RELIGION

1816 : The parliament of Rio de La Plata declares its independence from Spain. With the objective to maintain the order in the unstable new nations, the recently formed nation states of Latin America head for a close collaboration with the Catholic Church. Thus, in Argentina, the Catholic Church assumes the function of a protector of social order in gains, in return, the possibility to assure and expand its involvement in the Argentinian society.

Catholicism is imposed as the official religion : being Argentine and being Catholic become synonymous. Through the course of Argentine history, the Catholic Church will form a strong alliance with the Argentine nation-state.

Juan B. Alberdi, considered as one of the intellectual gathers of the Argentinean constitution, said “In America everything that is not European is barbarian”.

​

1820 : Bernardino Rivadavia were the first president of the Argentine Nation and the provinces had become troubled by his anticlerical measures and the slogan “Religion o Muerte” (“Religion or Death”).

 

End of the 19th century – beginning 20th century : The liberal elite that governs Argentina questioned the dominance of the Catholic Church in the public. As soon as the political liberalism emerges on the political stage, the favourable position of the Catholic Church appears to be endangered, because, in their perception, Catholicism appears as a blockage for social progress (they seek to modernise the country by following the example of Europe).

​

In the long run, the Catholic Church responds by creating a new form of Catholicism that will be later called Catolicismo integral. It is an all embracing Catholicism that aims for absorbing different areas of social life : education, social services, politics, state in family. The religion becomes more and more the pattern of the Argentinian national identity : the population identifies being Argentinian with being Catholic.