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CATHOLICISM and POLITICS in ARGENTINA, 1810-1960 Catholicism and Politics in Argentina 1810-1960

CATHOLICISM AND POLITICS IN , 1810-1960 Catholicism and Politics in Argentina 1810-1960

Austen Ivereigh

M in association with St. Martin's Press 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 8 765 432 1 04 03 02 01 00 99 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 ix Acknowledgements x Abbreviations xi Glossary xiii

Introduction 1

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

1 Scholasticism and Secularism, 1810-1920 39 1.1 From independence to the fall of Rosas, 1810-1852 39 1.2 Catholicism and , 1860-1890 49 1.3 Social Catholicism and the Triangular Conflict, 1890-1920 63

2 The Catholic Revival, 19208-19505 73 2.1 Neoscholasticism 73 2.2 Ecclesiastical expansion 76 2.3 Argentine Catholicity 82 2.4 The discourse of integral Catholicism 84 2.5 Social Catholicism before Peron 91

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

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 123 4.1 The question of neutrality 123 4.2 The liberal decline 129 4.3 Integral Catholicism on the eve of the coup 132 4.4 Catholics and the June Revolution 136

5 Catholicism and , 1945-1954 143 5.1 Scholasticism in Peronist discourse 143 5.2 The secular-theocratic impulse 153 5.3 The bifurcation of Catholicism and Peronism 162 5.4 Prelude to conflict: the Church campaign 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 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 Depart• ment 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 Asociacion Argentina del Sufragio Femenino (Argentine Association for Female Suffrage) ACA Accion Catolica Argentina (Argentine Catholic Action) AJAC Asociacion de las Jovenes de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Young Women's Association) ALN Alianza Libertadora Nacionalista AMAC Asociacion de Mujeres de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Women's Association) CCC Cursos de Cultura Catolica (Courses in Catholic Culture) CCO Circulos Catolicos de Obreros (Catholic Workers' Circles) CFCCP Centro Femenino de Cultura Civica y Politica (Female Political and Civic Culture Centre) CGT Confederacion General de Trabajo (Trades Union Confederation) DNT Departamento Nacional de Trabajo (National Labour Department) FACE Federacion de Asociaciones Catolicas de Empleadas (Federation of Catholic Female Employees Associations) FORJA Fuerza de Orientacion Radical de la Juventud Argentina (Radical Party Argentine Youth Force) GOU Grupo de Oficiales Unidos (United Army Officers' Group) HAC Hombres de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Men's Branch) JAC Jovenes de la Accion Catolica (Catholic Action Young Men's Branch) JOC Juventud Catolica Obrera (Catholic Worker Youth) LDC Liga Democrata Cristiana (Christian Democrat League) LNR La Nueva Republica ('New Republic' periodical) PAN Partido Autonomista Nacional (Liberal alliance) PC Partido Comunista (Communist) PDC Partido Democrata Cristiano (Christian Democrat) PDN Partido Democrata Nacional (Conservative) PDP Partido Democrata Progresista (Conservative) PL Partido Laborista (Labour) PS Partido Socialista (Socialist) SJ Sociedad de Jesus (Jesuits)

xi Xll Abbreviations

STP Secretaria de Trabajo y Prevision (Secretariat for Labour and Social Provision) UAM Union Argentina de Mujeres (Argentine Women's Union) UC Union Catolica (Catholic Union) UCJ Union Civica de la Juventud (Youth ) UCR Union Civica Radical (, 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 [Christian] Democrat Union) UES Union de Estudiantes Secundarios (Union of Secondary Students) UF Union Federal (Federal Union) UPCA Union Popular Cat6lica Argentina (Argentine Popular Catholic Union) VOC 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'. : 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 identifica• tion 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 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)

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