The Catholic Church and the Nicaraguan Revolution
Encyclopedia
The role of the Catholic Church in the Nicaraguan Revolution is best described as an internal struggle between Marxist supporters of liberation theology
and opponents who sided with John Paul II and the conservative episcopal conference.
The Catholic Church was still traditionally loyal to the Somoza
regime at the beginning of the revolution, but as the revolution continued, acts of repression and human abuses became prevalent by Somoza and horrified the Church. Somoza engaged in violent tactics such as the authorization of bombings of major cities, some of which targeted the church in his attempts to hold on to power. Somoza soon began losing popularity among the masses, and slowly the support of the Sandinistas became more prevalent. Somoza’s constant use of the state for the purpose of his own interests increased and intensified the relations between the Church and state.
This reorganization of pastoral work led to the formation of Christian base communities (CEBs), which incorporated the laity’s importance in the pastoral mission. Religious activity at the grassroots increased and brought new vitality to the church. Peasants were unable to organize under the repressive Somoza regime, but under the CEBs these peasants were allowed to congregate and this is how the grassroots organizations were born.
The upper hierarchy of the Church was still opposed to the FSLN revolution, as the violent guerrilla tactics being used were not congruent with their Biblical beliefs. Bishops used religious arguments to promote a bourgeoisie solution to the crisis of the dictatorship, while lower clergy and the popular church used religious themes to legitimize the radical new society promoted by the Sandinistas. While the upper clergy recognized the excesses and abuses of the Somoza regime, they did not reject the major organizational beliefs of capitalism; they wanted a more humane capitalism run in a fair Christian manner.
A major contribution on behalf of the Church toward the revolutionary struggle was the Archbishop Miguel Obando
's sale of Somoza’s Mercedes to feed the poor, and his refusal to vote in the 1972 rigged elections which deeply weakened the legitimacy of the Somoza dictatorship. A major triumph for the Sandinistas was the November 1979 bishops issued pastoral letter, “Christian Commitment for a New Nicaragua”, in which the Bishops acknowledged CEBs and welcomed interaction between them and the base clergy. They also acknowledged the contributions of the Christians to the revolutionary cause and recognized the FSLN as the new political leadership.
Factors which contributed to the growth of the movement were the lack of priests and the exploding population, forcing clergy to look to alternative pastoral movements that would have long-term and lasting events for the church. With the emergence of military takeovers in the 1960s and 1970s, and the repressive measures which were incurred by the church, Liberation Theology acquired a strong foundation with the masses. It helped to unite all Christians in a struggle against these violent and corrupt dictatorships.
Despite many labour movements which were supported by the church, Liberation Theology did not push Christians into a Marxist ideology. Instead it became an alternative to those who could have been tempted to become Marxist. Liberation Theology did not give rise to an independent popular church, but instead helped to restructure and revise its existing political and social structures.
With the movement's support, also came strong protest, most strongly seen in the conservatives within the Catholic Church. They feared the movement inspired communist ideology, and tried to oppress its progression. This discontent was evidenced in the Pope's visit to Nicaragua in 1983 to show support for a conservative archbishop who publicly opposed the movement, and shouted "Silence" three times to the hostile Sandinista crowd. By the 1980s, the movement had lost momentum before even 1 percent of Latin Americans had participated in a Christian base community.
Church was divided between the pro-Sandinista “popular church” of which they were a patron, and the anti-Sandinista hierarchy. The Church was united in its opposition toward the corruption of the Somoza
dynasty but the clergy’s opinions about the Sandinistas diverged once the revolutionary government took power.
The Sandinistas and the “popular church” mutually supported each other. The clergy was inspired by the teachings of Liberation Theology
and adopted a “preferential option for the poor” with the goal of mobilizing the lower classes for social change. They followed in the tradition of priests like Father Gaspar García
. The Sandinistas also sought to foster amicable relations with the Church and therefore incorporated Church officials into prominent government posts.
The Catholic Church, headed domestically by Archbishop of Managua
Miguel Obando
and internationally by the beloved Pope John Paul II
, was extremely vocal in its opposition to the leftist Sandinistas on the grounds that they were proponents of “godless communism
”.
Initially the hierarchy was supportive of the revolutionary regime. In November 1979 the bishops published a pastoral letter entitled: “Christian Commitment for a New Nicaragua”. This was a unique document because it represented an attempt by the hierarchy to reconcile tensions with the Christian base communities and sought to foster good relations with the revolutionary government. Tensions between the hierarchy and state began to mount when the Sandinistas implemented social reforms in favour of the poor, which were perceived as deliberate threats to the Church’s authority. This was most vivid in the Church’s reaction to the literacy campaign of 1980. Initially the hierarchy was supportive of the campaign which was headed by a Trappist
priest, Ernesto Cardenal
, who later became the Sandinista minister of culture. However, the hierarchy began to oppose the initiative because of the involvement of Cuban
teachers who they feared would contaminate the population with Marxist influence.
The Church also voiced its opposition to several other Sandinista policies. On August 18, 1980, the Sandinistas published a report describing the nature of Christmas
celebrations in which they encouraged the population to respect the spiritual aspect of the holiday and to avoid materialism (i.e. it warned them not to drink excessively). The Church was opposed to the guidelines set out by the government because they perceived it as an attempt by the government to encroach on matters of religion. The Catholic Church also voiced loud opposition to the forced relocation of the Miskito Indians living along the Honduran border in 1982; the Sandinista actions were prompted by the fact that these Indians were aiding the contras by destroying their villages and crops. The Catholic Church also spoke out against military conscription in a document issued by the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference in 1983 entitled “General Considerations on Military Service.” The Archbishop urged the clergy to adopt an apolitical stand and put pressure on priests to resign from their government posts in the interests of preserving Church unity.
The Catholic Church's hard line opposition to the revolutionary government was brought to the forefront with Pope John Paul II 1983 visit to Nicaragua
. Both the Nicaraguan Catholic Church and the Sandinista government eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Pope. The Catholic Church believed that the Pope would give moral legitimacy to their efforts to combat the “godless communism” of the Sandinista government. The Pope stressed the importance of Church unity as the best way to prevent Nicaragua from being corrupted by godless Marxism and the encroachment of state supported "liberation theology". The Pope’s visit, coupled with the unwillingness of the Archbishop to condemn the contras, gave the contras tremendous moral legitimacy.
The vocal opposition of the Catholic Church prompted the government to silence criticism by curtailing the Church’s involvement in political affairs. They closed Radio Catolica, censored and then ultimately stopped airing the weekly televised broadcast of a mass celebrated by the Archbishop. Furthermore, by April 1983, the government announced that all sermons be submitted to the Ministry of Interior for prior censorship. Passages from the Bible were also censored.
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
and opponents who sided with John Paul II and the conservative episcopal conference.
Pre-Revolutionary Church-State Relations
The Catholic Church has a long history of close relations with the state and government in power. In the Colonial period, the Church acted as a check-up on conquistadors who pursued their own feudal interests contrary to those of the Spanish Crown and those of the Church itself. In the middle to late colonial periods, the Church served the crown in their failing attempts to curb liberal wanting economic independence.The Church and the Revolutionary Struggle
When the Revolutionary struggle began in the 1960s and 1970s with the Sandinistas, the Church did not support it. The ideology of the revolution was deep-set in Marxist values which were against religion. The structure of the Catholic Church was very religious; as such, they were threatened by the revolution.The Catholic Church was still traditionally loyal to the Somoza
Somoza
The Somoza family was an influential political dynasty who ruled Nicaragua as an hereditary dictatorship. Their influence exceeded their combined 43 years in the de facto presidency, as they were the power behind the other presidents of the time through their control of the National Guard...
regime at the beginning of the revolution, but as the revolution continued, acts of repression and human abuses became prevalent by Somoza and horrified the Church. Somoza engaged in violent tactics such as the authorization of bombings of major cities, some of which targeted the church in his attempts to hold on to power. Somoza soon began losing popularity among the masses, and slowly the support of the Sandinistas became more prevalent. Somoza’s constant use of the state for the purpose of his own interests increased and intensified the relations between the Church and state.
This reorganization of pastoral work led to the formation of Christian base communities (CEBs), which incorporated the laity’s importance in the pastoral mission. Religious activity at the grassroots increased and brought new vitality to the church. Peasants were unable to organize under the repressive Somoza regime, but under the CEBs these peasants were allowed to congregate and this is how the grassroots organizations were born.
Opposition from the bishops
The FSLN mobilized the grassroots organizations against the Somoza regime, thus using the Church as a revolutionary force. The upper hierarchy of the Church still feared the ideology of the revolution, as they wanted capitalism without Somoza. Clerics who opposed the revolution were also afraid of an emergence of a popular church, as the FSLN was promoting the popular church and diminishing the true church. There was much anxiety about the FSLN’s affiliation with the church, as the FSLN wanted polarization within the church which threatened the Church hierarchy. The Popular church was also considered deviant because of its affiliation with the FSLN politics.The upper hierarchy of the Church was still opposed to the FSLN revolution, as the violent guerrilla tactics being used were not congruent with their Biblical beliefs. Bishops used religious arguments to promote a bourgeoisie solution to the crisis of the dictatorship, while lower clergy and the popular church used religious themes to legitimize the radical new society promoted by the Sandinistas. While the upper clergy recognized the excesses and abuses of the Somoza regime, they did not reject the major organizational beliefs of capitalism; they wanted a more humane capitalism run in a fair Christian manner.
A major contribution on behalf of the Church toward the revolutionary struggle was the Archbishop Miguel Obando
Miguel Obando y Bravo
Miguel Obando y Bravo is a Nicaraguan prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the Archbishop of Managua from 1985 until his resignation on 12 March 2005. On 25 May 1985, he was selected by Pope John Paul II to be cardinal in Central America...
's sale of Somoza’s Mercedes to feed the poor, and his refusal to vote in the 1972 rigged elections which deeply weakened the legitimacy of the Somoza dictatorship. A major triumph for the Sandinistas was the November 1979 bishops issued pastoral letter, “Christian Commitment for a New Nicaragua”, in which the Bishops acknowledged CEBs and welcomed interaction between them and the base clergy. They also acknowledged the contributions of the Christians to the revolutionary cause and recognized the FSLN as the new political leadership.
Liberation theology in Nicaragua
Liberation Theology is considered one of the most important religious movements to emerge since evangelicalism. It represented a new form of religious and political thought that brought together both the Catholic and Protestant Churches . The movement has often been criticized for not being a truly Latin American phenomenon, but instead a reiteration of European theology. However, what distinguishes it from Europe and makes it a distinctly Latin American commodity is its focus on the rebuilding of the economic infrastructure, the detest of foreign influence, and the move away from the internal fragmentations which held the people of Nicaragua in a state of servitude.Factors which contributed to the growth of the movement were the lack of priests and the exploding population, forcing clergy to look to alternative pastoral movements that would have long-term and lasting events for the church. With the emergence of military takeovers in the 1960s and 1970s, and the repressive measures which were incurred by the church, Liberation Theology acquired a strong foundation with the masses. It helped to unite all Christians in a struggle against these violent and corrupt dictatorships.
Despite many labour movements which were supported by the church, Liberation Theology did not push Christians into a Marxist ideology. Instead it became an alternative to those who could have been tempted to become Marxist. Liberation Theology did not give rise to an independent popular church, but instead helped to restructure and revise its existing political and social structures.
With the movement's support, also came strong protest, most strongly seen in the conservatives within the Catholic Church. They feared the movement inspired communist ideology, and tried to oppress its progression. This discontent was evidenced in the Pope's visit to Nicaragua in 1983 to show support for a conservative archbishop who publicly opposed the movement, and shouted "Silence" three times to the hostile Sandinista crowd. By the 1980s, the movement had lost momentum before even 1 percent of Latin Americans had participated in a Christian base community.
Relationship during Sandinista rule
During the period of Sandinista rule (1979–1990) the Nicaraguan CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church was divided between the pro-Sandinista “popular church” of which they were a patron, and the anti-Sandinista hierarchy. The Church was united in its opposition toward the corruption of the Somoza
Somoza
The Somoza family was an influential political dynasty who ruled Nicaragua as an hereditary dictatorship. Their influence exceeded their combined 43 years in the de facto presidency, as they were the power behind the other presidents of the time through their control of the National Guard...
dynasty but the clergy’s opinions about the Sandinistas diverged once the revolutionary government took power.
The Sandinistas and the “popular church” mutually supported each other. The clergy was inspired by the teachings of Liberation Theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
and adopted a “preferential option for the poor” with the goal of mobilizing the lower classes for social change. They followed in the tradition of priests like Father Gaspar García
Gaspar García Laviana
Father Gaspar García Laviana was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest who took up arms to fight as soldier in Nicaragua with the Sandinista National Liberation Front in 1977.-Early life:...
. The Sandinistas also sought to foster amicable relations with the Church and therefore incorporated Church officials into prominent government posts.
The Catholic Church, headed domestically by Archbishop of Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
Miguel Obando
Miguel Obando y Bravo
Miguel Obando y Bravo is a Nicaraguan prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the Archbishop of Managua from 1985 until his resignation on 12 March 2005. On 25 May 1985, he was selected by Pope John Paul II to be cardinal in Central America...
and internationally by the beloved Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, was extremely vocal in its opposition to the leftist Sandinistas on the grounds that they were proponents of “godless communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
”.
Initially the hierarchy was supportive of the revolutionary regime. In November 1979 the bishops published a pastoral letter entitled: “Christian Commitment for a New Nicaragua”. This was a unique document because it represented an attempt by the hierarchy to reconcile tensions with the Christian base communities and sought to foster good relations with the revolutionary government. Tensions between the hierarchy and state began to mount when the Sandinistas implemented social reforms in favour of the poor, which were perceived as deliberate threats to the Church’s authority. This was most vivid in the Church’s reaction to the literacy campaign of 1980. Initially the hierarchy was supportive of the campaign which was headed by a Trappist
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
priest, Ernesto Cardenal
Ernesto Cardenal
Reverend Father Ernesto Cardenal Martínez is a Nicaraguan Catholic priest and was one of the most famous liberation theologians of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, a party he has since left. From 1979 to 1987 he served as Nicaragua's first culture minister. He is also famous as a poet...
, who later became the Sandinista minister of culture. However, the hierarchy began to oppose the initiative because of the involvement of Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
teachers who they feared would contaminate the population with Marxist influence.
The Church also voiced its opposition to several other Sandinista policies. On August 18, 1980, the Sandinistas published a report describing the nature of Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
celebrations in which they encouraged the population to respect the spiritual aspect of the holiday and to avoid materialism (i.e. it warned them not to drink excessively). The Church was opposed to the guidelines set out by the government because they perceived it as an attempt by the government to encroach on matters of religion. The Catholic Church also voiced loud opposition to the forced relocation of the Miskito Indians living along the Honduran border in 1982; the Sandinista actions were prompted by the fact that these Indians were aiding the contras by destroying their villages and crops. The Catholic Church also spoke out against military conscription in a document issued by the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference in 1983 entitled “General Considerations on Military Service.” The Archbishop urged the clergy to adopt an apolitical stand and put pressure on priests to resign from their government posts in the interests of preserving Church unity.
The Catholic Church's hard line opposition to the revolutionary government was brought to the forefront with Pope John Paul II 1983 visit to Nicaragua
Pope John Paul II 1983 visit to Nicaragua
In March 1983 Pope John Paul II made a pastoral visit to Nicaragua. The visit took place amidst the ongoing Contra war. This was a period of extreme polarization between the Nicaraguan Catholic hierarchy and popular sectors of the Nicaraguan Church and heightened tensions between the hierarchy and...
. Both the Nicaraguan Catholic Church and the Sandinista government eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Pope. The Catholic Church believed that the Pope would give moral legitimacy to their efforts to combat the “godless communism” of the Sandinista government. The Pope stressed the importance of Church unity as the best way to prevent Nicaragua from being corrupted by godless Marxism and the encroachment of state supported "liberation theology". The Pope’s visit, coupled with the unwillingness of the Archbishop to condemn the contras, gave the contras tremendous moral legitimacy.
The vocal opposition of the Catholic Church prompted the government to silence criticism by curtailing the Church’s involvement in political affairs. They closed Radio Catolica, censored and then ultimately stopped airing the weekly televised broadcast of a mass celebrated by the Archbishop. Furthermore, by April 1983, the government announced that all sermons be submitted to the Ministry of Interior for prior censorship. Passages from the Bible were also censored.