CATHOLICISM AND POLITICS IN ARGENTINA, 1810-1960

Catholicism and Politics in Argentina 1810-1960

Austen Ivereigh

M St. Martin's Press

in association with Palgrave Macmillan

© Austen Ivereigh 1995

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First published in Great Britain 1995 by MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world

This book is published in the SI Antony' slMacmil/an Series General Editor: Alex Pravda

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-333-62670-2

10 9 8 04 03 02

765 01 00 99

432 1 98 97 96 95

First published in the United States of America 1995 by Scholarly and Reference Division, ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010

ISBN 978-1-349-13620-9 ISBN 978-1-349-13618-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-13618-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ivereigh, Austen. Catholicism and politics in Argentina, 1810--1960 I Austen Ivereigh. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-349-13620-9 I. Catholic Church-Argentina-History. 2. Church and state­-Argentina-History. 3. Christianity and politics-Argentina--History. 4. Argentina-Church history. I. Title. BX 1462.2.193 1995 322'.1 '0982--{)c20 94--31880

CIP

To my parents

Contents

List of Tables

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Glossary

Introduction

PART I CHURCH, STATE AND SOCIETY IN ARGENTINA,1810-1960

ix

x

xi

xiii

1

1 Scholasticism and Secularism, 1810-1920 39

1.1 From independence to the fall of Rosas, 1810-1852 39 1.2 Catholicism and Liberalism, 1860-1890 49 1.3 Social Catholicism and the Triangular Conflict,

1890-1920 63

2 The Catholic Revival, 19208-19505 73

2.1 Neoscholasticism 2.2 Ecclesiastical expansion 2.3 Argentine Catholicity 2.4 The discourse of integral Catholicism 2.5 Social Catholicism before Peron

PART n THE CATHOLIC MOVEMENT IN ARGENTINE POLITICS, 1930-1960

73 76 82 84 91

3 Catholicism and Nationalism, 1930-1939 103

3.1 The coup of 1930 103 3.2 The liberal-conservative restoration 106 3.3 Catholic political alienation 112 3.4 The Spanish Civil War and the refutation of Maritain 119

vii

viii Contents

4 War, Crisis and Military Intervention, 1939-1944

4.1 The question of neutrality 4.2 The liberal decline 4.3 Integral Catholicism on the eve of the coup 4.4 Catholics and the June Revolution

5 Catholicism and Peronism, 1945-1954

5.1 Scholasticism in Peronist discourse 5.2 The secular-theocratic impulse 5.3 The bifurcation of Catholicism and Peronism 5.4 Prelude to conflict: the Church campaign

123

123 129 132 136

143

143 153 162 168

6 Eccksia contra Peronum, 1954-1955 175

7 Secularism Revisited, 1955-1960 183

7.1 The 'Catholic' Libertadora, September-November 1955 183

7.2 The 'Liberal' Libertadora, 1955-1958 189 7.3 The University Autonomy Issue 192 7.4 Catholicism and Frondizi 194 7.5 Epilogue 200

Conclusion 203

Appendix I Argentine Catholicity in Figures 213

Appendix II Text of Catholic Action's first flyer of leaflet campaign, 1936 219

Notes and References 221

Bibliography 251

Index 269

List of Tables

2.1 Unionised workers in 1941: non-Catholic/Catholic 95 3.1 Showing composition of Chamber of Deputies,

1930--1942 107 5.1 Results of the presidential election of 1946 in Buenos

Aires province: percentages by party/coalition 146 1.1 Number and size of dioceses in relation to population

growth, 1859-1934 213 1.2 Population in 1910 classified by religious belief and

nationality 213 1.3 Showing growth in membership of Catholic Action,

1933-1950 214 1.4 Showing relation of population to no. of dioceses,

1933-1961 215 1.5 Showing religious self-identification of Argentines,

1895-1947 215 1.6 Comparison of the number of pupils in postprimary and

secondary education whose parents opted in 1944 for non-Catholic morality classes; by province, in order of state school population 216

1.7 Numbers opting for sacramental marriage subsequent to obligatory civil ceremony, Buenos Aires, 1926-1946 217

IX

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the Economic and Social Research Council for the funding on which this research is based, and to the Interfaculty Committee for Latin-American Studies at Oxford for contributions to research expenses. Malcolm Deas supervised me with wit and geniality; the staff of St. Antony's College and the Latin-American Centre provided a friendly environment for study. Richard Mason at the Bodleian was unfailing.

In Buenos Aires, the board and staff of the periodical Criterio, and especially Elena Kiyamu, were endlessly accommodating, and I was also assisted by librarians at the Instituto de Cultura Re1igiosa Superior Femenina, the Biblioteca Nacional, the Jesuit Seminary at San Miguel, as well as the Federacion de Asociaciones Catolicas de Empleadas. There were many kind people at the offices of Argentine Catholic Action, where Claudia Avila furnished me with insights into the contemporary organization as well as transcripts of interviews. Sra. Magdalena dell'Oro Maini de Ayerza trustingly permitted access to her father's papers. Dr. Marcelo Montserrat allowed me to inspect Monsignor Franceschi's personal dossier. Zachary Karabell of Harvard University located important documents from State Depart­ment archives. I was also privileged to receive the assistance of a number of colleagues, some of whom were protagonists in the history that follows, some students of related issues, some both. Among many generous and patient people, Drs. Floreal Forni, Jose Luis de Imaz, Ricardo G. Parera, Emilio Mignone and Abelardo Soneira, were gracious providers of documents, advice and introductions, while Dr. Fortunato Mallimaci deserves a special mention for his hospitality, generosity and endless encouragement, and for sharing insights, documents, contacts, and interview transcripts from the Proyecto de Historia Oral del Catolicismo Argentino. Roberto Bonamino, Francisco Guido, Juan Gatti and Francisco Valsecchi were patient interviewees. Martin Eayrs and Pedro Towers were as ever hospitable. My brother furnished me with the technology indispensable to modem writing. Parents were, as ever, supportive.

AUSTEN IVEREIGH

x

Abbreviations

AASF

ACA AJAC

ALN AMAC

CCC CCO CFCCP

CGT

DNT

FACE

FORJA

GOU HAC

JAC

JOC LDC LNR PAN PC PDC PDN PDP PL PS SJ

Asociacion Argentina del Sufragio Femenino (Argentine Association for Female Suffrage) Accion Catolica Argentina (Argentine Catholic Action) Asociacion de las Jovenes de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Young Women's Association) Alianza Libertadora Nacionalista Asociacion de Mujeres de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Women's Association) Cursos de Cultura Catolica (Courses in Catholic Culture) Circulos Catolicos de Obreros (Catholic Workers' Circles) Centro Femenino de Cultura Civica y Politica (Female Political and Civic Culture Centre) Confederacion General de Trabajo (Trades Union Confederation) Departamento Nacional de Trabajo (National Labour Department) Federacion de Asociaciones Catolicas de Empleadas (Federation of Catholic Female Employees Associations) Fuerza de Orientacion Radical de la Juventud Argentina (Radical Party Argentine Youth Force) Grupo de Oficiales Unidos (United Army Officers' Group) Hombres de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Men's Branch) Jovenes de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Young Men's Branch) Juventud Catolica Obrera (Catholic Worker Youth) Liga Democrata Cristiana (Christian Democrat League) La Nueva Republica ('New Republic' periodical) Partido Autonomista Nacional (Liberal alliance) Partido Comunista (Communist) Partido Democrata Cristiano (Christian Democrat) Partido Democrata Nacional (Conservative) Partido Democrata Progresista (Conservative) Partido Laborista (Labour) Partido Socialista (Socialist) Sociedad de Jesus (Jesuits)

xi

Xll

STP

UAM UC UCJ UCR

Abbreviations

Secretaria de Trabajo y Prevision (Secretariat for Labour and Social Provision) Union Argentina de Mujeres (Argentine Women's Union) Union Catolica (Catholic Union) Union Civica de la Juventud (Youth Civic Union) Union Civica Radical (Radical Civic Union, or Radical Party)

UCR-JR Union Civica Radical- Junta Renovadora (Radical Party 'Renewalist' Faction)

UCRI Union Civica Radical Intransigente (Radical Party 'Intransigent' Faction)

UCRP Union Civica Radical del Pueblo (Radical Party 'Popular' Faction)

UD Union Democnitica (Democratic Union) UDA Union Democrata (Cristiana) Argentina (Argentine

UES [Christian] Democrat Union) Union de Estudiantes Secundarios (Union of Secondary Students)

UF Union Federal (Federal Union) UPCA Union Popular Cat6lica Argentina (Argentine Popular

VOC Catholic Union) Vanguardia de los Obreros Catolicos (Vanguard of Catholic Workers)

Glossary

andreismo: Gallican conception of the Church, associated with Mgr. De Andrea

argentinidad: 'Argentina-ness'

arrendatario: renter-farmer

barrio: city quartier or porough

cabildo: town council

caudillo: leader-strongman, associated in nineteenth-century Argentina with direct, local leadership on horseback, subsequently with political 'bosses'.

Concordancia: ruling coalition, 1932-43

corpus mysticum: scholastic notion of spiritual community (Sp. cuerpo mistico)

cura: priest: can be used derogatorily desarrollismo: 'developmentalism': technocratic-industrial ideology

associated with Frondizi desengano: stripping away of illusions; revelation of reality.

diezmo: automatic deduction of dues to Church

distinguidos: class of urban professionals and landowners

escuela neutra: education principle by which religious instruction during class hours is banned by law.

escuela normal: state school instituted in the late nineteenth century

Juero: traditional legal autonomy claimed by e.g. Church and Army

Juerzas vivas: 'vital forces' of national life: e.g. industry, schools, family etc.

gorilismo: hardline liberal anti-Peronism

Hispanidad: 'Spanish-ness'

Hispanismo: cultural, spiritual, racial and possibly political identifica­tion with Spain.

Iglesia Nacional: liberal-conservative Gallican-Anglican conception of Church

Jocista: JOC (Catholic Worker Youth) activist

XIll

xiv Glossary

justicialismo: 'Justicialism': Peronist state doctrine

laborista: member of Labour Party libertad de ensenanza: pluralistic education system, allowing private

universities alongside state universities, religious alongside secular.

mazorea: Rosas' secret police

metodo propio: particular method of operation and organisation

obrerista: labour activist

oligarquia vaeuna: Beneficiaries of agro-export economy; class of owners of large estates.

ordofiisla: Christian Democrat faction, associated with Manuel Ordonez

panjletismo: 'pamphleteering': method by which Catholics countered press restrictions during Church-state conflict of 1954-55

patronalo: spiritual privilege granted by the Pope to the Catholic Kings in the fifteenth century, which included administrative rights over the Church in Granada and the Indies. Claimed unilaterally by subsequent Spanish kings and independent Latin-American states, allowing them to control communications with the Vatican.

peninsular: South American born in Spain (vs. eriol/o, Spaniard born in South America)

peon: Spanish-American farm labourer

porteno: inhabitant of the City of Buenos Aires

sabado ingJes: non-working Saturday

sindieato unieo: system of union monopoly, associated with Italian fascism, in which the state recognises only one union per profession

superacion: overcoming and transcending political and social divide.

yrigoyenista: Radical supporter of Yrigoyen (vs. antipersonalista)