The political and legal status of the catholic Church in Mexico: an evolutionary perspective

The history of the Catholic Church in Mexico is marked by a profound paradox: attachment to the faith and conservative values was one of the driving forces behind the struggle for independence (1821), and the Constitution of 1824 recognized Catholicism as the state religion. Yet by the first half of the nineteenth century, liberal influences were growing, resulting in the abolition of tithes, the nationalization of Church property, and the separation of Church and state under the Constitution of 1857.

The culmination of anticlerical legislation came with the Constitution of 1917, which prohibited, among other things, religious instruction in schools, Church ownership of property, and clerical participation in political life. Its strict enforcement by President Calles led the Church to suspend the administration of the sacraments and triggered the armed Cristero uprising, which drew more than 50,000 insurgents. The agreement negotiated in 1929 was never fully honored, and repression continued.

A gradual détente followed under President Cárdenas, who reached an unwritten understanding with the Church based on mutual non-interference. Diplomatic relations with the Holy See were not restored until 1992. The constitutional provisions currently in force have reinstated the Church's legal personality while maintaining the secular character of the state and a range of restrictions on the political activity of the clergy.