Catholic Church in Argentina

Colonial and Early Republican Period

During the Spanish colonial period, the Catholic Church became the dominant religious presence and social service provider in the Spanish holdings in South America, including the territory that would later become independent Argentina. Following independence from Spain in 1810, there were sharp disagreements within the national ruling elite over the degree of Church influence in the country. Not wanting to offend Spain, the Papacy condemned the revolutions sweeping South America at the time, creating a contentious relationship with the budding Argentine nation. Still, the first Argentine Constitution, promulgated in 1853 and which remains the basis of Argentina’s modern legal system, reserved a special place for the Catholic Church in the country through state financial support while also allowing religious freedom. Church-State relations in the 19th century were characterized by a series of conflicts between the Argentine government and the Church over the issues of compulsory secular education, civil marriage, and the governmental appointment of religious authorities. Argentina and the Holy See broke off diplomatic relations in the 1880s over these issues and went nearly 20 years before reestablishing them. Relations improved during the early 20th century, as various conservative administrations worked with the Vatican to set the basis for a mutually acceptable relationship, which involved, among other things, state permissiveness toward religious education in public schools.

Perón and the military regimes

By the 1950s, the increasing power of Juan Domingo Perón produced tensions between his administration and the Church over issues such as the attempted legalization of divorce and prostitution, and particularly state regulation of religious education. These culminated in an open confrontation between the two, which paved the way for a military coup against the regime by discontented and largely Catholic-inspired factions of the military in 1955. During the three subsequent decades, relations between Church and State were marked by conflict over human rights abuses and economic injustices endemic to the country’s succession of military-led dictatorships. The 1966 Concordat formalized relations between Argentina and the Vatican and specified Vatican control over appointments of religious authorities in the country. A brief return to democracy in 1973 gave way to increasing political violence and polarization, leading to another coup in 1976. The period following this latter coup was known as the Dirty War, which was characterized by serious and constant violations of human rights by the government as it sought to eliminate leftist opposition. The stance adopted by Church authorities during this period was ambivalent, ranging from the outspoken criticism of a few bishops to open support for the military’s efforts by a few others. The Church’s mixed ethical record through this period continues to haunt debates about the role of the Church in politics to this day.

Recent developments

With the return to democracy in 1983, there was a return to prior debates, including divorce, remarriage, and the status of children born outside of wedlock. Disagreement on these topics was strongest during the administration of Raúl Alfonsín, but thereafter relations between governments and the Church remained generally amicable. During his presidency, Carlos Menem was vocal in his support for the Vatican’s position on abortion, declaring March 25 the "Day of the Unborn Child," and was recognized by Pope John Paul II for his dedication to this cause, though several of Argentina’s preeminent bishops condemned his economic policies for the poverty they created. Relations between Church and state experienced some tension after the election of Néstor Kirchner in 2003. His administration clashed with Church authorities sharply over issues of abortion, contraception, and sex education, and castigated the Church for its willingness to accommodate the military regime during the 1970s and early 1980s. Kirchner was succeeded by his wife, Cristina Fernández, in 2007.

Contemporary affairs

In July 2010, Argentina was one of the first countries in the Latin America that legalized same-sex marriage, putting Argentina at odd's ends with the Catholic Church^[2]. Protesters, largely consisting of members of the Argentine Catholic Church and Evangelical and Protestant groups were sparked against the legislation, while demonstrating in front of the Congress^[3].

Argentina’s Synod of Bishops called upon Catholics to oppose politicians who supported the bill. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, has said that if a proposed bill giving same-sex couples the opportunity to marry and adopt children should be approved, it will ‘seriously damage the family.’”^[4]. At stake^[5], he stated is “… the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts”^[6][4].

Kirchner declared that "Argentina must leave discriminatory and Dark Age visions behind"^[7], and declined to attend the Te Deum Mass for the Argentinian's Independence Day, considered a long-term presidential tradition^[7]. Despite these public disputes, the Argentine government has also been criticized from the left for its institutional relationships with the Catholic Church.

Divisions by region

• Northwest — 10 dioceses: Añatuya, Cafayate, Catamarca, Concepción, Humahuaca, Jujuy, Orán, Salta, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán
• Northeast — 9 dioceses: Corrientes, Formosa, Goya, Posadas, Puerto Iguazú, Reconquista, Resistencia, Santo Tomé, San Roque
• Cuyo — 5 dioceses: La Rioja, Mendoza, San Rafael, San Juan de Cuyo, San Luis
• Central — 6 dioceses: Córdoba, Cruz del Eje, Deán Funes, San Francisco, Villa de la Concepción del Río Cuarto, Villa María; Greek Melkite Exarchate
• Littoral — 7 dioceses: Concordia, Gualeguaychú, Paraná, Rafaela, Rosario, Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Venado Tuerto
• Buenos Aires — 11 dioceses: Avellaneda–Lanús, Buenos Aires, Gregorio de Laferrere, Lomas de Zamora, Merlo-Moreno, Morón, Quilmes, San Isidro, San Martín, San Miguel, San Justo; Military Bishopric; Oriental Ordinariate; 3 eparchies: Armenian Eparchy, Maronite Eparchy, Ukrainian Eparchy
• Platense — 10 dioceses: Azul, Bahía Blanca, Chascomús, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Mercedes–Luján, San Nicolás, Santa Rosa, Zárate-Campana
• Patagonia-Comahue — 6 dioceses: Alto Valle del Río Negro, Comodoro Rivadavia, Neuquén, Río Gallegos, San Carlos de Bariloche, Viedma