Saturday 26 May 2012

For Greater Glory

The Cristeros War in Mexico took place between 1926 and 1929. It began as a popular response to the Mexican government's increasing persecution of the Catholic Church which saw anti-Catholic and anticlerical laws enforced more and more stringently. This was based on the 1917 constitution which stated in part

I. According to the religious liberties established under article 24, educational services shall be secular and, therefore, free of any religious orientation. II. The educational services shall be based on scientific progress and shall fight against ignorance, ignorance's effects, servitudes, fanaticism and prejudice.

There were extensive provisions for state control of religion but matters simmered quietly until atheist president Calles enacted severe repressive laws and enforced them rigorously. The resulting popular uprising is known as the Cristeros War and it has been mostly ignored in media until now. The movie For Greater Glory, starring Andy Garcia and Eva Longoria,  tells the story of the Cristeros War. It opens on June 1 though I cannot use the website's theater finder for local venues.

The aftermath of the Cristeros War has been significant. Many of the Cristeros fled to the US where they formed a sizable community in Los Angeles. The priest shortage in Mexico reached critical proportions by the 1930's with some 334 government licensed priests for the entire nation by 1934. Many states had no priest at all.

Meanwhile back in the Great White North our own difficulties with the secularizers are not quite in the same league as the situation in 1920's Mexico. True, the government has just decided to force gay straight alliances on Catholic schools in spite of efforts on the part of the bishops to find a compromise. Each time an article is published on this conflict, the tone of the comments following it are decidedly anti-Catholic. Mind you, the Americans are ahead of us as usual. The conflict with the secularizing forces there over the HHS mandate has escalated to the point of legal challenges to the law.

One can only hope that Catholics will stop bickering amongst themselves long enough to deal with the wolves at the gates.  

For Greater Glory
Gay Straight Alliances
HHS Mandate Lawsuits

4 comments:

Young Canadian RC Male said...

Unforuantely Freyr, us in Canada cannot do the same as these brave Christeros or our southern brethen could.

We were somewhat stupid when we made our Canadian constitution at Confederation, unlike the States, who gave all citizens "the right to bear arms." Because of this, the government of Canada, and the tyrranical rulers of the provinces after sic-ing their immoral laws on us, can unleash the armed police and military forces on Catholics once we become the new targets for a holocaust.

We Canadians will have no means of self-defence against firearms, unless of course you want to "roll with the gangsters" and commit crime to purchase them illegally (which of course would be immoral for a Catholic to do so under current Canadian circumstances).

Freyr said...

Right... and if it weren't for the early Christians with their AK47's they would never have triumphed over the Roman Empire? Why don't you do something useful and find us a local theater for this flick? This is one I definitely want to pay good money for.

Young Canadian RC Male said...

Agreed! I'd love to see this in Canada where I live! I have no idea how to get a movie shown in a major theater like a Cineplex (though a smaller one for 2nd run films or film festivals MIGHT allow you to speak to a theater owner/head manager directly,) or who's in charge of distribution. The most I ever got to do when I once worked a minimum wage job in one, was ask people ``Would you like a combo today?"

Hey, as a fun note,Captcha made me type as my first word `Heaven`s`. YCRCM.

Freyr said...

Lest anyone think the Cristero War is forgotten, Miss Mexico in the 2007 Miss Universe Pageant wore a very daring gown picturing scenes from the Cristero War. Designer Maria del Rayo Macias told La Jornada newspaper: "We are descendants of Cristeros. Whether we like it or not, it's a part of who we are."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6571061.stm