We explain what the Cristero war was in the history of Mexico, its causes, consequences and protagonists. Also, the end of the war.
What was the Cristero war?
In the history of Mexico, it is known as the Cristero War (of Christ, the Catholic icon), also called the Cristero rebellion, the Cristero War or Cristiada, a an armed conflict that took place between 1926 and 1929.
He pitted the government and the Mexican army against the Catholic militias who rejected the recent liberal measures of President Plutarco Elías Calles (1877-1945), mainly the Calles Law, which imposed restrictions on the influence of the Catholic Church. This conflict was inserted into the numerous post-revolutionary tensions (that is, after the Mexican Revolution) between the conservative sectors, of religious affiliation, and the liberal, generally anticlerical sectors, of Mexican society.
An important precedent of the Cristero war was the promulgation of the Constitution of 1917, which denied legal personality to the churches. In addition, it prohibited the participation of the clergy in politics, public worship outside the temples and deprived the Church of the right to own real estate.
In addition to this, in 1921 there was an attack on the Old Basilica of Guadalupe in which an attempt was made to destroy the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This attack failed and the belief spread among Catholics that it had been a miracle, which established the idea that they should protect their interests and their faith at any cost.
The Cristero War ended in 1929 with the signing of some agreements (called “arrangements”) between the government and the ecclesiastical authorities, mediated by the United States ambassador, in which it was resolved to return to the Church many of the properties that had been closed and to grant amnesty to the Cristeros who surrendered. However, no changes were made to the law.
Key points
- The Cristero War was an armed conflict between the Mexican government and Catholic militiamen (called “Cristeros”) that took place between 1926 and 1929.
- Its main cause was the rejection of the government's anticlerical policies, especially the Calles Law, which limited the influence of the Church.
- It concluded in 1929 with an agreement between the government and ecclesiastical authorities that promoted coexistence between Church and State.
Causes of the Cristero War
The main cause of the Cristero war was the promulgation by the government of Plutarco Elías Calles of the so-called Calles Law in 1926. This law reduced the permitted number of priests in the country and established various religious restrictions, including a modification of the Penal Code that established specific penalties for anyone who failed to comply with what was established by the Constitution in religious matters. With this, the president sought to limit the participation of the Church in public life and increase the power of the State.
The response of Catholic society consisted of a collection of signatures to request a constitutional reform, which was rejected. Subsequently, a boycott organized by the National League for the Defense of Religious Freedom was carried out against the payment of taxes and in favor of reducing the consumption of products and services provided by the State, which resulted in significant damage to the precarious economy of the moment.
Thus was born a strong social movement in favor of the right to free worship. Under the motto of “Long live Christ the King!” or “Long live Santa María de Guadalupe!”, they began collecting weapons and forming peasant militias with the idea that a military solution to the conflict was viable. The armed peasants were called “defenders” and “liberators,” although they were later known as “cristeros.” (It is unknown if it was a name chosen by the militiamen or if it was a derogatory term used by their enemies).
Consequences of the Cristero War
The Cristero war lasted for three years and It caused the death of some 250,000 people, including civilians and combatants. It also generated a wave of refugees to the United States that reached a similar number, mostly non-combatant citizens.
The arrangements between the government and the ecclesiastical authorities did not imply a change in the laws but did greater religious tolerance that favored coexistence between Church and State. The Church remained excluded from public decisions but was able to resume its worship activity.
On the other hand, the Church designated the archbishop of Mexico as interlocutor with the federal authorities, to avoid any type of political pronouncement by the bishops and other ecclesiastical authorities. However, some Catholic groups continued to oppose measures such as secular education during the 1930s and carried out acts of violence.
Protagonists of the Cristero war
The most relevant characters of the Cristero war were:
- Plutarco Elías Calles. He was president of Mexico at the beginning of the conflict and a central figure in subsequent governments. Nicknamed the “maximum leader of the Revolution,” he exerted a strong influence on the three presidencies of the period known as Maximato. With the promulgation of the Calles Law in 1926, armed conflict between the Cristeros and the government was unleashed.
- Emilio Portes Gil. He was elected interim president of Mexico (1928-1930) after the end of the Calles government and the assassination of Álvaro Obregón, who had been elected amid many political tensions. From the beginning he was a participant in the negotiations to restore peace.
- Enrique Gorostieta Velarde. He was a soldier who participated in the Mexican Revolution and was hired by the National League for the Defense of Religious Freedom to lead the Cristero troops, since he had disagreements with Álvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elías Calles. He was assassinated within the framework of the peace negotiations at the end of the conflict, perhaps so that he would not hinder the pacification process (although this possibility is not proven).
- José Mora y del Río. He was archbishop of Mexico City and made statements contrary to the provisions of the 1917 Constitution on religion that led President Calles to consider them an offense and promote the Calles Law. After the Cristero War began, he went into exile in the United States and died in Texas in 1928.
- Leopoldo Ruiz y Flores. He was bishop of Michoacán and appointed apostolic delegate by the Holy See in 1929. Together with Pascual Díaz Barreto, bishop of Tabasco, he was one of the clergy leaders who pressed the most to achieve an agreement with the government. After the end of the conflict he was condemned to exile by the government of Abelardo L. Rodríguez.
End of the Cristero war
The Cristero War It came to an end in 1929, after the arrival of Emilio Portes Gil to the government in 1928 and the beginning of a series of negotiations, mediated by the United States government and the Holy See.
A general amnesty was agreed for all Cristeros who surrendered although it is estimated that only 14,000 of the 50,000 combatants laid down their weapons. In any case, the model of coexistence achieved required constant negotiation, and some Cristero factions continued to carry out violent actions during the 1930s.
References
- Delgado de Cantú, GM (2015). History of Mexico. Historical legacy and recent past. Third edition. Pearson.
- Encyclopedia.com (2024). Cristero Rebellion. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. https://www.encyclopedia.com/
- Hamnet, B. (2014). History of Mexico. Second edition. Akal.
- Meyer, J. (1973-1974). The Cristiada. 3 vols. 21st century.
- von Wobeser, G. (ed.) (2014). History of Mexico. Economic Culture Fund.
