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Varieties of Faith: Religion in Contemporary Nicaragua

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posted on 2024-06-28, 16:15 authored by Margaret Crahan
Abstract The current ideological struggle in Nicaragua between the Sandinistas and their opponents is focused, to a considerable degree, in and on the Catholic Church. Shedding their traditional conservative image in the 1970s, Catholic clerics and laypeople became heavily involved in the movement to overthrow Somoza and establish a more equitable society. Drawing on the conclusions of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the Latin American Bishops Conference at Medellin, Colombia in 1968, progressive churchpeople helped mobilize support for the Sandinista movement. Such efforts were strongly legitimized when in June 1979 the Nicaraguan bishops publicly declared their support for the insurrection on the grounds that the Somoza government was not licit given its frequent violation of civil/political rights, as well as social and economic rights. Since the overthrow of Somoza in July, 1979, political and ideological differences within the Catholic Church have reasserted themselves, particularly over the Marxist tendencies of some of the Sandinista leadership. Certainly tension is high not only between the Catholic hierarchy and the government, but also between progressive and conservative churchpeople. The former continue to support and cooperate with the government and include several priests who hold high public office. They also include a good number of foreign missionaries. The conservatives include most of the bishops and Nicaraguan clergy. The outcome of the current conflicts involving the Catholic Church is not yet clear. What is, however, obvious is that while the Catholic Church is no longer a staunch ally of the status quo, neither is it unified in support of revolutionary movements. Resumen La presente lucha ideológica en Nicaragua entre los Sandinistas y sus opositores está focalizado, en gran parte, en la Iglesia católica. Abandonando su imagen tradicionalmente conservadora, en la década del 70 los católicos (Clérigos y laicos) se fueron comprometiendo fuertemente en el movimiento para derrocar a Somoza y construir una sociedad más justa. Basándose en las conclusiones del Segundo Concilio Vaticano (1962-65) y en Conferencia del Episcopado Latinoamericano de Medellín (Colombia, 1968), los católicos progresistas se constituyeron en soporte del movimiento Sandinista. Tales esfuerzos fueron plenamente legitimados en junio de 1979, ocasión en que los obispos nicaraguenses declararon públicamente su apoyo a la insurrección basándose en la ilegitimidad del govierno somozista, a la luz de sus frecuentes violaciones de los derechos civiles, políticos y sociales. Desde el derrocamiento de Somoza, en julio de 1979, las diferencias políticas e ideológicas dentro de la Iglesia católica se han reafirmado, particularmente en lo que respecta a las tendencias marxistas de algunos dirigentes Sandinistas. Las tensiones son fuertes, no solo entre la jerarquía católica y el gobierno, como también entre los sectores progresista y conservador de la Iglesia. Los primeros continuan apoyando y cooperando con el gobiero, Ilegando algunos sacerdotes a ocupar altos cargos gobernamentales. Un importante contingente de misionarios extranjeros forma parte, también, del sector progresista, pero la mayoria de los obispos y sacerdotes son conservadores. El resultado del presente conflicto en el interior de la Iglesia católica es aún imprevisible, pero sin duda ella ha adquirido una nueva identidad. Ha dejado de ser un firme aliado de los sectores dominantes, aunque esto no implique que apoye unificadamente a los movimientos revolucionarios.

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Language

  • English

Temporal Coverage

1960s-1970s

Format

.pdf and online resource

Spatial Coverage

Nicaragua

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