” La Prensa, February 4, 1945, p. 14 in Canclini, Papers and Documents, No. 68. See also Stockwell, B. Foster, “Church Freedom in Argentina” The Chnstian Century, 04 18, 1945, pp. 492–493.Google Scholar

9. El Christianismo Evangélico en Ia América Latina, pp. 11–12, quoted in Canclini, , Los Evangelicos, p. 83.Google Scholar For the significance of the Declaration of the First Latin American Evangelical Conference in comparison with other religious liberty declarations issued by Protestant ecumenical bodies, see de Albornoz, Angel F. Carrillo, The Bans of Religiom Liberty (New York, 1963), pp. 49, 56, 83, 98, 139.Google Scholar For a report on the activities of the Evangelical Conference and its implications for ecumenism see Stockwell, B. Foster, “Latin American Evangelical Conference,” The International Review of Missiom 39 (1950): 76–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

10. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, pp. 76–80.Google Scholar For representative newspaper accounts see “Se denuncian trabas opuestas a Ia Prédica Religiosa Evangélica,” La Prensa, 13 March 1945, and “Entidades evangélicas piden que se les permita continuar sus transmisiones por radio,” La Nacon, 13 March 1945 in Canclini, Papers and Documents No. 93e.

11. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, p. 94.Google Scholar

12. Ibid., p. 96, Howard, George P., “Repression in Argentina,” The Christian Century, 27 07 1949, p. 892,Google Scholar provides a contemporary account of the situation and the role played by Roman Catholic clergy in positions of government agencies: “The assistant to the minister who has charge of all religious matters is a Franciscan friar.”

13. Scobie, J. R., Argentina: A City and a Nation, 2 ed. (New York, 1971), p. 262.Google Scholar

14. The first two decrees required registration of members of the religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church with the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

15. Canclini, Santiago, “El Decreto de Cultos no Carólicos, ha sido derogado,” El Expositor Bautista 39 (1946): 445–448.Google Scholar

16. Canclini, , Los Evangehcos, pp. 251–255.Google Scholar See Diario de Seciones de Ia Camaro de Senadores, 06 1, 1949, p. 256Google Scholar in Canclin, Papers and Documents No. 128.

17. Ibid., p. 224. Sweeney, , Forezgn Missionaries, p. 182Google Scholar declared somewhat naively that “such registry could be a formidable instrument of persecution in the hands of a tyrant, but de facto it has never been used as such in Argentina.” See Canclini, Santiago, “Intolerancia católica romana,” El Expositor Bautista 51 (1958): 451–453Google Scholar for a vivid example of the use made of the government “file” by Roman Catholic clergy to gather statistics about Protestants.

18. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, p. 145.Google Scholar

19. Boletin, , Oficial de In Nación, 08 26, 1953, p. 1Google Scholar in Canclini, Papers and Document, No. 176.

20. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, p. 178.Google Scholar

21. See Millett, Richard, “The Protestant Role in Twentieth Century Latin American Church-State Relations,” Journal of Church and State 15 (1973): 367–380CrossRefGoogle Scholar for a systematic and helpful classifkarion of issues faced by Protestants in different countries.

22. Goldwert, Marvin, Democracy, Militarnm, and, Vationaksm in Argentina, 1930–1966: An Interpretation (Austin, Tex., 1972), pp. 100–104:Google ScholarWhitaker, Arthus P., The United States Argentina (Cambridge, Mass., 1954), p. 141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarAlexander, Robert J., The Peron Era (New York, 1951), pp. 84–102;Google ScholarPendle, George, Argentina, 3 ed. (London, 1963), pp. 121–135;Google ScholarGermany, Gino, Policay Sociedad en una Epoca de Transición, 4 ed. (Buenos Aires, 1971), pp. 326–353.Google ScholarBaily, Samuel L., Labor, Nationalism and Politics in Argentina (New Brunswick, N.J., 1967)Google Scholar provides an excellent analysis of Perón's impact on the Argentine labor movement and labor's reasons for supporting him.

23. Perón, Juan Domingo, Peron Expounds His Doctrine, trans. and ed. Argentine Association of English Culture (Buenos Aires, 1948), pp. 11–12.Google Scholar

24. Perón, Juan Domingo, Del Poder al Exilio (Buenos Aires, [1958]), p. 30.Google Scholar

25. Badanelli, Pedro, Perón, la Iglesia y un cura, 4 ed. (Buenos Aires, 1960), p. 48,Google Scholar declared: “General Perón gave to the catholic world the unusual example of having been the only chief of state to beg Rome for the dogma of the assumption of Mary, a case which, I repeat, was the only one in the world.” See also Confalonieri, Orestes D., Perón contra Perón, (Buenos Aires, 1956), p. 47;Google ScholarPablo Marsal S., Perón y la lglesia (Buenos Aires, 1955), p. 130Google Scholar

26. Turner, Frederick C., Catholicism and Political Deveopment in Latin America (Chapel Hill, NC., 1971), p. 113;Google ScholarBadanelli, , Perón, la lglesia y an cura, p. 16;Google ScholarGoldwert, , Democracy, p. 106;Google ScholarWorcester, Donald E. and Schaeffer, Wendell G., The Growth and Culture of Latin America (New York, 1956), p. 893.Google ScholarConfalonieri, , Perón contrà Perón, p. 251,Google Scholar “En Ia misma Presidencia de Ia Nación se crea una Asesoría Espiritual, hecho desusado en los anales gubernativos, y es designado para el cargo, como es de suponerse, un sacerdote católico.”

27. Marsal, S., Perón y la lglesia, pp. 145–147;Google ScholarPerón Del Poder at Exilio, p. 31. Perón's political relationship with Pope Pius XII included, besides the previously-mentioned actions, the sending, in 1947, of the Jesuit Hernán Benítez as his envoy to the Vatican to communicate Peronist political philosophy. In return Pius praised the Argentine president for removing the lay and atheistic influence in public schools, for his success in working with the laboring classes and checking Communism, for his public demonstration of devotion to the virgin, and for the financial aid given by the Argentine government to destitute post-War European countries and especially to the Vatican.

28. Badanelli, , Perón la lglesia y un cura, p. 39.Google Scholar

29. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, p. 65.Google Scholar See also Whitaker, , The United States and Argentina, p. 141;Google ScholarHerring, Hubert, A History of Latin America from the Beginnings to the Present, 3 ed. (New York, 1968), p. 754;Google ScholarHoward, George P., “What Happened in Argentina,” The Christian Century, 04 24, 1946, p. 522;Google ScholarKennedy, , Catholicism in Argentina, p. 207.Google Scholar For Perón's stance immediately prior to the elections see Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, p. 280.Google Scholar

30. Blanksten, George I., Perón's Argentina (Chicago, 1953), pp. 230–237;Google ScholarCanclini, , Los Evangélicos, pp. 64–67;Google ScholarBlair, Carey, “Argentine Pattern,” Commonweal, 05 30, 1947, pp. 158–162.Google Scholar

31. Domingo, JuanPerón, La Fuerza es ci derecho de las bestias (Caracas, 1957), pp. 60–62,Google Scholar recounts the Roman Catholic pressure applied to him to suppress the liberty of Protestants.

32. Whitaker, Arthur P., “Nationalism and Religion in Argentina and Uruguay,” in Religion, Revolution, and Reform: New Forces for Change in Latin America, ed. D'Antonio, William V. and Pike, Frederick B. (New York, 1964), p. 83.Google Scholar

33. Marsal, S., Perón y la lgleria, pp. 148, 151–152.Google Scholar

34. Foreign Missionarie, p. 10.

35. Pike, , The Conflict between Church and State in Latin America, pp. 183–196.Google Scholar

36. Mecham, , Church and State in Latin America, p. 249.Google Scholar

37. Ibid.

38. Badanelli, , Perón, la Iglesia y un cura, pp. 151–155.Google Scholar

39. Donghi, Tulio Halperin, Argentina en el Callejón (Montevideo, 1964), pp. 70–74.Google Scholar

40. Goldwert, , Democracy, p. 121,Google Scholar suggests this factor as “the most feasible explanation of Perón's attack on the church.”

41. Turner, , Catholicism and Political Development, p. 113.Google Scholar

42. Whitaker, Arthur P., Argentine Upheaval: Peron's Fall and the New Regime (New York, 1956), p. 74;Google ScholarGoldwert, , Democracy, p. 121;Google ScholarSweeney, , Foreign Missionaries, p. 11.Google Scholar

43. Goldwert, , Democracy, p. 121.Google Scholar

44. Whitaker, , Argentine Upheaval, p. 75.Google Scholar

45. See Marsal, S., Perón y la lglesia, pp. 82–84Google Scholar for an account of the pressure applied to the hierarchy by some revolutionary priests working underground to make a public denunciation of Perón.

46. Whitaker, , Argentine Upheaval, p. 75;Google ScholarHerring, , A History of Latin America, p. 764,Google Scholar explains Perón's downfall exclusively on economic factors.

47. Hispanic American Report, 02 8, 1955, p. 39.Google Scholar

48. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, pp. 305–314,Google Scholar See also “Audiencia con el presidente de Ia Nación,” El Expositor Bautista 47 (1954): 206–208.Google Scholar

49. Canclini, , Los Evangélicos, pp. 316–320.Google ScholarWagner, C. Peter, Look Out! The Pentecostals are Coming (Carol Stream, III., 1973), pp. 19–22Google Scholar related in glowing terms the background and significance of Hicks' encounter with Perón.

50. Bautista, Convención Evangélica [Argentina], Actas e Informes de Ia Acamblea Anual (Buenos Aires, 1955), p. 36.Google Scholar

51. Mecham, , Church and State in Latin America, p. 249.Google Scholar

52. Sweeney, , Foreign Missionaries, p. 19.Google Scholar

53. “Excommunication of Perón,” America, July 16, 1955, p. 381.

54. “Peron: The Promise Unfulfilled,” Time, July 15, 1974, p. 75A.

55. “Extremaunción suministrada alex presidente,” La Prensa, July 2, 1974, p. 3. See Ibid., p. 6 for a declaration of the Roman Catholic hierarchy regarding Perón's death.

56. Pike, Frederick B., “South America's Multifaceted Catholicism: Glimpses of Twentieth-Century Argentina, Chile, and Peru,” in The Church and Social Change in Latin America, ed. Landsberger, Henry A. (Notre Dame, Ind., 1970), p. 60.Google Scholar

57. Turner, , Catholicism and Political Development, p. 116.Google Scholar

58. Mecham's, statement in Church and State in Latin America, p. 250,Google Scholar is questionable, “The Church emerged from its shame with greatly increased prestige.”