1. Introduction
The mid-twentieth century introduced a divisive
age for the Catholic Church and the State in
Argentina. What was once a harmonious, forty-year
relationship soon eroded with the church breaking
away from President Juan Domingo Perón’s
government in 1955, when he adopted a policy to
no longer subsidize the church. For the first time,
the Catholic Church and the State separated in
Argentina.
Since then, the church has attempted to expand its
influence in national politics. The recent election of
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2013 prompted
me to ask the following: How did the election of
Cardinal Bergoglio and his emphasis on Catholic
social action affect this historical trend? How do
Argentine Catholics understand Bergoglio’s
theology? How have Argentine politics shifted
from the mid-twentieth century up to and after Pope
Francis’ election?
Through participatory observation, I studied this
historical and theological trend during my semester
abroad, where I was able to interact with porteños
(residents of Buenos Aires), as well as witness Pope
Francis’ influence on them.
Methodology
The majority of this research project was
conducted through my Independent Cultural
Immersion Project (ICIP) during my semester
abroad. I completed my research upon my return
to Holy Cross in mid-July.
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb. 1 – Jul. 5):
My investigation abroad was conducted through:
(1) interviewing porteños including retired
politicians, priests and a pastor, (2) reading
books/scholarly articles and viewing
documentaries on twentieth century Argentine
politics and (3) participatory observation –
visiting a different parish every weekend and
joining a lay sodality of Catholic adolescents
who participated in service work on Sunday
evenings.
Worcester, MA, USA (Jul. 12 – Aug. 1):
My investigation on campus was finalized
through: (1) reading books from Dinand on
twentieth century Argentine political and religious
history and (2) advising sessions with Professor
Carrasquillo.
Acknowledgments
Lic. V. Nicolás Koralsky, Academic Director for the
Holy Cross – Argentina Study Abroad Program
Professor Rosa E. Carrasquillo, Director of Latin
American/Latino Studies, Research Advisor
We thank the Holy Cross Summer Research Program in the
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts for financial support.
Results Conclusions
Since 1955, the Catholic Church in Argentina has
undergone a progressive reduction of Episcopal
authority in the political realm . Over the course of
my semester abroad, I discovered that the
consensus among porteños to have the church
revert back solely to a moral authority was split
more or less 50/50. This divide may potentially lead
to a slow erosion of the church’s influence in
welfare, education, and government, and an absence
of moral authority amidst the pleas of Pope Francis
to preserve it.
I concluded that Catholic theology is interpreted
differently across cultural exigencies and socio-
political regimes, and is ultimately transitional.
A. John and R. Carrasquillo
Department of Latin American/Latino Studies, College of the Holy Cross
Literature cited
. Buenos Aires:
Editorial Biblos, 2011. Print.
Ivereigh, Austen. Catholicism and Politics in Argentina
1810-1960. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995. Print.
Burdick, Michael A. For God and the Fatherland:
Religion and Politics in Argentina. Albany, NY:
SUNY Press, 1995. Print.
Further information
Professor Thomas Landy’s scholarly initiative on Catholics & Cultures
Books:
Oliva, Lorena. Cuestión De Fe: En Qué Cree la Argentina del Papa
Francisco. Buenos Aires: Sudamericana, 2015. Print.
Bergoglio, Jorge M. Nosotros como Ciudadanos, Nosotros como Pueblo:
Hacia un Bicentenario en Justicia y Solidaridad: 2010-2016. Buenos Aires:
Editorial Claretiana, 2011. Print.
Film:
Elefante Blanco. Directed by Pablo Trapero. Starring Ricardo Darín, Warner
Bros., 2012. DVD.
Justicialismo, Peró n’s Christian-based philosophy Triangular Conflict, Liberalism  Peronism  Catholicism
1983 –
present