Leftism in the church uruguayan tfp by Crusade Magazine

LEFTISMIN THE cHURcH: '.FELL0W-TRAVELER"oF COMMUNISM in the

long adventureof failuresand metamorphoses ,1,l'

Commission of Studies of the UruguayanSocietyof theDefense of Tradition,Family and Property

Translatedby a Slaveof Mary for the Glory of God and dedicatedto SAINT JOSEPH Terror of demonsand SedulousDefenderof Christ

CONTENTS Introduction "When the Shepherdturns into a wolf .

PreliminaryHistorical- Doctrinal The Tupamaroshow and a basicassumptionfor analyzingthe facts. 1. TheTupamarophenomenon,abloodyshow

.....

2. Basicassumption:the missionof the Hierarchy in thefight againstCommunism.

. . . . . . . . . l0 .............10

, ., , , , .14

First Period t967 - t973 Chapter1- The religiousleaderand his program

. . , . 16

1. A bitter Adventfor UruguayanCatholics:the pastoralLetter

. , .17

2. other statements of Mon$.Parteli showingthe new orientation

. . . , . , .24

a . T o t a l R e f o rm a n dd i a l o g u e w i th F i d e lCastr o....,p

...,...24

b. PossiblecoincidenceswiththeMarxistapproachn,'".......,...25 3. Between thewolfand thePastor,a newstyleof relations

..,....26

a. organ of the communist Parfy, voiceof the Archi-episcopalmessage totheUruguayanpeople ..... .....,..27 b. Bellsring for the deathof a Communistagitator,while Ecclesiastical authoritiesattendthe burial Chapter2 - Montevideo:radicalizationunder the shadeof the miter 1. The'ochosen ones"of the Archdiocese of Montevideo 2. centro PedroFabroy Perspectivas deDidlogathe Jesuitvoicein

. . . .2g

. . .30

3. V i s p e r d : t h e v o iocfet h e" c o m m i t t elda y m e n t t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " " " " " " . . 3 5 " " " ' 36

4. Vida Pastoralz thevoiceof the Episcopatehelpsthe advancedones

(reuniontt,recognition BP Color in the samedirection:with communism ...-'r .."" ... '...r. t...i............ COmmitment".. .....

' ' ' ' ' 39

6. 95 Uruguayanpriests:"Destroy,evenviolently,the oppressorsociety a capillary through the fluids and 7 . Progressivism, debase..o.,. mysi e ri o uco s mu n i d a des a.

" 38

""'

In Montevideorlarge scalerecruitment

b. The three phasesof the ttcgmpfomisett. )

.....

Structures apostolic c. Redesigningtheold d. What were the fruits of the "grass-rootscommunities.

((pastoral"of the

Taking advantageof episcopalsupportingevidence' Priestsmoveto directaction. .. . . with what a. With "non-violentttmethodsin accordance D O m H g l d e 1p. 1 . O p O S g S . . . . . . . . . . o . . ,

.....

' " ' 45 ' 46

... r..........,....

I',,i

"""

A n d t h e f g s t O ft h e E p i S C O p a t .e.?. . t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , t . . . ' ' ' ' ' '

c. DeacondirectsTupamarocell.. '................"'

1. Omissionwould already be a collaborationwith Communism

r oi - .. " "

2 . T h e fe a tu reosf th eC EU r evealitsor ientation...i..' .. ' a.

..... .....

oliver a theTupam ar oP.Indalecio b. o rb y,.j u sti fi e d " vi o lence:

C h a p t e f3 -

"'"

pr ogr amof theAr chbishop......,. r ...... P a vi n gth e w a yfo rth e devastating

b. D i s c o n c e r t i n g i n s i s t e n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Mons.Balaguerand Mons. ClCereswith the

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52 ;. i

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4. Salto:lessdoctrinal preaching,more concreteaction

P. Dibar,right arm of BishopMendiharat...

b. FatherZaffaroni: to what extentdid he take the idolatry

of CheGuevara

c. The Clergyof Saltohelpsthe CEU to magnifythe specterof crisis d. What is insinuatedin Montevideo,in Saltois said clearly: "grass-roots"communitiesin order to promotethe popular rebellion 5. The union betweenthe religiousaspectsand the political ......,. c o m m i t m e n t i n c o m m u n o - p r o g r e s s i v i s. .m

. . . . 56

........

utopia........, Ch a p t e r 4 - L o ve fo rth e p o o r,me rep retextof thepr ogr essivist

a reliefof proof. . . ., a. A partialconfessionr

o..,.

b . T h e n , w h tyh e p r o g r e s s i v i s t o b s t i n a c y ? . . . . . . . Chapter5 - They did not hear the clamorsof their people 1. Fortythousandappealto Rome

. ., . o

2, Cry of alert againstthe proliferationof small ., co mmu n i ti ei ns th e C h ur ch......Nrt . . :... s u b v e r s i ve 3. Catholicspoint out the connivanceof the of l\{ontevideowith Communism Archdiocese Chapter6 - The CEU take advantageof the increasein assaultsand crimes to makethe alternative,socialistreformsor violence,more acute. 1. Mons.Rubio,"fellow-travelerttwith Communism,evenin this ......o... circumstance........ of the Tupamarocrimes:'sdiscover 2. TheCEU in the presence thevoiceof God that speaksto ustt... 3. Mons.Mendiharatrefuses.tocelebratemassfor the soulof ..... DanMitrione...

.. 59 ... 6l

62 62

63 . . . . 65

, , 67

....67

....70

4. Thevdiceofthesecondlevel,alwayscruder

.....

......

5 . M o n s .P a r t e l i :( T h e T u p a m a r o ss e r r y e t o awakenthepublicconsciencett....... 7l 6 . T u p a m a r o ss a t i s f i e d w i t ht h e e c c l e s i a s t i c a l s u p p o r t

.,...

..... .....

Chapter 7 - f,'rente Amplio (wide front): Christian-Marxist collaboration i n " c o n c r e t eo b j e c t i v e s t , . . ...................... l . C a t h o l i c - C o m m u n i s t c o o p e rfar tgi e orng:i n . . . . . . . . . .

r..........,....

2. T h e A r c h d i o c e s e g e t s r e a d y f o r t h e e l e c t i o n s . . . ,... , . . r 8.

,,,,..73

..... ..... 74

TheleftistinstructionintheSacerdotalEncounteroflgT0.........,,.,.74

b. D e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e E n c o u n t e r . . r i J . .

......74

3. collectiveDocumentof the Episcopate neutralizesreactions.. . .. . .. ..

4. T h ed e v a s t a t i n g c l e r g y s u p p o r t F r e n t e A m p l i o . , . , , , , , , .r.....,,. . , . . . . . . . .

a. Episcopalconferenceauthorizesvoting for the FrenteAmplio . . . . .

b. Despitethe imaginable,the Episcopaldeclaration

traumatizespublicopinion .....

.....

................

c . T he se co nlde ve l cl e a rl yspeaks thewor dinsinuated bythe cEU.............

d, A branch of CatholicAction supportsthe FrenteAmplio

e . M o n sN . u t ip r e a c h ei ns f a v o ro f t h e F r e n t e A m p l i o . . . . . . . . . .

...........88

f . T h eF r e n t e A m p l iw o a sa l s os u p p o r t eidn t h eD i o c e soef s a l t o . . . . . . , . , . . . . . . .

6. Progressivistcommitmentto violenceaccentuates t h ei m p r e s s i oonf c h a o sa n ds o c i acl o l l a p s e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7. After the defeatof the FrenteAmplio, the great terrorist aggression chapter 8 - 1972tIn the Final Attack of rerrorism: onesidedness, o m i s s i o nasn dE p i s c o p a li d . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . .....

. , . . . . gz

..... ,.,.,94

1. In the presenceofthe terrorist escalation, "impartialt' declarationof the EpiscopalConference. 2. The Bishopspray for the dead . . . in the HeadquartersoftheCommunistParty 3.Canelones1486:abadlytoldhistory

. . , 94

......95 ,....

4. Mons. Parteli: the awarenessof the injustice of the systemgrows . .. . r

5. Mons. Mendiharat: The peoplehave lessfreedom,

andattimesprisonsandtortureg... .....o..,,

6. Explosive Episcopaldocument.. ,

7. The Presidentresponds:others are the causesof the sedition

r02

8. The noisychorusof the leftists

t02

9. Lively reactionamongthe faithful and an unexpectedinteryention. . . .

103

1 0 .T e a c h , S e f , oB r ei ssh o p st h, eC a t h o t itcr u t h . . . . o . . . . . , . . . .

103

ll. During the guerrilla boom time ecclesiastical magazines preachviolencewith impunity .

104

1 2 .E c c l e s i a s t i c s c o m m i t t e d w i t h t h e T u pgaum ea r rriol l a , , . . . . . . . . 13. The "mysterlr"of Mons.Mendiharat. . . d

.......

r05 rc1

14. Catholics continue showing their disagreement

108

15. "compassion with the criminals, cruelty with honest citizens

109

SecondPeriod 1973-t976 Chapter9 - The beginningof the metamorphosis of the revolutionaryClerry..,....... l. 6'Informacionest': quincenario[fortnightlyl.3fora senant church" 2. Mons.Parteliand his PrebyteryCouncilbecomeapparent tendentiously aboutthe nationalsituation

... f l0 . . ll0

. . . 113

a ' T h e to i ri cn o te o ffu tu re year s appear s: thegr eat..r econciler encounter r ,....... l 14 {tstrokeof b' The episcopal the rudder,,[(gorpede tim6nJis now not enough...,.. ils 3 . E l o q u e n t a t t i t u dt h ee : d i s m i s s a lpo.f Moreno........,... r.. ......... 116 a. M o n sP. a r t e l i p r e s a se n sd w a n t s

resignation.....

...............

ll7

b. Theparishpriestof sanBautista tt c. O t h e r( t p a s t o r a lm e a s u r eos f

(canerones) padreMoreno,. .. ... .. defends . ,g

t h eC o a d j u t o r A r c h b i s h o p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

d. A t'brother committedDwith the subversionii expelledfrom the country..,. . i... ..

Chapter theeasingof tension, l0: t"*!:jll": hypothesiprbehind virtualagreement: _ devastatingfrierarchy fupama46s

llg

.., . . .. . . . . 120

chapter 11- Reconciliation:rulring vigilanceto sreep prepare f o r t h e r e t u r no f t h et e f t a n dt o i n c i r c l e " o U _to 6 o . . u n i s m . . . . . .i . . . . . . . , lZ2 l. Reconciliationthat callsfor classgtruggle nz 2 . Mo n s.T o n n a :d ro w si n e ss oftheanti_Com m unistdefenses.......... lZ3 3' F'romhis exile,Mons.Mendiharatspeaks about..reconciliationr, ..... .,,.r24 4. Amnestyr.,thebroadestpossibler, .......r................. ..... tZ4 5' The Bishopof Mercedestoo: "Reconciliation,a seriousduty, .. . . . r2s 6' AcollectivePastoralLetter-thedestroyerssharinginthereconstruction.. ...l2s 7. The"libertyoftheChurch,threatened inUruguay?,............ ...... lZ7 8' Secretaryof the Nunciatureasks for the liberationof a communist leader. . . .. . 12g 9' Removingthe wiil to fight: the circrearound militant anti_communism .., rzg 1 0 . L imi ta ti o no f th ea n ti -C o m m unist activities of theTFp. .......... .,., , l \g l l . T h e ..re co n ci l i a ti o n " w i thpadr eSghir ta ..... 130

Chapter t2 - Under the mrntle of reconciliationa new revolutionary advance is prepared: "groups of reflection" and ttcomunidadesde base" or "grass-rootscommunities" l. Origin of the expressiont'comunidadesde basel'or "grass-rootscommunities" accordingto Mons. Balaguer

..132

. ,. . . ,132

2. Guidelinesfor reflection for the'sgrass-rootscommunities" s4,....... [ t t c o m u n i d a ddeesb a s e " ] I: n f o r m a c i o n e- 7

133

..........

a. Leftism concerning Bolivia, Dom Helder, Tanzania and t'Hermano Solt' . b. Hatred for the principle of authority in the blasphemousOur Father

. . f33 . . . . . 134

d. With anti-Communism, bad will; with Communism, sympathy and .r... ..... collaboration...

135

de base". . . . . . . . 136 3. The hopesthat the Communist Party has in the oocomunidades

Chapter 13 -

Institutionalized violence fought here from the Iron Curtain and

here s u p p o r t et d

139

..........

,. ....... !, . ...

.....139

1.Inthenon-Communistworld....

. . . . 139

a. An ambiguityneversufficientlyclarified

140

b. Ambiguitythat getsworseby the scandalousomission ^.t

. . . . . 141

c. Politicalintenention and irresponsibilitythat ihdicatea design 2. Institutionalviolencepublicand notoriousbehindthe Iron Curtain

t42

.....

a . C o n t r a s tw i th th e V a ti ca n " Ostpolitik".

143

b. What mysteryis hidden behindthis partiality? " Chapter14- The future preparedby the apparentrelaxingof tensions 1. Insummary..

.....

2.TheadvantagesforMarxism.. 3. We do not have the right to suffer illusions

.....

. . . . . 145 145

..........6rrrr..... ....o

. 141

.....

145 146

Chapter 15 - Respondingto an objection:Witl so generala denunciationof the devastating Pastors not move the Catholics away from the Faith? -thgtwomeridians.........o..........r....!r..............

148

:;l

l . T h e r e l a x a t i o no f t e n s i o n sw i t h t h e m o d e r a t e s . . . . .

148

.....

il ii

2. ApathforeseenbyCatholicDoctrine..... 3. Thetwomeridians......

..,.o

150

..........

l5l

Conclusion Chapter16-

Conclusion:To resistin conformitywith

humanandDivinglaws....r..o.............r,..r....

1. Recapitulationof the conductofifheBishopsand priestsin favor o f t h e M a r x i s t r e v o l u t i o nUi nr u g u a y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

...r..r..

154

. . . . . . . t54

2, Analysisin the light of CatholicDoctrineand CanonLaw.

159 1'

1 il

3. In defenseof the church and of the country: to resistin conformity w i t ht h e d i v i n e a n hd u m a nl a w s 6 . . .o ....... r....... r....

, 162

a. The interestsof the church and of christian civilization i n o u r C o u n t r y.:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. . . . . . . . . . . r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

163

b. Our relationsas faithful practicingCatholicswith t h e d e v a s t a t i n g e c c l e s i a s t i c a l a u t h o r i t i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r. .. .. ..

$ 'fi

164

F i n a lQ u e s t i o n . , . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

165

o.......r.....

,il

''f

Appendixes A p p e n d i x1 -L e tte r o f th eTFPto pr esidentJuan Mar faBor daber r y.......... , 173 Appendix 2 -

First letter of the TFp to Mons.CarlosParteliwho did not reply.. . ..

Appendix3 - Secondletter of the TFp to MonsC . a r l o sP a r t e l i w h a o g a i nd i d n o t r e p l y . . . . . Appendix4 - Someaspectsof the 3(newtheoloryDexpressed b y P .J u a nL u i sS e g u n dSo.J . . . . . . . . . . . .....

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. . . .. ....

1.17

.......,.

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INTRODUCTION *When the Pastorchangesinto

a wolf . . .tt

LEFTISM IN THE cHURcH: I'ELLOW-TRAVELER oF COMMUNISM in the longadventureof the failuresand the metamorphoses INTRODUCTION:,, Whenthe Shepherdturns into a wolf , .." Uruguaycrossed overthethresholdof thesixtieswhile still enjoyingpoliticalstabiliry anda relativelyworry-free,pleasantsocialenvironmentthat attractedthe noti"e of eventhe visitingforeigner.In this respect,our countrywasoftenmentionedasthe "switzerlandof America." It is truethata slow,economicdeclinehadalreadycastits shadowuponthe Uruguayan scene, butnot in sucha way asto alternoticeablythehanquil stateof mind of the ma;o*y of Uruguayans. Therewerealsoinjusticesanddeficiencies that existedin the institutionatlife of thecountry,but Uruguayans took it for grantedthatthesewould be resolvedwithin the general harmonyenjoyedby the countryandfar from anysuggestion of a classstrugglethat would be aliento ourcustomsandour temperament.The manon the streetwould unlikely havebeenable to imaginethatwe Uruguayans werewaiting,in the immediatefuture,for the bitter andturbulent daysthatwouldseemto put our countryon the very edgeof chaos. . . . Thisunquestionable reality- the calmof Uruguayanlife at the beginningof the sixties - must,in ourjudgment,be keptsecurelyin mind in orderto sensethe profoundly artificial character of therevolutionaryeventsthat shookthenationallife startingat that time. It is truethatthe CommunistPartyhadexistedin nlruguayfor a long time. A poorly understood.political freedompermittedit to actwithoutobstructions: the partyownedmeansof dissemination andeqjoyedopeningsinto the life of the laborunions,universitiesand politics,but it hadalwaysremainedan isolatedminorityvyrthin,the Uruguayancontext. Its revolutionary homilyneverwent outsidethe circleof Kar.lMan<'sfanaticalfollowers;it clashed with ourtranquilsocietythatwasconfidentin its generdfitaUitityandopento the rise of individualsandfamiliesof greatervitality andto the fall of society'sdecadentelements. This social,mobility- untouchedby the spirit of classstruggle- andthe Christian formationthatpermeated thoroughly,especiallyin the popularmentality,in spiteof the dreary, greyishandalreadyspentlaicismof manypublic institutions,endowedour peoplewith a characteristic andpleasantgoodsenselittle interestedin utopianabstactionsin generalandeven lessinterested in thosethat might comechargedwith viciousMarxistcontent. Theintemationalcommunistrevolution,to obtainsomeresultin Uruguay,neededthento submitthecounty to a kind of "shocktherapy,"puttingus againstan abruptchangeof circumstance. It hadto injectinto the mentalitiesof the Uruguayans the ideaof a disconcerting socialcrisisthat,softeningthe habitsandconvictionsof themajority,might give semblances of credibilityto theLatin-Americanrevolutionarymythologyof the angered,hungrymassesready

to explodelike an enormousvolcanovomitingfire anddestroyingall resistance in its'path.. *{*

The effectsof the economicdownturnbecamenoticedin the earlyyearsof the sixties. - combinedwith thesubversiveagitationpromotedby a fidelcastriteCubain Thatcircumstance almostall of Latin-American- hadto appearfavorableto IntemationalCommunismfor proceedingwith a bewilderingoffensiveagainstthe nationalstructures. Amongthe causesof that anomaly,thathamperedlegitimatepopulardesiresfor greater well-being,werementionedchangesthathadoccurredin the internationalmarket(afterWorld War II) that were harmful to the interestof ttre counti'y. Another factor existedhowever:a socialiststateinterventionismgraduallyintroducedinto our legislationby non-communist govemments with the inevitablebureauc.racy andstifling of productiveactivities.This fundamentalaspectof the situationwaC.'iievertheless silencedby mostof theinfluentialpublic figuresof the periodwho mayhavebedr drawnby a certaindesireto be politicallytrendy. The CommunistPartyandits helpersthenbegandistortingthe realityof our situation throughpropaganda: it proclaimedto thefour windsthat Uruguayhadenteredinto a general crisis.The cause,accordingto the communists, wasthe systemofprivate properly,described as essentiallycontraryto the popularinterbsts;a creatorof inequalitiesalwaysunjustandof an alienatingcultureandmentality;a mereinstrumentof nationalistandinternationalist capitalists for exploitingthe oppressed majority,etc. ln this way, in the communistview of things,only the completedestructionof the currentsocio-economic stnrctureswould bringjusticeand,asthe situationwaslike this, any delaywould leadthepeopleto rebelviolently.History,in its irreversiblemarch,demandedthe marchfrom capitalismtowardthe classlessto.i.ty of the communisttype. The old Mancistthesiswashereonceagain. It now aspiredto be morecredibleto the eyesof that samepeopleso little inclinedto rebellions.Perhapsthe promotersof theworldwide Revolutionhad the hopethat the tensionscreatedat that time in other SouthAmericancountries might havean influenceon Uruguaythrougha kind of socialmimesis. . . . rf*{3

Wednesday, October16, t964, unexpectedly, a groupof armedmenattackeda branchof . theBankof Cobranzasin Montevideo.The quick interventionof the police,however,thwarted theaction. Therewereprisoners.AmongthemwasJulio Marenales,second.in-command of a clandestine, subversiveorganization underinvestigationby the authorities.Marenales statedat thetime that the motive for the spectacular attackwasto collectfundsfor the cafieros(cwrc workers)of ArtigasandtheCatholicmovement EmausI La Mafianc9-10-196g). In this way the "direct action"of theTupamaroswas initiatedthat later,in seriesand

I i

increasing ihythm,wouldshrnthe entirecountrywith its spectacle of violenceandbloodshed. Thefollowingyeara groupof priestsandlaymendisturbedthe Catholicambienceof the capitolin anunusualway,askingfor drasticchangesof mentalityin the ecclesiasticorientation. Thetransferof theApostolicAdministratorof the Archdiocese of Montevideo,Monsignor AntonioCorso,to thepositionof Bishopof Maldonado-Punta del Estein 1966wasconsidered to bea fruit of theirrevolutionaryprotest. Next,MonsignorCarlosPafieli comesasCoadjutorArchbishopandApostolic Administrator "SedePlena"to replaceMonsignorCorso.Meanwhile,in the Dioceseof Salto, FatherZaffaroni,ex-Jesuit,beginshis gustyaction4mongthe sugar-cane cuttersthat leadshim eventuallyto a scandalous conspiracywith the Tupamarosubversionand,finally, to the abandonment of thepriesthood. It wasasif sucheventsformeda kind of a gongof annunciationthat the sharpestearsin thecountryheard.Beginninghere,actionstook placewith progressive rapidityandassumedan aspectof crisisof heavyproportionscapableof beingtransformedinto a seriousthreatfor our nation. TheTupamaros multipliedtheir spectacular attacks;the hereticalcommitmentof Father Zaffaronibecamepublic andnotorious;in Montevideoandotherdiocesesit washeardsaidthat evensomepriestsjustified "theologically"the violentleftist optionagainstthe orderthat wasin place. d.{.*

TheUruguayanpeoplehopedfor, togetherwith supportfrom the temporalsocietyon the partof thecivil leaders,an efficientinterventionby the e,cclesiastical authoritiesin their specific field,defendingthethreatened countryandthe trueCathplic,integrity of its threatened flock Theimportanceof suchinterventionbecomesapparentif oneconsidersthe influencethat theEpiscopate in a nationlike ous canexe.rcise, in a countrywhere- in spiteof the anticlerical amongthosein the politicalclass,especiallyin thepast- an absolute ideasthatpercolated majority of thepopulationcallsitself Catholic. Evenamongthe Uruguayans that did not frequentthe sacraments, or thosethat displayed athoism, a contemptuous the chuch wasseen,in this secondhalf of the twentiethcentury,asthe bimillenialinstitutionwith its immutabledoctrine,majesticallyenrichedthroughoutthe themolderof Christiancultue andcivilization;a superiorlystablereferencepoint for centuries; thedifferenttimesandnationsthroughoutHistory. If the Bishopsasa wholestoodup to communismcategorically,denouncingat the sametime the physicalandmoral condemn aggression thatUruguaywasbeginningto experience, the subversiveminority would remain isolatedfrom public opinionandwould loseall possibilityof conqueringwhat,in immediately

modemrevolutionarywar, is fundamentar: the mentaritiesof the Uruguayans. A contrario-se-nlu,the greatest assistance thattheMarxistminoritycouldreceive, in order to escapethe socialcloisteringwhereit had b.ro.ontuin.a ro, tensof yearsin uruguay,andto strikeprofoundlyat the instittitionalstability againstwhich it smashed its revolutionary sermon, wasa changein the anticommunistpositionoith, ecclesiastical hierarchy. And this changetook place. It wasmanifestedprecisely at the momentthattheTupamaro guenilla launchedhis bloody-offensive againsto* ro,rltty. . . At that decisivemomentin thehistoryof Uruguay,

prelates

nearlyall the andthemain sector of thenational clergyabandoned trr.cr,.irti*"frite uiriiri"ed byttreattackers. worse thanthat' they proceededin

suchasway asto unsettlettre treatttryreactionsandto favor, in diverseways'the Man<istrevolutionarycause that theywereobrigatedto fight.

"Progressivism"hadtakenhold of a largeandimportant part of theecclesiastical structurein thecounty. (l)r ,,o A

rProgressivism - the termtakenin its normal use- is a religiousmovement.It entails severalshadesof meaningfrom thefirst and limited onesin its head-Io-head disputewith traditionandcatholic structuresto the boldest andmostradicalones. Eventhoughthe spirifualand temporalsocieties arenot intermingledthe analogies betweenprogressivismandleftismhreeasyto discern.It would go beyondthe limits of this work to analyzeall of them. By way of example,we recallthatprogressivism seeksto realizereforms of thekind that arevery similar to the onesthat leftism rrasas-goal in trt l!.poral society. This explainsthat manytimes' in uruguay,the so-calledcatholiJp.og"rrivism hasconvergedin attitudesand positionswith the leftists. Everyreligiousmovementincludesa moral system.progressivism, asa religious movement'hasinevitablereflectionson principles that participate in it. Amongthese ryol principlesarethe onesthat governthe relationvstate-citizen, employer-employee, etc. ln such matters'progressivismandleftism mertandnormalry cooperate. In Uruguay,the a1dtheprogressivistlaymen,expandingtheir actionto the 3l|rer temporalsphere,formed themselves into a cattrolic left, *iing the goalsof communism powerfully as fellow-travelers. Fromhis point of view, Mons.Parteli,in an articlefor a French magazine,in1970, describedthe penehationof this new veirrin our countryin trr" following way:From 1950 onwardssomenew experlencesbeginto-beglimpsed tiat, today at a distance,are recognizedas thegerm of thepresent. Generatiiw olpritttloriri ii trrop, bring to the countrytheradical currentsthat keepappearingin the European church. Groupsof laymenincreasinglybeginto worry about the concretesocialproblematic herb in uriguqy and theychanneltheir awieties throughmovementof Economyind Humanism of FathrrS. r. Lebretwhoenjoysextensive influencein Uruguay.(Thefrenchoo*irrl.*, FatherGilbert,commentsin theJesuit magazine

DuringthelasttenyearsmanyCatholics-- includingsomepriests- publicly displayed theirdisagreement with thedevastating conductof therevolutionaryprelates.2 As theday-to-day circumstances of life becomeincreasingly unsettled, few aretheywho arenevertheless in circumstances from which to coordinatethe divlrse aspectsof the above mentioned doingsof the ecclesiastical authoritiesinto a vision of an archiiectonicwhole. Nevertheless, sucha visionseemsto us indispensable not onlyto castall the necessary light on theimmediate past,which broughtso muchzufferingto the iatholic flock, but alsoto peinit us to understand bettera presentthat is chargedwith justified apprehensions. Because, in effect,if the reactionof the Uruguayanpeople,heroicallyinterpretedby our ArmedForces,forceda fundamentalretreatof the riO uttu.k andtheprotect-ion givento this attackby somanyBishopsandPriests,it cannotbe saidthat thedangeris entireiyended. Thesubversion, defeatedfirst in the ballot boxesof 1971,andlaterin the field of armed struggle,contractsits clawsandmetamorphosizes accordingto the needsof the moment.

ii t

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Theecclesiastics benton deshoyingUruguay,far from trying to repairtheevil done, accompany thetransmutation too in a parallelway:thecommuno-p.gr.mivism3speaksin a low voice;thePrelatesPromotenow an anaesthetizing relaxationandan anti-anticommunism; they

ii fi

Perspectives of Dialogue,6l(I972),p.32,thatoneof theoldestdisciplesof FatherLebretis the ex-Christian DemocratSenatorJuanPabtoTerra,activepronioterwith the Mancistsof theFrente Amplia, beginningin 1970). The Archbishopcontinues:The apostolicmovernents beginto revisemethodsandgoals,a specializedtatholic Action,*rrging, on the basisof teais for the amendment of life. On-e_be-gins to be up to speedconcerning the-theologtcal proilemafi; (. . .) Congar,deLubacandRahner,Mounierand Teilhardde Ohardinare ieadi. . . Snrtiig in l. 1960,therenewalthat wasgestatingquietlygathersspeed,,coitsistency and notorietynot, as is normol,withoutconflicts-andtensions.("ParteliPastoiofthe Churchof Montevideo," Cuadernos delITU-1- impresoen Comunidades del Sur- Montevideo,1974,No. t:OO;the numberalwaysindicatestheparagraphof the book). Theprojectionof thesetendencies - especiallyin thepolitical,economicandsocial areas- from the secondhalf of the sixtiesonwardsis confirrnedandanalyzedin this book. 2PaulVI himselfrecognizes that the Churchis experiencing a mysteriousprocessof ,,selfdestruction"(Speech to the studentsof the LombardSeminaryin nome, December7, 196g). Thisprocess washansformedin our counbryinto the mainfactorof the attemptedinstitutional destruction of Uruguay. 'In this studywe use the expressioncommuno-progressivism to distinguish,within the progressivist modein general,theradicalized groupsof Priestandlaymenwho,in theirsociopoliticalviewsor in theirpublicattitudes, favor,more clearlythedesignsof communismin. Uruguay..

allowseeds'ofrevolutionary leftismto gatherandfeedin the discretemeanders of apostolic organizations; andtheycreatewith all of it the conditionsfor the Tupamaropower- or its equivalent- to continuereorganizing. Uruguayperplexed,seeingits holy Fastorsproceeding,with all their powerfulinfluence, aspertinacious fellow-travelersof communism,in this long adventureof failuresand metamorphoses, asksitself: What doesall this mean? As a nation,Uruguaybelongsto the temporalsphere.This is certain.But thecountry knowsthat otu spiritualsphereis almostentirelyin the handsof the UruguayanEpiscopal Conference (CEU) andcannotalsofail to wonderanxiouslyaboutfuturecrises:Justwherewill the CEU takeus?

il ]i

In view of the recentpastof the CEU andof its presentconduct,no otherquestion eventuallyformulatedconcerningour immediatefutr:reis moreimportantthanthis one. It now becomesabsolutelyindippensable to try to answerthesevery seriousquestions with the serenefranknessandprofunaily tfrattheir transcendence demandfor the futureof our nativeland. tft*

Thereis anotherfactor,gnethat concemsthe Latin Americanworld, that is addedto everythingaboveandthat calls Uruguiyan Catholicsto analyzewith careful,vigilant attention the dramaticreality of the religious andmoral backgroundthat afflicts us. At the startof this year,l976,the Chilean Societyof the Defenseof Tradition, F'amily and Property launchedan impressivevoiceof alertaboutthe ecclesiastical panorama in Chile. It dealtwith the work entitled:The Church of Silencein Chile - the TFP Proclaimsthe lVholeTruth.a Whenwe readthe book we weregreatlysurprised,like many otherUruguayanswho read thebook,to find, with differentaccidentalcircumstances, essentialfeaturesof thesame religious-politicalcrisisexperienced herein oru country. More than200 documentsof solid authenticity,forming a completehistorical-doctrinal reality,wereparadedbeforeour eyes.In Chile,practicallyall the Episcopacyanda majorityof 4Withthreeeditions the in sisternationanda total of 10,000copiessoldout to the transandine public afterthreemonthsof beingpublished,the studyis encountering lively internationalrepercussions. CunentlyanArgentineeditionis beingsold in our counfry,andnew versionsin otherSouthAmericancountriesaswell asin'the United States,Spainandrecentlyin Francearehavinga profoundimpacton the catholicsof all thesenations.

iI I f

,theClergycollaborated in a determining way in theriseto powerof the MarxistAllendein 1970. Theseecclesiastics continuedlaterasefficientfellow-travelers of communismeven duringthetimesthatweredifficult for Allende'sregime,the timeswhenthe Chileanpeoplewent .outintothestreetsto protestmultitudinouslyagainstthe oppression andthe hungercausedby the gradualapplication of Marxistsocialism. Thisabandonment on the part of ChileanBishopsandPriestsof the sameddutiesof their responsibilities hadbecomeapparentduringthe sixties. Theecclesiastical supportgivento a programof confiscatorystructuralreforms, by the most advancedCatholicleft which formedthe moredynamicelementof the lilulated ChileanChristianDemocraticPaxty,datesbackto thattime. Whennearlyall thereligious authorities wereleadingthe taditionalist andcentristCatholicelectorateto supportthe pDC (ChristianDemocraticPafty),theywerealsoisolatinganticommunist leaders,therebyfacilitating theaccess power to of the leadingChristianDemocrat,EduardoFrei,in 1964. This iatterbecarne knownasthe"Chilean Kerensky" becauseof his havingtransformedhis governmentinto a bridgeof transitionfor a Man<istsuccessor (9fr. Frei, el KerenslEChiteni,Fabio Vidigal Xavier dasilveira,Ediciones cruzada,BuenosAirei, quintaedici6n,l96g). As thepresidentialelectionof 1970in Chile drewnearer,the ecclesiastical supportof the phaseof therevolutionaryprocessthat wasdeclaredMarxistbecamescandalous, jusitie same supportwouldbe duringAllende'sfailed government. Cunently,afterthe popularandmilitary uprisingthat dislodgedcommunismfrom power in Chile,thesameprogressivistClergydoesnot spareefforts,within the obviouslimitations imposedby thenewsituation,to permitthe reorganization of the defeatedleft in preparationfor its returnto publiclife. v TheChileanTFP's studyshowsthat the majority'ofthefaithful wereput, by the orientationof theHierarchy,in a moral situationanalogous to the oneof the Catholicsof silence behindtheIron Curtain:in Chile,that faithful sawthemselves paralyzedandsilencedby the ambiguous andconfusedmodalitiesof the ecclesiastical supportgivento Ma*ism, andby the fearto whatthecanonicalpowerof the Pastorsmight beusedagainstwhoevershowedhis public unease in thefaceof the honific situation. Basedon distinguished theologiansarrdcanonists,someof themsaints,the ChileanTFp limitsitselfto confirming- without expressingthe authoritative judgmentthat is not the responsibility of the simplefaithful - the oppositionexistingbetweenthe devastatingconduct of theBishopsandPriestsdescribedin the book andthedoctrineandlawsof the Church. Finallythebook concludesby affrrmingthat Catholics,relativeto a Clergythat is compromised by way of favoringthe Man<istq.ause, havetheright to resistpublicly andto cease

.f ,,fi regularecclesiastical interaction. *{3*

If we look towardsothercounhieswe seewith growingworry that,in differentdegrees, analogoussituationscontinueappearing. The Presidentof the Brazilian Societyof the Defenseof Tradition, Family and Property andfamousCatholicleaderof tleeneighboringcountry,ProfessorPlinio Con6ade Oliveirq publishedmorerecentlya studyentitledThe Church in theface of the mounting in Communistthreat - Appeatto the silentBishops.sThe lucid andcalmanalysisembraces, evolutionthat hasoccurredin Brazil in face magisterialsynthesis,all the surprisingecclesiastical of Communism.It indicateshow this surprisingchangecontributedto leadingthe important sisternationto the edgeof collapseduringthetime of the deposed,leftist Headof State,Jodo Goulart. the conductof the Prelates,Braziliantributariesof It alsoemphasizes that in theppesent, of the principl{s,is notorious,while theNationalConference the Marxist socio-economic anti-communism. any toward Bishopshasbeenshowingmarkedhostility Making a fervent appealto the Bishopswho are silent to pronounce,teachandfight, the Brazilianbook asksthem finally, in this way,to keepBrazil from falling into a religioushagedy similarto the Chileanone. The book,to which we will havereasonto referagainlater,hasa synopsisof TheChurchof Silencein Chilein its secondpart. *tftf

The religioussituationof our country,seenin the contextof the SouthAmericansetting sinceit permitsour glimpsingof in seriousness, andwhich so rightly worriesall of uq,increases a multiplereality developingin our continentthat suggestsan increasingrigidity in thedirection of the orientationfollowedby the UruguayanEpiscopalConference. of The UruguayanSocietyof the Defenseof Tradition,Family andProperty,composed in the intervened in 1966, crisis of the youngCatholicsthat formeda groupin the earliestdaysof measureof their possibilitiesdtring the eventsthat havedisturbedour counfiysincethattime, seekingto counteractthe harmfuleffectsof the so-calledCatholicleftism. Todayit publishesthe presentwork asa contributiontowardresolvingthe burning questionsraisedby the line of conductthatthe CEU, anda decisivepart of thenationalClergy, of the UruguayanTFP reaffrrmour haveadopted.In doing so,the membersandcooperators sEditoraVera Cruz,56o Paulo,June,1976. The work, spreadby the BrazilianTFP,has receivedwidespreadreception,absorbing25 thousandcopiesin 90 days.

ilri

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loyalfidelityto theHoly Motherchurch,hierarchical by Divineinstitution. Theobjectivedescription of the religiousandpoliticaleventsthatthe readerwill find in thefollowingpages, aswell astheconclusions thattheproperobedience to the Ecclesiastical Magisterium leadus to displayhere,arenot motivatedthereforeby anyanti-establishment meaning. It is in useof a right and in fulfillment of a dutythat our love for the Churchandour Country,threatened astheyare,imposeson us that we presentour thinking here,following the guideline wiselyexpressed by the distinguished Abbotof Solesmes, Dom Gueranger: ll'hentheShepherdbecomesa wolf, it immediatelybehoovestheflock to defend itself. As a rule, doctrinedescends from the Bishopsto thefaithful, and the subjectsmustnotjudge their leaderson theirfaith. But thereare certainpoints in thetreasureof RevelationaboutwhicheveryChristian,by the veryfact of wearingthat title, hasthe necessary and the obligationto protect. understanding Theprinciple doesnot change,whetherit is a matterof lonwledgeor of conduct, of moralityor of dogma(Dom Pr6speroGudranger, El Afto Litrigico,Editoral Aldeco4Burgos,1956,vol. II, pp,744-45).

PRELIMINARY HISTORICAL _ DOCTRINAL The Tupamaroshow and a basicassumptionfor analyzingthe facts The eventsthat occupyour attentionpertainlargelyto a very recenthistorythatjoins with thepresent,projectingitself decisivelytowardsthe futue. Therearecomplexitiesaboutthis realitythat still remainwrappedin veils of mystery. What is more, we havejust finishedpointing out, in the Introduction,that this work was plannedso asto contributeto resolvingdistessingquestionsthat areraisednotjust for specializedsectorsof public opinionbut for all of us who areuruguayan. A syntheticvision like the one we presentheredoesnot aspire,then,to exhaustthe theme;but yesto studyit-s sufficientlyandreachconclusions, lurlamentFlucharacteristics following the light of both Catholicdgcnineandthe Catholicspirit, that arefirmly established on the facts. For greatereaseof analysiswe considernow,preliminarily,a historical-politicalreality thatmarkedthe yearswe arenow studyingfollowedby a basicaoctrinatpresupposition that permitsevaluatingthe devastating eccJesiastical proceedings duringtftir su*e feriod. l. The Tupamaro phenomenon,a bloodyshow . The guerrillamovementof theTupamarosappearedabruptlyin a turn in our political, life.'

rWhenthis study wasalreadywrittenandin aphaseof final revision,thetwo first volumesof the work De la subversihna lapaz - LasFuerzasArmadasal pueblooriental, publishedby the Juntade comandantes en Jefe,wereplacedon sale. The volumes- endowedwith the most abundantdocumentation- form a penetrating andtemperateanalysisof the communistconspiracyof which our county hasbeenvictim in theselast years. Their readingis fundarnentalfor all thosewho desireto deepentheir understanding of the Tupamarophenomenon domestically,aswell asto situateit in the vastplan of world conquestdirectedfrom Moscowandpeking. Everyexperton the UruguayanandLatin Americanrealitywill find preciousand unpublishedmaterialin this studyon themodalitiesof modernsubversivewar thatwill permit him to updatea positionof ideologicalmilitancyagainstcoinmunism.

easilyconfirmsthe Whoeveranalyzesit, penetratingbeneaththe first appearances, of organiclife that onewouldbe ableto observein a streamof of thosecharacterisiics absence until arrivingat the heatof a real thoughtandactionborn graduallyfrom popularsentiments crisis. This is thecase,in spiteof ablehands,shapingit in thehalf-light,that strainedin young theguenillaasa'symptomof generaldisconten!interpretedby.aforceof presenting idealistsandvisionarieswho weie first in breakingthe limits of a long patience. TheTupamaroforceswerereally much lessthanwhat wasrepeatedby certain the adventureof trying to surprise althoughstilisuflicient to rurdertake propaganda, revolutionary of all the our ArmedForceswith a typeof iew subversivewar that would makethe most (and enigmatic of the liberaliotiti.ut system.At the sametime,their mobility weaknesses fictitious complicitiesthathistorianswitt p.titup. clariff in thefuture)gavetheir actiona o*rr'iprrr.nceandaspectsof a trr,rlyfrighteningpower'2 of armedmen ableto act quickly We sawappearingin this way, suddenly,an aggtegate hereandthere,nearor far, a few everywhere. robberies,kidnapingsandbloodycrimesspreadanxietieseverywhere' Sensational in the most Thestarwith the Tupamaroletterwasseenpaintedwith incredibleaudacrty to subversives.The ordinaryplacesaswell asin the onesthatwerebelievedto.beinaccessible unexpected symUoiofrebellionpursuedthe manof the street,making.himuneasywith its appearance. formerly It couldbe saidthathere,finally, woundingto deaththe Uruguayanstructure, eruptionof volcanic r6nrt from that devastating solidandtraditional,werethe first incandescent idiotically and in vain for so a vastpopularindignationthat ths Commwristswereanjnouncing manyyears.... containedin a Therewere,naturally,thosewho, from the beginning,distrusttd9:'otruth" in relationto the peacefulcontextof the daily life wherever imaje ,o propagandistic "ont "rting it appeared. phenomenon Todaythefactspermitveriffing it with absoluteolarity:the Tupamaro that the guenilla constitutedan immenseand protong-edshow. Certainlynot in the sense asif their robberies carriedout a combatthat** orrtysliitrtty effectiveandnot very dangerous; zWedo not referhereto the director indirectecclesiastical supportaboutwhich this book or well placedmembers treatsspecifically,but to the aid thattenorismreceivedfrom certainrich sociologicalpoint of of themiddleclass.Individualsof this kind, whichthe TFP call$ from a or "toads"haveexistedespeciallyin periodsof socialor doctrinalupheaval' view,,,sapos,, 11

failedto erhbezzleandtenorize;asif their bulletswerenot so deadly. But yesasregardsa minorityorganizationlackingpopularrootsandimbuedwith the illusion of attainingpowerby rebellion force,*ur pt.p"r.d by its creatorsto dramatizethe myth of a voicelessandgeneralized tnud" it the Tupamaroparamilitaryorganizationnow in directconflictwith the whosespearhead ArmedForces.A tenible show,perhapsoneof the bloodiestin Latin Americanhistory,but a showstagedto shakethe certaintiesof the societyin which we lived andto causethepopular to bend- this latteryes,authenticandin the majority- againstthe Manist ideology resistance eitheropenor camouflaged.3

If this dangerousincident of psychologicalwar unleashedby lnternationalCommunism obtainedby the red sectwould turn out to be hadits desiredspecificeffects,the advantages enormous. That is to say if a largenumberof oru countrymen,more thanjust acceptingthe violent methodsof the Tupamaros,actuallybelievedthe farceof the revolutionaryomnipotence by the spectacularviolence,the following would normally takeplace: represented ,li

- the averageUruguayanwoufilor. the senseof a stablesociety,with real socioof an economicproblemsthat werein no way ineparable,andmoveon to acquirethe sensation to doubt the vigor and worth of the basic acutegeneralcrisis and tending,as a coruiequence, institutionsof the country;a - thosesameUruguayans, mErJ of whom hadproudlyresistedCommunismin thepast, by the ideathat the courseof historywas to beingpersuaded still susceptible werenevertheless leadingus ineversiblytowardsegalitarianandcollectivistsocialism,hostileto the individual 3Webelievethat for a moreexactunderstandingof the circumstancesit is necessary to distinguishbetweenthe communistmanipulatorsof thetechniquesof public opinion(in which the red sectis highly specialized)andthe Tupamaromovementasan organizationwith a limited life of its own. It is probable,for example,that manyTupamaros,including leaders,consideredthe real objectiveof ttr"it action more feasible,that the movementmight actuallyreachthe point of facade controlling power in Uruguay. Many guenillaswould havekept up their pseudo-mystical a within factor but a simple key factor, a of strugglJwith diffrculty seeingthemselvesasonly wider political revolutionaryplan. 4Itis clearthat the realizationof a crisis-showwould not be ableto stir up in its promoters the hopeof knocking down the Uruguayaninstitutionsby itself alone,unlesstheseinstitutions aswell asfrom werenot alreadycompromisedin their stability throughintemal weaknesses attacksby the sarneadversarY. operationdestinedto completea corrosive,slower The crisis-showwasthe psychological andimperceptiblework that wasbeingcaniedout for a long time. The analysisof this last, however,is not a matterfor this presentbook.

personandto privateproperfy; - dueto theabove,alongwith the fearandwearproducedby the armedviolence,. numerous countrymen who werenot leftist wouldbeginto considerCommunismandits helpers "democratic,"a lessunpleasant solutionand,dependinguponthe case,eventolerable; - in thecircumstance that the communization throughthe "democratic"way seemed impossible, theguenilla,presented asthe advancedextremeof a proletariatin revolt against "oppression," wouldbe ableto createpsycho-political conditionsfor the CommunistPartyand its auxiliariesto attemptto takethe socialtensionsto an acuteapparentlyinsunectionalstage with thehopeof culminatingin a pre-comrnunist coupd'etat In this hypothesisthe Bolshevization of the countrywould be the laterandfinal stage; - howeverit might be done,thepossibilitiesof victory,until thennon-existent,for a confiscatory reformationof Marxist socio-economic inspirationcould increaseenormously. Beholdhere,thenthe clumsy,bloodyfarcewith its evenclumsieraim. Wouldnationalpublic opinionacceptasauthenticpanorrmathatwhich the sinister dramatization wasunfoldingbeforeits eyes? Theyearsof calmandpleasantlife, wouldtheyhavedulledthe moral sensibilityof enoughUruguayans sothatnow the country,tired andworn out by a periodof moreor less prolonged violence,might be disposedfinally to surrender? WouldtheArmedForceshaveconditionsto adaptits capacityfor combatto a revolutionary warthatput cunningpsycho-political techniquesin play in a societysomewhat conodedby relativistliberalism? il In theinstanceof a too energeticreaction.ornirr!from the healthiersectionsof the nation,wouldtherebe away to reteat and,takingadvantage of the effestsof the traumaticblow givento thepopulation,to find a way out in orderto restartthe revolutionarystruggleby other mqans? Theunknownspresented in thesequestionssumup a largepart of the risksrun by the anti-Christian Revolutionin the adventureof the assaultagainsttraditionalUruguay. But it would havethosewho helpedit powerfullyto try to overcomethe adverse contingencies alongthe bumpyroad .. . rr

,iii',

Wewill only referin this work to that subversiveaction[anti-ChristianRevolution],as

,i;i,'

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13 i'

iii

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well asto the often heroiccivil andmilitary reactionsthat it sparked,in the measurethatit is necessary for the analysisof the proceed-ings of the r.tigiour leadersbeforethefictitioussociopolitical crisis into which *t *.i. brutall/pre.ipit '-"--' tra]-Ld ' it is understood, then,thatsuch analysisis the objectiveor purposeof oursiudy.' ln orderto considerthe conductof the cEU and its leaders,it seemsto us opportune to recallhere,concemingthis subjectand.before *t.ting i"to concretefacts,a fundamental criterionthat hasuniversal-vaiaity,independent.u.n-tor the gravecircumstance createdin Uruguayby the eruptionof the fufamaro violence. 2' Basicassumption:the missionof the Hierarchy in the fight againstCommunism The immensedoctrinalrotationof moralandreligiogr q.pth practicedby Bishopsand Priestsin our countryis seenwith clarity.r.t:t the basicpresupposition that,with precisionandrichnessof shadesof meaning, 9t,tuti;; eiofessorpiloio Conâ&#x201A;Źade oliveira drawsin his previouslycitedstudy Therearetwo principles-thar ri:,ryrjkeep especiallyin mind whenconsidering the missionof the Hierarchyin the fight againstCommunilsm: communitan adversaryof the church - Throughits aims, methodsandtactics "t communism is an international force that works for trrecompletedestuction of the church and of whatremainsof christian civilization. And it doesit soeffrcaciouslythat it woulddeshoyit this very day if it werenot for the assistance of Divine Providencepromisedto the immortal church' The vigilanceandcombativeness of all catholics- andthereforealsoof theHierarchy - must be insistedupon before anythingelsein trt rtrggre until the final defeat of this adversary. It befits the ecclesiastical Hierarchy,then,to be eminentlyanti-communist, thatis to say, it is the responsibilityof the Hierarchytolnstruct andform the faithful againstcommunism, denouncingand refuting the errorsof this ,..t,.rho*inil;; perniciousand worthy of execration theseerrorsate, and inciting them to engageall their irifluence,all their availabletime andtheir dedicationin the stnrggleagui*t Communism. It is equally the responsibilityof the Hierarchyto give their most decidedsupportand encouragement to the public andprivate organizatio* trti't fight against comiunism, sincethey arenaturalallies of the Church. communism is also the greatestenemyof all nations, sinceit preaches theabsorption of all of theminto a utopianunivirsal Republic. ano aso uecausethe culture,thesocial, politicalandeconomictheoriesdeducedfrom the comnurnistdoctine arodiaietrically opposed to the tnrth' From whenceit follows that, in the measure in which co--*ir. continuestaking controlof the mindsof thepeopleandacquiringinfluenc.ln trrr fife of a in thatmeasure it continues undermining thestrengths "o*try, of ffidisordering

that.;*oy;;;;;il;#"; life. Theexperience of thecountriisdominated byi;;;sm t4

proves it.

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Thesuccess of the communistactionin a particularcountry canbe moredangerous for thesurvivalandSrandeur ofthal to*try thanthe ,u...r, of ,ome invading army might be. ThecatholicHierarchy]rasthe graved"t;i;;lping trr. country entrusted to its care withallits effortsinthe.*. of uforeig-naggression. ltiraslt a fortiori in thefaceof a doctrinal or armedCommunist penetration.r Thesenvoprinciplesform, in this way,a criterion that cannotbe forgottenwhen considering theconducJof our BishopsandPriestsagainsrthe communistaggression experienced by our nation.

tcfr. A lgrega anteq escalada deameaga comutnista,ip.%_Sl, l5

X'irstperiod 1967_ 1973 While the Tupamarosattackin a bloodyway Thedevastating Pastorsgive prestigeto the showandpromotecapitulation Communo-progressivism supportstheviolence The ChristianDemocraticParryandthe CommunistParfypropose ,osolution,, t1e Outline of the devastatingeccresiasticar procedurein this period with thecountryunderthe effectsof the guenillaaggression, of socio-politicalagitationand unchecked Mancistideologicalpropaganda" tr,r p.oiJa*r of thedevastatingBishopsandpriests wascharacterized by: - vehementdenunciations madewith unjustanddemagogicgeneralization againstthe uruguayansocialstructures,blamingthemfor belngge4erators of violenceandaskingfor their radicaltransformation. - Condemnation of anti-comrnunism, asanachronistic, egoisticandcontary to the Pastoralline of the Leaders,while the Tupamarosand tt. rt.rgy that supportedthe violencewere - by thesesamePastorspresented * ia.uists unaeffidably indignantin the faceof "institutionalizedinjustice.,, - Generalaccesstothepositions of pastoralandapostolicdirectiongivento themore representative elementsof the conrmuno-progressivist Clergyandconsistentievolutionary formationof laicalteams.

ilit [i' tll

- In momentsin which the circumstances madeit inevitable,weakandsomewhat ambiguous episcopalcondemnations againstthe use violenceasa method,joined almostalways- with benevolence "ig"L.il" towardsthe Tupamiro political endsthat werenover censured.

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- Creationof conditionsfor the Christian-Man<ist collaborationin the FrenteAmplio, thatproposed thegradualrealizationof the collectivistideologyof the Tupamaroson the politicalplane.

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pueEullueposrp'Eurpnrp pB,,olul peuuoJsrr?4 peJo^ocsrp rrBSJo qcmqc eqJ -

'oeppoluongoqpo,(sq1Euoure Kpee;p su/tr (

l se Equaeddearogeqs?rcscv sB.IJo r{slred

PrrsolcnpeueqlJo

eqlJo rotssdluslsrssvsumoqan)Bre^llo

ur Euqrom Jo JoABJ q (1,)pazlclel ss/Y\or{^r

ernJo&lceduceql ol ol uorsuelJoIcoJEu11e1per 'uoru,(trelclsrgel eql fq fruuorlnlonereql sseleque^e51 pu?usForrelJo elsulreulq eqlJo ro^€u eql Eugsolfpee.rpse,r

reglsc rc poursureJ suopounuoc

'rftlrmocaqlJo ecualsrsal $nmuuoc-lluu eql renbuocol peul aqlJouoqnlo^eeglroJ.rue{{e:1eql'/961Jo asmoceql uo uopueuurno xg sn

..sIsuc,,

uerto-rd srqpuBrepuelsno1t11a.r

I Thereligiousleaderand his program Let us fix our attentionon the courseof 1967,thekey yearfor the evolutionof the "crisis"destinedto conquerthe anti-communistresistance of the country.

Our countrywasalreadytestingthe flavor of thebitterkste of terrorismandof the commotions causedby the leftist clergyrnen.Nevertheless the revolutionaryaggtessions remained circumscribed to the capacityof the radiatingfoci of tensionto impact:

FatherIndalecioOlivera(who wasAssistantPastorof the Churchof the Reductoand whowaslaicized(?) in the Parishof LasAcaciasbeforeappearingasTupamaro)wasalready workingin favorof violenceamongthe youthof Montevideo.

- TheChurchof SanJuanBautista@ocitos)andthe Chuch of PuntaCarretasare discovered transformed into "advanced"progressivist oentersby the prieststhat directthem, dividing,disorientingandangeringmanyqf the faithful in the capitol. - In theDioceseof Salto,the previouslymentionedo'experiment" of theworker-priest promotion Saffaroni,with his of classstruggle,hasrepercussions in all of Uruguay. - In SanJos6thebehaviorandthe ideasof foreignpriests,who accompanytheir leftist sennons with shockingliturgico-pastoral innovations,includingdiafribesagainstthe frequentuse of theSacraments by thetraditionalfaithful beginto be a spurceof contoversyfor Catholics. - New Catholicmagazineslike Yispera,for example,fiT to "conscientize"the faithful, praisingsubmachine gunsandeulogizingCamiloTorresandCheGuevara.I Laboruniondistubancesof clearCommunistorigigr,aswell asstudentprotestsin some publicschoolsandin theUniversityof the Republic(tha{[ad (cultural" agreements with the panorama Universityof Karl Man<in Leipsig,EastGermany),completedthe of the effortsto shockthe countryartificially. In the centerof all this arduouseffort the Tupamaros,with their pillaging,wereappearingandreappearing. Manyfellow-countrymenthen ask for moredrasticmeasuresin the fight againstthe subversion, andgroupsof the faithful let theBishopsknow their uneasiness in view of the evidentsignsof Mancistideologicalinfiltration in sectorsof the Clergy. In themeasure thatthe "shockteabnent" appliedby thereyolutionaries continuesto Uruguayans, it also awakens anticommunist disturb reactionsthat havebeendormantfor a long time.... rThereaderwill find suchfactsandtheir development latersetforth with detailsin chapter I l.

l.AbitterAdventforUruguayanCatholics:thePastoralLetter to fulfill Therewas a mancarledby his circumstance events.

a decisiverorein the courseof

Recentlyraisedtoapositionofprivilegedimportancehefoundhimselfwithresources jil tht tigttt ttting' to reducethe Man<istaggression for adoptingthe opportt. .ttitua., ,uyiig fhd;, sparingihecountryfrom bloodystruggles' to completeisolatiori*ta i*..ai# ArchbishopandApostolic andmorard'acerations: H; Jdthe iew coadjuior destructions p*,"i of half of the uruguayancatholicsandnatural r sedeprenaof Monevideo, Administrato leaderof the Episcopate,MonseilorCarlosParteli' He did not do it. grantedby Divine frolidSye andthe natural on the contrary,the power and influence very different metopolitan governmentwere pledgedin a orderof things to tt " "r"t"ri*tical

direction.

parteliandhis directaidespublishedthe so-calledPastoral on Decemberl, 1962,Mons; throughouturuguay' Letter of Advent that would havea greatrepercussion Whatwastheguidancefromthereligiousauthorities? of the Uruguayanreality: This was characterizedby thefollowing interpretation a.Thecrisis-Thecountrywasimmersingitselfinacrisis-accordingtothel.-of the caf,itaristmentarig (no.28), the spiritof lucre vastproportions,in whoseorigin wasfo'nd (no. Z9);i lirge do'seof violenceexlsted (no. 2g), tt progr", oi". iaopiion of:middleclassways (no'33)'2 legislation " overthe peopleio *tr currentsocio'economic orderto resolvethe situation theysaid b. You may not resist the reforms ln Uruguayans bold andurgent,at timespainful,whrchwe radical structuralrri;;-**"needed, to would imposethesereformsanyway' we ought irreversible, History, because resist not could of goodwill whoworkforthe

- thisyes- *g. t r * iin rottoiiriiis *iln yft y:" and38)' of a ni o'a" centeredon man(nos'3l' 35 establishment

c.Anti.communismisashowofbadwill-WithoutevenmentioningtheCommunist in the following .a rrtr oppositeanti-communism danger,the ecclesi*ti"or ",rtt oritiesdiscieai as io foreign instructionsand to theuniops eviti i tt r, iroit ,i i"tt't rtt* irrt as is tenns:It d'^o"o'y' libirty and socialpeace(no'30)' b pretendto resolviihese evilswitn citiiii

zThePastoralLetterof Advent, apudParteli,pastorof the Church. . .

' '

Theyco.nsider it appropriate, at thattimeto prepreagainst wishing rodefe,n! thechristians whoupon conrrrii rojueithat,h;i;;';:;Tra.,i .-";;i;;;;;;;;;t order,tookfor

rf:::::::Zi:#:!,:l;*;:;:,,:*iii,ji:!liiii;:aia,.w,ii".iinye.ide Communism (no. 46).

'-' ''o'>oq*e wttn MQrxist instructions or the designs of International

,f ,h*::;ff,l;',Xi::I,"::;:Xe itt, christian community, rni,

extremelyserious(no.60).

Pastoral Lener have thisother rerere nce: rheresponsibiriry tt,ii A,I;;titi, ir", before ,tor39.l!ris.tiaw. Godand "f aerous sowingthat extendseven to thi

Hierarchyitself is

butpossibre c'h1ice-rheyrecognize naturaily that

,orunra,tiygt,,,ny1y,;;;;;;;;Wn"m,:,_;Xt::fj j;;Xiyf cannotaccept anytTPeif revotutioijust :j:?: biaus,rir'iio rr"orutionand examine carefuryth, eyastna thata christian ",0,,;,,:;:):1::;;I::e',X;;1i'ry

must ir'puoued, the*rii in* crcumstances, aye used, themofives the intorerabre thatproio.tce ,, ir'iiirT"*ir^ thatarecaused. In anycase'befo* s"i"g egoism'Thatpersonw&ob-etieiesilat ";inslthe "rir^,'iitbnristian muststruggreagainst his own herori.no*-thi, ,rorutionaryia th w,r not be

iy;:Xt{,:,'I::i,::tr:Wigffi'*";i;;;;';;;z;.."ia,ioninorde onemustnotbescandauzea'by ;"1# ;;t;:" isinter-vyoven viotent' others 'ot' co"ttii, Cirii;r, ;;;=;;;;;iio withrevorutions, some moraliudgmentab.outthl * au of then. h is not the u;e case tocast ' thepoint,it wouldbetuniirnt "t''it't"", at that ^o,*'i1or.in-those given torecauin, ,iristrJbr:;;;;;;"irarprrarnce "irr"o^rronces. To be f;;." (no. Hence'in otherwords'

Mons' Parteliandthe others saying, who signedthepastoralLetter, whiretheyrriirtla.."l;;;;ia1!:*.1#;,"L:":oTd:d.throughout were thenadon, that

iltli:"trj:ll;l'fi il;l;lt*::"*'.:,:llnff#*xmr:,heorderi,,ph;; e' Distinction between Marxismaudchristianify collaboration on thetheoreticar on tte practicatilt: leverbut p*.r"i;;fuT, rrrc divergence that thatseparo.tes the radicar doctrinar christranitvrr"i notpossibre to beChristianandMaiiry.* u*-i;;;;:?lbeen,supersraii.Therefore it is r1r,,o^,i iii"r."Neverrheress, 'fromJohn)ooII and nnaingsupporrintexts Paulvi trt":itr:i""rionT.*.."?",:*rrri.ar inspired "i bythemin thetontoi"iJ,i, tt.orie, .oo ,t. initiatives ,ronr. p*.ii.""i,uo* notpreclude' that this in practice, ruai..t'oiuergence thecolla;;;;ii." u.o"*i does v*,iri, *a christians(nos. 6l und74),

y;:::;,,:I;;':;fr::':;:::::X;::o

{r. a,,powerr.}. church then, asinsrirution,

otriiiprrsecuted ano *,,,r,Xj,!,!gr7{:;{i::i::i:trKi3::r#i::ri;ii';,,, ::!'.,i:.k

exhortation; andit warns; oyn, ,onirr, andoftheway lheseori iii ror*,-,;r';;r;i";;'prophetic be'tieve isourduQton"r1"":"r, of trfethatwe i"v"ii;1;

*ord, ,wo hasearsto

hear;hear"(nos.67 and74). t*t

of theperiod' It is The pastoralLefferof Adventformsa frameworkfor the events thento pausebriefly to analyzeit' necessary by insinuations, It is written in a languagethat speakstt[ough its silences,tells itselfby the on certainkey points,becomesambiguousaboutothersand expresses exaggerates ou.iu1 impressionthat it p;oducesin thereader'smind. intuition' did not The uruguayans,endowedwith greatcommonsenseand outstanding of the text: the ecclesiastical pauseat the subtlecautionsandunderstJodquickly the "message" againstthe subversiveassault' authoritieswould defendneithertheir flock nor tttiir country takenplace? Their new What had happenedfor sucha disconcertingturnaboutto have elementsof communoattitude,would it stJVtne same?Or q.orld the most extreme the processthat threatened seetrr.,nr"tur, free'noryto radicalizethe revolutionary progressivism country? of Montevideowith The Communists,for their part,welcomedthe text of the Pastor *tty.'we wilr referto this rejoicingof the enemiesof the andoneunderstands enthusiasm, of the shortly; but fiqstwe will summarizethe devastatingcharacter church and of uruffi documentin its different Parts: - The evaluationthat it presentson the socio-economiccondition of the countryis of realityto thecrisisappearance unjustlygeneralized*alnugnifies theproblems,awardingan the Mancistrevolutionaryattack' show setup to breakthe resistanceof the uruguayansagainst andthe abuses By failing to formulatethe necessaryd'istinctiontb"ttn "n Capitalism of actuallycondemning committedin its application,the Pastoralgivesthe impression However;the offi-ciarMagisteriumof the church hasenergetically capitalism * o ryii*. of Capitalism,but still considersthe systemin itself legitimate'3 reprovedthe excesses of 3Seethis text of popepius XI amongmanyothers-thatcouldbe cited:Our Predecessor economicsystemin which' happymemory,in nii nntytlical referredplincipatly to-that the commoncarryingout of the ordinariry,somecontribuiewith cipitat ind otiers with workfor phrase: "capital withoutwork is worth nothing; economy,as he himsetfdefinedit in a s^olemn nor is workwithout cipitat @ncyclicalRerumNovarum)' greatestffirt' to regulate It wastng Ana if ,iono^y that LeonII ffied, with the that in itself it is not condemnable' accordingto the normsofjustice;fromwhence it.follows theproper orderwhencapital And really,by its o"t,rriit is noivicio us:it only violates and the entireeconomicregimeare theworlrerso, ih, proletariat so that the businesses enslaves aboutthe humandignityof theworkers, in itshandsand resurtin utitity itserf,withoutbothering l9

_- Mons'Parleliand his collaborators decideto advocateprofoundandurgent changes' structurar changes thatmustnot beresisted.It is not u r.ro*, they are several; thesearenot accidentals: theymustalterthettr.n.r of the socia;;;;, andtheywill beable,therefore, modifutheessential to physiognomyoiut..counlrf; theydo not admitdelaysor graduations their in urgency presses !ime' andis refeneoto attiimuit*rourrx theydo noiioLrur. discussion, Historywill imposethemirrevettlury .-..-. Neverthetui, ,irotile dictu! they areindefinite,one cannotnametheircharacteristics noiindicateth. ilil;ions which they will have to affect. . . . How to explaina contradictionso surprising? Eithertheauthorsof the documentdid not [oo* in whateachreformconsisted, fromthedoctrinalpoint of vie*, *d not even rhrr.rore ttreycouiJno, understand fully its profundity, quantityandurgency,formingin this walttre.ut.iJruii.**a for several simultaneous surgeries' social a riskyandinadmittiutt imprudenc.; .-r'trrry a'i] t no* and aia noi wish to sayit. In suchcasehowdoesthis mysteriou, ,ii*.. rrotsurprise,preciselywhenall the o.democratic,, Marxistleft wasclamoringin favor oi.onn".ur"iil;li;ctivist structtuarchangesthat appeared alsoin theprogramdemanded-virt."ut;t;J"o*.."s? Because,certainly,the ecclesiastics will not think thatth. ,rfrr.n ce to theformatiin of a new order centeredon manis sufiicientprecisionto distinguishtheiivague reformist desires from the changesof Mancist inspiration alsocenteredon iran thut ;. communis,r ruia tt.y wanted. Thusit wasm-orenecessary thaneverto differentiatethe legitirnate socialaspirationsfor a catholicfromtheMarxist totio-rro*mi. progrumsJrrt.r.tiu. of true Tradition, corrosiveof theFamily'anda destroyerof Prop"tt).otti*ir., uir tt"r. who were especially determinedin theeffortto improvethe situatio";ith; poor,inspiredtt;; ecclesiasticar exhortation, regardcommunistsasfellow workers would andevenideal so muchmorethanthe documentemphasi".,ones:a * u outy the realizationof thosereformsin collaboration with all thosemenof gooa wilwttowork for the establishment of the neworder. No uruguayanreformistwasthus'ei.iua.a; it *", ,iougi'io, ti. to displaygoodwig ....

'fll::l#;:iil:{'I:"f"{"T!;

iommon good(pius ( cummon Xr,Encvcricar adragesim'" Qu .: i.w,F":t*::iy^ana >o<lil, ppi o i i ours). ;rr.er,*i, !:: ::! ^1 f _"6

xu,'*'';;iffi; r,iri't, totheFirst rnternati congress f *';n:;:::.o::i:,',:?1 onthe probrems orrurur iii. lli' iiiiri^',;';;;i";:;':r;,'#:jirfi,ffffi:;xiT"t:onar aconcerning the ambiguityof thepreachingabout the reformsof struct,re,it is interesting

[ilil:tjanopinion

expressedbv theliishoprfrtaJJ.".ao-punta delEste, Monsignor

Go/ind out whatphilosophy thos.e "progressivistrevolutionaries,,haye! As the refrain sgys:a r{o reveuhogananciadi pescady. upsiae-aown irrtJ river profit is io, trr. fishermanl II/ehearvagueand impreciseteims urrd rith ^*ioii ironngfrom'distinct sidesasfor exsmple:catholicsand.communists speakof ,erolu,irinonarrpr^ of structures and if onedoes notre/ineandprecisethe termswell, ie can seewhatat timeswesee,unimaginabre confusion. Proclaimingthe revolutionand demoniirg reformsoTrii,rr'rrw indiscriminatetylike thisis to '#:#::f;;i:l:,"y^*':^::r!^1.'/o'

thecurrent account ofInternationat Marxism (La"Maftana, 20

what is thtireto sayaboutsuchanopening, practically withoutreservations, whenthe Communists wereusingthetacticoitr,eortrtr.t.h.di*o ro**0, cutrroii.s, invitingthemto builda newsociarist order,*r.roorn of theroil..iiuirilnti-ctristian society? - Themistakes, confusions, imprecisions, insinuations in theecclesiastical intervention wereaccumulating, with thesingularcharacteristi. oiJ*uys favoringtheleft. To thisis added againsttheanti-cotnit*irtr, developed r*u.ityu, tr,.,noir.r,t ortr,. revolutionary :$:l* A doctrinal:Tpuiq to separate thefaithfulfromtheMarxistseductions? None. An episcopal denunciation againsttheideoloiical,politicaland;r; agitationdestined to implantananti-christian regim.i'no* co,urtyzfrevert on thecontrary,theecclesiastics try to rtirinut.'eventhepossibilitythatsuch a

x"1

berealized, ridiculing tr"r *a pr.rrnting ,r,rJr .rr.uav discredited J ;ffit:iflfri $'""ffiiil:on

Accordingto theviewpresented by Mons.Parteli ft. clergywhosupported thisview no foreigninstnrctions T9 worthyof mentionexisted;o* rrot rp"un-Lran"orgarized attack, despiteTupamaro crimesandbombs;theunionr-J *iu.tsities'were ""rra alwaysstirredup spontaneously or by anexplainable ilesperation, tht;ll saytater.fnrlff.r* of originalsin T seemed to havedisappeared evenfromihose:oqJt dlot.d to thetask,in sinfulextreme, of destroying thelastremainsof christiancivilizationon trr" face of the rurtir.'original sinonly existedamongthosewhodenounced m. tonrpira.y;JA. agreement with thisactionby priestsandlaymen.. . progressivist . - Theecclesiastics thusb*lan ambiguous wayof dressing revolutionary optionwith thenoblerobesortegltim;"rJugr1o.n eventheviolent (thesisformerly explained by theScholastic theologians); "c.i""rttyrrr, t11Jrr. *uy trrl priests and laymencouldin conscience andpuri/iedjointheguenidas,_if they.oiJruala, aftercareful"r*arr,inution, it rike . . Had;,tother

ilr"r,;":,i):ff";:,f$*.

chris,i*, prrr,"ps parricipat.a _ tr,rypointed out_

Eventhe nationalenthusiasmfol the exploits of lndependence wasusedin a context capableof giving creditto the armedrebellion iupu,n*o, that, if it hadbeensuccessful leaduruguav "rtrr9 to betransformea inttu a.rpiiu-ule .

colonyoiM;;*,

il;fl*t

The Letter of Advent acceptsas of the moment

pekingor

Man<ists(it hasnot beensuperseded',sa1s-the_1ex0. the doctrinal divergence with the B;i;ilediately after,it persuades the readerto believethat the passages from John)ooII *tJp""r vI on the distinction between theoryandpracticeareappliedio Uruguayso thattheyallow catholicsa concretecollaboration with the communists--iupam*o, oi nol -_ rot for the ,,*.turJi.form of society. until now no one hasconvincingly "**pri inin-Y pracein the world, the eventual lholo, historico-practicalevolutionof the red-sectariuor, n*'in order to giveguarantees of fruitful programmaticcollaborationthem. stiil [;l; uruguay, at that time a victim. one cannotalludeambiguouslyto those .t*,lng th. irpr.*ion thattheymayopen ""r,

I ,il t

ril

,i I

,il j

Jhedoorsf<ira so-calledunionof effortswith the enemiesof our country. And if Mons.parteli or hisimmediate aidesbelievelike this,let themsaysothenclearly andopenly,sincethepeople of our countryin so far astheyarecatholic anauruguay; would needto know thatthe ecclesiastic authoritiesfuel so gravea supposition. - Finally,the PastoralLetterassertsthat the Church mustseverHersetffromall tieswith public' econotnicor socialpowers. As a.perfect societywhictrSheis, with a supernatural end,it is evidentthatthechurch cannotsubordinate Her soveieigntiuertyto anyhumanpowerin order to fulfill thesacredmissionthat God entrustedto Her. Nevertheless, the traditionalCatholicMagisteriumalwaysrespectedand maderespected theconstituted temporal the legitimut"?ghtr u.qoiod andthe hierarchiesof orderand luthority, thejust andharmoniousfi'urctionsof the socialbod!, anadt e inspireda cultureandcivilization with absolutemoralprinciples,immutablein their rrr.nrc andchangingonly in their historical accidents.s It is not licit for the ecclesiastical dignitariesto accompany the destructionof all those principleswith armscrossed.still lessis itlicit for themto encourage their destructioneither directlyor indirectly. Withoutomittingthe energeticreprobationof injustice,the sacred Magisterium, followingthe examplethat the Divine Teacheroutlined, alwaysshowed HersJf amorously attentivein ordernot to leavedoubtsabouttherespecttirut principle tttr of authorityin anyof its levelsmerited.6 slt is opporrtrne to seewhat St. PiusX sayswhencondemningthe Frenchpolitical movement "Le Sillon": No, civilization is not to be invented,nor is the new cityto be built in the clouds. It has existed,it exists,it is Christian Civilization, it is Cathalic Civilization. It is only a matterof foundingit and restor-ing-i!ceaselesslyon itsnatural and dtvine againstthe always newattacl<sof the unhealthyutopia of thellyl,lutiopsnd of foundations tmpiety(Notre cLarge Apostolique, no' l l, DoctrinaPontificia- DocumentosPollticos,fiibnotr.u deAutoresCristianos,Madrid, p. 408. 1958, . . Ttry paragraphsin which Pius)(II reaffirrnsthe haditional immutabledochine th; ecclesiastical Magisteriumon the respectandlovedueto the harmonicinequalities "f are of society illustrative: Thesocial inequalities,inclusiveof the onesthat are tied to birth, are inevitable;benign natureand the benedictionof Godfor humanity,illuminate andprotect the cradles,but do not levelthem. Keepin mind,for example,the societiesmostinevitablyleveled. Na artiJice ever succeeded beingsfficiently efiicaciousto thepoint of rnaktngthe son of great a chief, of a great leade,rof hordesof m?n, stayentirely in the ti*, ,oidrfion as an obscurecitizen lostin the middll of thepeople(. . .).Suchinequalitiescannotbe considered theresultof spirit instructed in a Christianway,but as a dispositiondescrie-d by Godfor thesame,rorori tiot explainthe inequalities in theinterior of thefamily,and, therifore,iith th, purpose of unitingmenamong

' .irt iil

contentwe whosedevastating Whata differencebetweenthis text andthe PastoralLetter I exposing! of necessity seeourselvesin the sad i

**_

,.',

andpriestly whatthesacredepiscopal $ DuringthisbitterAdventof lg6T,venerating had irymy an If psalmisi: the Catholic, theUruguayan , $ represent, investiture "outdp*uptr*. wasyott'myfatherand it But ' ' me ' against up raised had me haled who he if . . me. olfended i,1.4 in theHouseof God(Ps54,13-15)' andwaltced intimacy withwhomI rivein sweet rerative in viewof the - The Communistsrejoice- Whatwasthereactionof theMancists Letterof Advent?

.i ,id

inits I Pastoral thewhole toprint it interesting HllTi#$H,frfryffi::f:",Xsidered

'ii publicationNumber8. ^ !.c^-_^n^_r-r-o rrah the .o discussing cabrelli, Fern6ndez Alfonso orientation, The writer of identicalideological fi h is a matterof ie documentin his boo\nArtigasy loscurasrebeldesdeclares: ecclesiastical l it and in manyye,rs' It is historical mosttranscendentalmanifestoof ttpeuruguayan church oiin church, of Her disposition i turnsout to befundamentalas a delinitioi olthe newattituie 1968,p' 129)' to work amongthepeople@dicionesGrito ie Asencio,Montevideo, il dedicatedioyru The organof the UruguayanCommunistParty,El Popular' il aaamework of great i[ yeaxs.as commentariesto it and will refer to it manytimes * ih.- fouowing t$ paragpphsfrom a seriesof importance.et u" ioot of the page,the ,""d", will find significant ,{ parrypubrication,sig;ed uy trrecommunistLuis silva two articlesin the daily communist ',',i$ u * revolutionaries outuinta by the red Rehermann,which give an ideaof the talt'icat advantagei ' li of the Letterof Advent.' consequence 11

{ of heaven,helping more,in thejourney of thepresentrife towardsthe country themserves I and childrin one and the other,in thesamewqy that afather hetpsthe'mither themselves 'il in virtueif the impetusof t If thispaternal conceptionof thesocialsuperiority,at iimes, p"'o^ of ^i'i atuited drew mindsto detoursin the,dotio^ iii"n I human passions, is not surprised 'fi humanity history the condition, ffitley humble more of ones category,with the $ truth thit,lor with this.such detoursare not enoughto diminisho, oiyurioir"the{un(aryniat of January5' ot humanfamilytspeectr christians,the social inequalitiesarefoundedon the srio,t p' f+f 1942ad PatriciadoRomanoi Discorsie Radiomessoglf,Voltlt, i ?ThenewspapennanSilva Rhermannwrites: think it more important to put To go to tne-'piintimmediately:we, communists, all personsof goodwill on ourselvesin agreeient with Catholic workers and with heaven than-to disagreewith them concerningquestionsabout questions.oo."*iou.*l (' ' ') as a contributionto the (, . ,) lk value,n pZriirol of Advent^i, importanttestimonial and Marxiitsand abovea/l commonaction of atlwho fertile dialoguebetweenChristians of the perclitadasestructurasof the aspireto a changeii irusuoyon life,lo a modification

In this wayUruguaysawthe wolf contentwith theproceedingof the pastor. . . ffid, tragically, it wasn'ttheonlytime. 2. other statements of Mons.parteri showingthe new orientation If thetext of the CapitolineArchbishopandhis immediateaidesformedthe centralpiece aroundwhichthedevastating ecclesiastical conductwasdeveloped,it wasnot, naturally,thl only publicdisplayby the leaderof the UruguayanEpiscopate wherehis lamentableorientationwould bereflected. a.- Total reform and dialoguewith Fidel Castro In Marchof that sameyear, 1967-therefore somemonthsbeforepublishingthe Pastoral Letterof Advent- Mons.Parteligrantedan interviewto the Mancistdulybe Frente. Thereporterasksthe Archbishop:Don't you believethat besides goodwill-a process of total reformof thestructuresof Latin America is necessary? Theanswer,without any shadingof meaningwhatsoever,flows shortand categorically fromthelips of the Prelate:Of course. Nothingmorenothingless. If thereformistprocesstriumphs,the processthatthe revolutionaryreporterandthe Hierarchybothwant,which of the legitimateaspectsof the socialstructurewould remain standing?We refernow to the harmfuleffectof the ecclesiastical sermonin favor of indefinite structuralchanges, thatdo not providethe publicthenecessary doctrinalelementsto distinguish themfromthe collectivistandconfiscatorytransformations, at thetime demandedby communism, thatareconfraryto Catholicmorality. what we havejust citedis a characteristic exampleof whatwe mean. On thesameoccasionthe reporterasksthe digutary if he believesthat he canhaveLatin Americanintegrationwithouttheparticipationof Cubo. The topic had specialrelevancedueto a nationaleconomyin tle direction of historicalprogress. A radical unity with suchaimsgrows in theFrentelzquierdadeLiberacihnand is not accidental(. . .) the aryearancenow o1tne CamiloTorresMovement,that risesup with theencouragingaii,mof iniorporating contingentsof Catholicsand Christtansin general in the ranksof thefienle lzquierda (n foputar, Decimber' 8, 1967,emphasis ours). . , . Thepastoral gains, rnoreover,signi/icantscopeby itsinsertion of the (Jruguayan realityinto theLatin Americanscene,with opportunerecollectionof thestriggleforihe-First Independence andproviding a continentalmagnitudeto the structural changii that it declares inevitableandfor whosecomingit propitiatesthecollaboration"with alt tiose menof goodwill who- work in different/ields of action-.for the establishment of a neworder centeredon man In thesttugglefor socialjustice (. . .) we hove alwayspracticeda politicsof an outstretched handto catholics (El Popular,December10, 1967,emphasiiours).

leftist diplomaticoffensjve in processfavoringthe return ri*.ltingorG;; t gls. castro-comrnunistregimeto

,idents,hJ.;r.i'tuk" pru.. arew days

;T:1fi'fl,lhil1,lli'e ;

avoidine toco,ndgmn theryrannicar regime orla

":#;;rTii;T::::rlv,

".0*"H,?' rest. rhereasons adduced in

;;";i;;TI;?[i ,x#i;i"::,::!y,,,iiii,o,nt viir, authe March .,parteii, 28,te67,,apua p*,o,oftheCh;;:..:r:#:rffi,n:{ifi::;!i:{:#;"

begun,,i:t,'."lffi [Hf rH#ffitri, *t'rttli,*fi1iffi ofa"Federaction of EvangJ"Jirr*rrt *ffi ixl,." r

"ru-ffify,.to theH*j "iio[ atthattime,Grar.

,lrffi,?.Tli:*,!I-,lHy:;i:,#!iiii,J;;*."u,.","-"i,iJcuban orthelackorunderstlndingo.*.'".c*.:6ffi ft .*ffj'r,f;l:kJ:ixlt.fr'Jii,f$;

theshameful regimethat,b-esidesili"g",tlt il; c;;'p"opt",

ffiffifl:ifffili

hadbeentransformed imperialism, intoan pio,ootiG ugu.i;i"'subversion rhroughout theLatin

Putting'in this way' the heartof the

:',:l::'l;r,":;:l;';::i:,f

questionin the shade,the Archbishopadds:II/eurge,

U{}:il:WIf;,y*ticdiatoguethatpermits,rnrhe1

s,:ryrrorthis eccresiasricar T:'T:#fil*,T'9"Juil'weregratetul, initiative T**r[:t1:.T,:: country whose t"."iuJuerified u*.J C;b"; ffi,liT::os

*rioninour

***

I think the

mostdfficult will be that ';',:l;,'^f":::W"tr#if;,"{:K,!::::::l',;,;;;;,aynamt,o;;;;,tusensethatmartr yclt bNhgocan break the static image of hislocal

,;.:,ruii".9:n**l*;#.f,i opinion_*ourJprovokee,!*;,,,,-,il*r,,f,fl

(press conference, augurtI re'4,ii1! eoltri,i"ri]"ine church. Reallv' thetut"tttittdrd,,h;I . . no.-r rs:1. ' #or.* the conservaiive f.yerrl*ilffi, powertut resistance auxif*;riti tr,. of #::.r"#: HSll.: thestagnant revorutionary "..]r;tfi" tomake b. Possiblecoincidences with the Marxist approach

with his returnfrom columuia' tT P-relate formulateddeclarations in the magazinb vida

ffif#j.r,ry;qml*i.**$:"*nfffi .pi,.opuL,i""o"un",oio -.-Lrr, Thepublication askea rur ;bJ;il;#rh* TL^

berween thechristianapproachand the

roi,,jfi,:x;;:;#:'#irx\tr:rl:r:!;:::::,*see chapter 2,subtitred pastorat vida - the 2s

Marxist_approachfor thesorutionof theprobremsof the continent. Mons'Partelimakesallusionto tireatheismoi,t" co-**ists (oneof thedoctrinal diversions not superseded of thePastoralof edvent)u"alrn*"aiately adds:However, that there mightbea coincidence at otherpoints, it is possibli,I do not soyeitheryes or no, but it is possible,... TheArchbishoperrsherein a scandalous omission,refusingto preachthe truth and thereforetherequirements of the Gospelitself; he hid tt aiwhich ne rradthe obligationto say, sincetheMan<istapproachis not only anti-christian becauseit is atheist;it is alsoanti-christian because of its wholeconceptionof mh, of society*o rurt*r. Thereis in this omissiona clearfavoring;f th;;;;ig"r of the communistadversary. on theotherhand,with his hiding ortrrJtrutrr,followed by the affrrmationthat i/ is possiblethatcoincidences existwith Maiism, hr ei6;;*the faithful to uetieve thathe accepts, frurdamentally, thatft-ttt be agreements in approachin social,political andeconomic Tut matters'what contradictsinnumerableteachitrgr orth" Traditional'Magisterium of the church contained in memorable pontificaldocumentsthat condemncommunisir in its variousaspects. It is not strange,then,that in anotherof his *r*rir to vida pastoralhehadsaid:To the leadersit is said to themthat they malce,that they trioii-*oilable and understandingto promote'tofacilitate and not to resistthe.necesiary changesbecauseifthesechangesare not madethenit is understandablethat violen t ,o^2r 1ird'i rorbral,l0(196g), p.32;;emphasis ours). we do not needto emphasi--:,e againthe fact that the changestenaciouslypersistin remainingindefinitein the wordsortnJarcnbishop, *ighing overthem,this time more forcefully_still, thepossibrecoincidencewithtn" rtooiifopproach . . .. what is more'the ApostolicAdministratorof the Alrhdior"re of Montevideousesthe specterof violenceas.perzuasiYe argumerlto achieveanacceptance of the reforms. It is the artificialdisjunctivethat alreadycameoutlinedin his pastoral of Advent. i.rf

Thepeoplehearandseesimilar . lvords,badgerirlgthemwith ferocityin orderto convince themthattheywant'to freethemselves" andiotalria.r"*y *aitional uruguay:now in a parish sermon'now sungin a protestpoemthat comesinto the homewheneverthe-radioplays;they meetthemtoo threateningan{ with hugelettersin the trnirlpr.r, or daubedby anonymous handson thewallsof a banquil streeti again,and mostof all, dramatizedlive in the ultimate impact-attack of theguerrillashow. 3. Betweeuthewolf and the pastor,a new styre of rerations Traditionallr,.$1latholic clergy took specialcarenot to adoptattitudescapableof givingprestigeto institutionsor persorri-r.pr.r.ntative of anti-christiancauses.The peculiar militantcharacter of the church hereon garthimposedit like this in tr,, p*t, dJr-in* it more thanever thepresentandwill demandit in the'future. in It formsin its tum a seriousmoral duty for whoever is investedwith authoritythepractice

of theirconduct, of this modtattentiveandpatemalzealthat avoidsthe harmfulrepercussion particularlybefweentheir subjectswho arelessformed. Did not Our Lord stigmatizewith words oneof tf nr. the-knowingviolation of tnir preceptwhenHe reprimandedwhoeverscandalizes theselittle oneswho believein Me?(Mt. 8: 6). to seethe ArchbishopandApostolicAdministratorSede It will be common,nevertheless, plenaof Montevideo,or his closesthelpersin the ecclesiasticgovemment,grantingcordial verifiably Marxist. Obviouslywe do not interviews- manyof themexclusive- to newspapers analyzetheintention that movedthemto adoptsuchattitudes,but yestheir external consequences. This way of proceedingby the religiousauthoritiestendedto demolishthehealthy barriersexistingin tire spirit oithe faithful againstCommunism;it instilledin a subtleand from ..pedagogical" relativism;andit providednew possibilitiesfor propaganda way 111orul f"tun(istpublicationsto keeppoisoningthe weakestCatholicconsciences. to the Uruguayan a. Organ of the CommunistParty,voiceof an Archi-episcopalmessage people .., page At the end of 1967Et popular gublisheda largephotographin the centerof its first headings of the fuchbishop,smiling andconversingwith a columnistof that paper,beneathlarge at appeared omensot iignr of theNew Yearfrom Mons.Parteli.Photographs thatannounced the (FIDEL), eachsideof the prelate:oneof the Presidentof the FrenteIzquierdade Liberaci6n his specialmessagefor El Popqlar);anotherof the MarxistpedroBonavita(who alsopresented Argentine-CubanChe Guevar4 presentedasthe personof the year. Undeleath wasa caricature pro.lui'ningthat one mustenter-theNewYearsteppingresolutewith the left; anotherengraving the 506anniversaryof the BolshevikRevolutionin Moscow. . showeda plade cornmemorating The surpriseof whoeverpagesthroughthe newspaperincreaseswhenhe verifieson like interiorpagesthe transcriptionoia communicationsignedby MonsefrorPartelithatbegins greetingto all the this: / talceadvantageof ihe opportunitythat Et Popular ofers me to direct a in moreor then Uruguayanpeople-br*urc olint NewYear. The Archbishop'smessage refers, ' for peace' lessgeneralterms,to the conditionsnecessary The newspaperaccompaniesthe staternentof the Archbishopwith an article from the that it wasthefirst time, in our counlry,that a emphasizing columnistSilva Reherrnann, Communistjournalist washwing o ^ttiirgwith so high a prelate of the CatholicChurch;he and formulatesthenextensiveeulogiitic considLationson behatfof the PastoralLetterof Advent (El Catholic-Marxistdialogue,for-wtrictrthe Archbishopwould havebeenvery open Popular, 3 1, 1967). December to Obviouslythe uncommonvoicefoundby the Pastorof the Catholicsof Montevideo to his peoplecause{greatperplexity. His wordswere expresstheNew year's message transformedby this solefact into omenssufficientlybadfor the future. throughoutUruguay,takingup spacefor The incidentraisedworriedcontroversies Theunease severaldaysin the newspapers.Concerningthis confusionEl Popular commented: has Advent of that animatesthesereactionaryorgansis understandable.In tiuth, thePastoral

j}ri

put themii seriousdistress(. . ,re Marxistspractice ) towards believersthe politics of the outstretchedhand (. . .) henceourpositiv, oiitrd, towardthepastoral o/)iurr, and our interviewwith Monsefiorparteli (El poputar,January t, tgog; emphasisilrj b' Bellsring for the deathof a communist agitator, while ecclesiastical authoritiesattend theburial In thepsychological war carriedout by therevolutionaryforcesagainstthe Uruguayan people,thevarioussectorscontinuedgiving rtom to tttr.rlauiion of attick corresponding to its sphereof action' Eachsectorwas attackealna different way,but the objectiu. *^ the same:to makea crisis-show, therebymakingthe averagecitizenhesitate- aswe sawin his senseof socialstabilityandbeginto entertainthejdeaif trr. porrilr. bankruptcyof the countryasa way of influencinghim to soften,finally, in his resistance'a;il Man<istsocialism. one of thesesectorsutder attackwastheuniveisitysectorwhere the Communistparty controlleda dynamicminority of professorsandstudents capableof producin! a meaningful disturbance whilethe largemajorityof the studentboiyi"iuinra inirt anadiiorganized. In 1968,the subversiveagentsin the Universitymovedfrom tensionsto violent conflict, with streetfights,confrontations with thepoliceandnumerousdisturbances.e Duringoneof theseoutbreaksof violencea mob of agitators beatup on a policemanwho hadfallento theground to kill poti..rn-, rhe then, takinghis regulation -tleatening rym. firearm,fired andwounded one of the attackers, themilitant communistLiber Arce, who later diedasa resultof the bullet. Naturallythe UnrguayanCommunistPaftymadea publicity campaign aboutthe ,ovictim,, of "reactionary repression." Theecclesiastical authoritiesof Montevideodecidedto takea positionrelativeto the incident. TheArchdiocesan Vicar General,Mons.HaroldoPoncede Le6n,orderedthat thebells of thechurchesring in moumingat the marchortrt. poiitarurparuo. with theremainsof the militantcommunist,designedby the Manist left for effects. Archbishop nr*iri"- propaganda Parteli,accompanied by the sameVicar and by *other orrris immediatecollaborators, Fathersasfe, attendedthe burial (cfr, P.leleral Luis astiganagaiios cat6licos,el mancismo, -----' las elecciones," Montevideo(1971)p. 107);Et populir, oid 15, l96g)10' eTheJesuitma.gazine PerspectivadeDidtoga(oneof thepublicationsthat appeared in 1966for theintensediffusionof ecclesiastical prolesiuir* andaboutwhich we will treatin the nextchapter)indirectlyleavesthe psychologicaloSjectives of the universitydisturbances transparent: Montevideo-formerly prudlsh and sitts/ied- hasorro^ponird, scandalizedand fearful,the spectacleof the studeni violenceunleashed in robustclasheswith thepolice, in roakfightsanddamageto property ( cfr. GaloR. Martlne, aronu""El poderEstudiantil,,in Perspectiva deDidlogo 24(196g),p. I l0; emphasisours). roThemeaningthat the ecclesiastical solidaritywith bellsringing- had in the cornmuno-progressivist ranksmanifestedon occasionof thepolitical Uiriuj of tt e communist

The figure of the religiousleaderand-hisdevastatingprogram wasbeingsketched, then, with indeliblecharacteristics that todaynow belongto History,birore the astonished eyes of the faithful' .As background,the flamesoithr- fire of tf,erupu**o, madefrom robberies, crimes andall kinds of outrages,werecastingevil reflectionson the face of the corurtry. Speakinga voice thathis sheepdid not recognize,a Pastorftua.orn. io Montevideolike this at a decisivemoment. Whatdid the flock do while so manypriestswerehelpinghim in the neworientation? What did the featuresacquiredby theMetropolitanArchdioceseunder thepastoral crozierof Mons. Partelilook like? This is what we will analyzein the next chapter.

studentis betterunderstoodreadingthe wordsof FatherGilbert tn Perspectivas de Didlogo: The Gospelhas enteredilto lifefor thegood of thefaith of many(. . .) To ilurt ot, what wassaid it is enoughtto recall the giganticfunerals of Liber Arie, ue'bi Nieto, sp6sito,students killed by thepolice. Theywerepopular manfestationsas numerousas",ii/jiii" has everbeenseenin Uruguay,which manyChristians interpretedas true liturgies, because in themwasseen the annunciationof Christ of theGospel;preachedbeffer than ln any CorpusChrist procession of the past ("Sobrela Iglesiaen el Uruguayrespondeel P. Gilbert" in rriportn^ deDidlogo 6l(1972)p. 30; emphasis ours).

2 M,ONTEVIDEo:radicalizatiouunder the shadeof the miter Astonished, the faithful sawthat,togetherwith arrivalof the newArchbishopa vast mechanism of ecclesiastics, laymenandpublicationswasput into motion,noisily comeringthe Catholiccirclesof thecapitol. Threenewmagazines werelaunchedin Montevideo Perspectivas de Didlogo.alreadyin 1966;andthefollowingyetu VfsperaandVidaPastoral. All of themweredestinedto influence decisively,accordingto the directionsdictatedby the newmastersof the ecclesiastical situation, withinCatholiccircles. Withoutthe reshaintsthat the miter imposeson the Prelates,the newprogressivist mechanism installedin the different gradesof hierarchyand influenceof the a.clidioceran structure, wasradicalizingthe "ideological-pastoral" actionofthe CoadjutorArchbishopof Montevideo, who in turn wasleadingthe moredynamicsectorof the UruguayanEpiscopal Conference behindhis group. Besidesthe threemagazines mentioned,thenewspapers BP Color,Ahora, Ya,De Frente, MarchaandevenEl Popularwill serveasvoicesof thenew hend for thepublic at large. yes, alsothepressof the Mancistleft andthe veryorganof the CommunistParty,publishedfully all theattitudesandpronouncements of the communo-progressivist group. Whenthemembersof this brand-newgoup of Priestsandlaymenscandalize the faithful, thefuchbishopwill askfor understanding andrespecttowardsthe'ocommitted.'In this way,in theaforementioned Pastoralof Adventwe find this expressionof Mons.Parteli:Let usthinh fnally, abouttherespectthat theyoughtto meritfro,mus,our brothersin thefaith, laymenand priests,who,committedin the action,eachonein hisplace,theyarepresentin thedfficutt struggleforsocialjustice (. . .) l(e are diferent andwe haveto love our complementaries. Thispastorallove,let it be saidin passing,did not extendto the anti-communist Catholics, who werenot evenconsideredascomplement, beingon the conbaryseenbadlyand discredited by the ecclesiastical authoritiesof theArc,|rdiocese. ol ,t

l. The "chosenonest'of the Archdioceseof Montevideo Whowerethe exponentsof theprogressivist trend,startingfrom the secondlevel,in the Archdiocese, be it becauseof thepositionsoccupied,their intellectualactivity or their social relations? Herearethemain ones: - Mons.Andr6s M. Rubio: currentBishopof Mercedes;Auxiliary Bishopof Montevideo from 1968to 1975,he alreadyheld importantresponsibilitieslike the oneof Episcopal Vicar for ReligiousandEducation.Main collaboratorwith Mons.Parteliin the time thatconcerns us (1967-1972),his performance appearsthroughoutthesepages. - Mons.Haroldo Poncede Le6n: lively intelligence, o6y speaker, habitualvisitorof

andwell-knownfamily; radioandT. V. studios,andof socialgatherings;from a well-connected he heldduringthesecritical yearsthe VicariateGeneralof the Archdiocese.He wasconsidered by manyto be the "grey eminence"of theArchbishop.As ParishPriestof SanJuanBautista (Pocitos),he transformedthe Parishinto oneof the moreactivecentersof theneworientation, principallythrough "groupsof reflection."In this period,he usedall the powerandinfluenceof duringthemeetingsof fie his positionsto propagatethe new ideas,by meansof conferences Clergy,of articlesinVida Pastoralandin Visperaandof cordialinterviewswith Mancist publications. - Pbro. Arnaldo Spadaccino:for a periodof time, responsiblefor the Pastoralde Conjuntode la Arquidi6cesis,a regularlecturerat the meetingsof the Clergy,wasalsoa priests memberof the Advisory Boardof the Mantist duly De Frente. Oneof the mostrespected on theteamof Mons. Parteli. - Pbro. Pablo Dabezies:youngpriest,would cometo be directorof theArchdiocesan "Quincenario""lnformaciones.";he belongedto the Advisory Boardof the leadingnewspaper en Didlogo andY[speraandgrantingfriendly Ahora,besidescollaboratinginPersp,4ptivas y interviewsto Man<istpublicationsfite Marcha. A memberof the Consejode Presbiterio Asesordel MCU (UniversityParish).' - Pbro. Rarll Sastre:ChancellorSecretaryof the Metopolitan CourtandArchdiocesan (ACI). He left thepriesthoodlater;it is consultantof Acci6n Cat6licode MediosIndependientes reportedthat he was secretaryfor Seregni,andpresentlyhe is professorin the Holy Family religiousschool. - Pbro. Silvano Berlanda: rectorof the fuchdiocesanSeminaryandthenof ITU (presentlyin Rome). - Pbro. Orlando Romero:personin chargeof the Pastoral;subsequently Directorof the ArchdiocesanCatecheticalOffice. - Pbro. Uberfil Monz6n: Archdiocesan consultantwith JEC(frenteamplista). - Pbro. BoscoSalvla: Archdiocesan consultantwith JUC; thenEpiscopalVicar for the Pastoral(frenteamplista). - Pbro. Martin Gortizar: Archdiocesan consultantwith ACI. Oneof theorganizers aboutwhich we will speaklater;lechrer for meetingsof the of the EncuentrosSacerdotales, Clergy. - P. Conrado Montpetit C. SS.R: anotherof the organizersof the Encuentros of1969 and 1970. Sacerdotales

- P. Jaun Maria Algorta S. D. B.: professor in theArchdiocesan seminary. - The Jesuitsfrom the Centropedro Fabro. - H6ctor Borrat: editorof Vtspera;maintained a columnin Marcha. Memberof the Commission on Ecumenismof the CEU andof theCommissionfor EcumenicalRelationsof the fuchdiocese of Montevideo. - LeonelVerlssimo:alsomemberof theCommissions for Ecumenismof the CEU and of theArchdiocese; collaboratorwith V{speraandVidaPastoral;representative in Uruguayof theinternational communo-progressivist super-organi zationlDo-c. - Alberto Methol Ferr6: editorof Yfspera,lectuerin meetingsof the Clergyand memberof theJusticeandpeaceCommission. - GuzmdnCarriquiry: editorof Vfsperaandconsultant for the pressof the Episcopal Conference. This mechanism, of which we setforth with rapidsfrokessomeof the moresignificant elements, formedthe centralmotor, startingfrom whith thenew ideasweretransmittedto the faithful. Someof theseelementsdefendedextremepositions;and for this they did not haveto abandon thepastoraloutline. In the final analysis,Mons.Partetihad said,aswill be remembered, that in spiteof the differenceswe haueto loveour complementaries. 2. CentroPedroF'abroy Perspectivas deDidtogo:the Jesuit voice in the process Agraciada2974is not only an address;it isan institution,a symbol:therean organization whichis not well knownoutsidespecializedcirclpsbut which nevertireless occupies--*iq,r. placein the ecclesiastical-subversive mechanismthatwe aredescribinghasits hladquarters:the CentroPedroFabro. Encircledwith theprestigeof the Companyof Jesusandhavingp. JuanLuis Segundo (oneof the betterknown theoreticiansof the'qtheologyof liberation) ai principal intellectual mentor,theCentroPedroFabroactsin a multifonn way,at timesdiscreie,at othersnot so much, butalwayseffectively,in the formationand"animation"of the nationalintelligentsia. It is necessary to sayright now that the so-calledateamof the Centro Pedro Fabro" is notlimitedto religiousJesuitswho act thereor haveactedat certaintimes,but it also encompasses otherpriestsandlaymenwho gravitatearoundthe center,be it aslecturersor as collaborators of the magazinePerspectivadeDidlogo. Perfectlyintegratedin the schemeof Mons.Parteli,themembersof the Centropedro Fabroadoptthecorresponding line of conduct.By way of example,we mentionsomeof them, whoholda positionof importancein archdiocesan organizationJoractivities:P. RobertoViola belongsto theteam-forAdult Catechesis; P. Ricardo Cetrulo wasoneof the organizersof the

de for 1969and19?0;P. Andr6sAssandri,directorof Perspectivas Sacerdotales Encuentros they magazine, the for Didlogo,andthe Manist sociologistAntonio PdrezGarcla, activewriter actedL lecturersin the abovementionedEncuentros.For its part the Jesuitmagazinebacked the attitudesof the Archbishopentirely,publishedhis homiliesanddefendedhim from the with his orientation(cfr. articleby P. HoracioBojorgeS. J. anacksof the Catholicsscandalized ,,Attacksagainstthe Bishop" inPerspectivasde Didlogo 42(1970)p.49). left, publishing peispectivas de Didlogo waslinkedto all the internationalecclesiastical of " Latin AmericanCristiano-marxists" in nearlyatiits issuesdocumentsandpronouncements from the BrazilianNortheast; 1or jusiMancists)like Mons. HelderC6maraandotherBishops Mexico); Mons.LeonidasProailo Mons.M6ndezArceo (thered Bishopfrom Cuernavaca, J. B. Me-tz, city of recentnotoriety. . .) andthe Europeans (Bishopof Riobamba,the Ecuadorean *6irardi, of stining P. JosdMarla GonzhlezRuiz,etc. Its pagesechoedthe if*r li*g, Giulio the ..committed"clerical groups,nationalandforeign, like the Priests' Movement for the Third World (Argentina),the PriesS' Movement for Socialism(Chile),the PriestlyMovementONIS (peru),ihe-prierts;Movement for the People(Mexico),the PriestlyGroupof Golconda govemmentsof sistercountries iC"f".Ui"l, etc.r Underthe title "lnformaciones"anti-mandst authorsof the publication) werevilified andunderthat of "Libros",(fromthe sameJesuit tend wereddveptised' communo-progressivist Jesuitsor not, moreoever;supportedthe conductof ecclesiastics, magazine, fne leiuit wrappedup in terrorisltsubversion,like P. Zaffaroni,P. JustoAsialn Marquezor P. Uberfil Monz6n.2 by on the pageselaborated The resoundingbombsof the Tupamaroshadrepercussions society the Jesuitsof AvenidJAgraciad4that irlthis way contibuted to unsettlingUruguayan andto preparingits destuction. In orderto bring aboutthe destuctivechangesof our society, the priestsof the CentropedroFabroaccepteda systemof actionwith threeparallelresources: Thesecan be critical words, popularstreetpressuresor weapons. Or all thesein ascensiont will dictate,wtote P. Darlo Ubilla in Thecircumstances accordingto the repressive "oJro.r. in PerspectivasdeDidlgo 25 statisticsor conscience?" July of t g?s (articlel,Democracy: ours). (1968),p.137;emPhasis Not acting with weaponslike the IndaleciosandZaffaronis,nor with popularstreet of the Mancistleft, the abovementionedCentro pressures, underth".*" of the organizations was.,different" but ..it was complementing"the revolution-aryaction with its critical words, usingGospeltextsto preachclassstrugglesandproposingaSa model,among blasphemously

rcfr.Nos.29(t968)p,265;60 (1974)p. 118'etc. (1971)p. 187;62(1972);84 2cfr.Nos.22(rg68)p.38;23(1968)p. 63;26(1968)p. 194;47(1970)p.203;s2-s3 etc. (1971)thewholeissue, byrich andpoor,by 3 It is inadmissible to srythattheGospelcanbeequallypossessed andoppressors.Onthecontrary,theGospelwas exploitedandexploiters,by oppressed ;{ood newsof liieration" (Mt.I l, 5) andto therichasa message of to thepoor aso announced deDidlogo26 (1968)p' 171' (Lc.6, 24)(Perspectivas shame 33

others,theapostate guerrillapriestCamiloTorres,deadin Columbiain a skirmishwith the forcesof the Armya It is not strange,then,that the magazinepublisheda conference of the o'RedCanon"of theCathedralof M6laga,JosdMaria GoruillezRuiz- mentionedabove_- wherehe affrrms thatin orderto reachthe Mantist socialismthathe defendsviolenceis not strictlynecessary, nevertheless efriciencyis necessary(cfr, Perspectivas de Didlogo 43 (lg7})p. 95.t a Camilowas,aboveall

afervent Christian,evenmorea Priest(. . .). Camilowasa true intra-ecclesial revolutionary( . .). Camilowasafaithful sonof the Church(. . ,), TheChurch hasto thanktheColumbianfatherbecausehisattitude- technicatlydebatable- removed muchopacityfrom his presencein the bosomof the contemporaryworld (article"Camilo Torres:or the"goodSamaritan," Perspectivas deDidtogo25(1965)pp.139-141;emphasis in theoriginal). sWetrigtrtightsomestatements from the abovementionedconference which the Jesuitsof theCenhoPedroFabromaketheir own sincetheypublishthemwithout the leastrestriction:To reachvictory,violenceis not strictly necessary, nevertheless efliciencyis necessary.In the stricterMarxistorthodoryviolenceis not demanded as somethingnecessary and inevitabte(. . .) And if by chancethe worker classseesitself obligedto make useof arms this is due to the resistance of the exploiterclasses who are the first in employingviolent repression( . . .).

Seenin its essence, suchas we havedesuibedit summarily,capitalism must be considered by Christian morality as intrinsicallypenerse(. . .). Theconformistinstallation of the Churchin a capitalist societyalready impliesa germ of abandonment of the Gospel"II/ecannotdenythat it wasin theshadeof this capitalista^birrrc thata pseudo'theological praxis wasborn and develapedthat consldersas the only taskof the Churchtheso'called "salvationof souls,"understoodin a spiritualistand angellstsenseof absoluteevasion(. . .); asMarx says'3inthe Christ{an pgoismof salvation(. . .). Whatwill be then the speciliccontributioh'ofthe Church to the revolutionarT constructionof socialism?FundamentallyHer taskis reducedto giving testimony,throughHer faitW, of an ethic and of a mystlqueof universatfraternity(. . .). It is a pity that in /&eSoviet Union,the great country of socialism,one still dealswith so muchsuper/icialitythe best exponents ofthe new Christian ethic, decidedlysocializing(, . .) Theproblemthat worriesus now is limitedta thestruggleof classesin the strictsenseof theword:thestrugglebetweentheproletariat and the middle class(. . .). Thestruggledoesnot necessarilymean"violence"(. . .). But thereare rnotnentsinwhich thepeacefulway is impossible,thenit is necessary to resortto violence(. . ,) ls there somerestraint for the believerthat impedeshim from participatingin this struggle,aboveall in its violent aspect?(. ..) Christiansdo not only havethe right but alsothe duty of occupyingtheir placesin .thelegitimatestruggleof the proletariat (. . .) The Christianmust,commithimselfin the socialistrevolution(...) And in orderto realizethisfree optionthe Gospelwasand continuesbeingan impulseof immenseefliciency

Neitherdoesit surprisethat the Jesuitorganapplaudedthe ascensionof Allendeandweptbitterly overhis fall; desiredthe victory of FrenteAmplio andlamentedits defeat.But all this we will seein its time.

3. V{spera:the voiceof the "committedlaymen' by After observingthe dissonant"critical words" of the Catholicdoctrinepropagated publication ttre of role another see the canied out by badsonsof St. Ignatius,we will now "Catholic" left, Vispera.In a languagethat was coarserand of a lower intellectuallevel,this by the Jesuitsof CenhoPedroFabro. magazinerepeatedthe thesispresented V{spera- foundedin 1967- operatedat 1486Canelonesstreet,a buildingownedby will be arrestedand the Curig where,inl972,the revolutionarypriestArnaldo Spadaccino Here super communo-progressivist too the be found. material will abundantMancist organizationIDO-C had its offrces. Laterthe magazinemovedits editorialstaffto the building in which is installedthe Departmentof SocialCommunicationandthe NationalCenterof the of the CEU: Cenito 475. Eventtretelephoneof Meansof SocialCommunication,,bot$organs the three(85903)wasthe same! (cfr.,V[spera30 (1973)and"Guide of the CatholicChurchin Uruguay,"1973,p. 7). Really,Visperaliked the installationsin the shadeof themiters! asa "servicefor Latin Americaof theIntemational The publicationwaspresented Movementof CatholicStudents:@ocRomana).Among its editorswasprominent- together - the with the"pro-hombres"of the left - from both the nationaland internationalspheres "hippy" Nicaraguanpriest ErnestoCardenal,who would declareon a certainoccasionto the Chileantelevision:in order to bea good Christianit is necessaryJirstto bea Marxist-Leninist (cfr. P. Miguel Poradowski,"The gradualmanrificationof Theology"inCatolicismo,Brasil,no. 286,October,1974). His editor,HdctorBonat,was,aswe alreadysaid,a permanent collaboratorof the Man<istweeklyMarcha.6 While Perspectivasde Didlogo constitutedthe voice of sectorsof the "committed" Clergy,Visperawasthe voice of the "committedlaymen." Analyzingthe nationalandtheLatin Americansituationunderthe sameideologicalprism,both magazinesgive theimpressionthat themin their "tupamariform'ravings.For onesame"conscientizin{' urgencypropelled example,while the Jesuitmagazinecoveredup the praisesfor Camilo Torreswith "theologicalours. de Didlgo 43 (1970)pp 95-101;emphasis ("The Christianandthe Revolution,"Perspectivas 6Amongits editorsappearedseveralelementsof the Mons. Parteli'steam:P. Horacio Bojorge,P. Dario Ubilla andAntonioPdrezGarcia,of the CentroPedroFabro;P. Pablo Dabezies,directorof the ArchdiocesanYouthInformaciones;GuzmdnCarriquiry,Alberto MetholFendandCdsarAguiar Beltr6n,alreadymentioned. Moreover,foreignerslike P. GustavoGutierrezMerino, PeruvianPriest,anotherof the of the "theologyof liberation";P. Lucio Gera,a betterknow Latin Americantheoreticians Man<istArgentinepriest,etc.

morality",'I/isperaexaltedhim with versesof limited literaryvalue, properfor anypopular agitatorreasonably capable.ofreadingandwriting.' Accordingto the publication, guerrilla the 'priestcarriedout a role similarto the oneof the.io er.hbishop of Re cife:Dom Helderis to the bishop;whatcamilo Torres.isto_thepriestsin Latin America: an examplea thousandtimes involted,a/lag, a proclamatr.on (vtspera2 (1967)p. 4g). Also the cuban-Argentineguerrilla F'rnesto "che'l Guevarameritedthe honors(!) of the "canonization"of the *i!*in., thatdirects pray9rsandpraisesto him in which the blasphemygoeson par a with the revoiutionarysermon.s WhenAllenderoseto power,supportedr.uiaao*ly-by CardinalSilva Henrfquez, Visperajubilantlyhighlightedthe event; 4. wda Pastoral:the voiceof the Episcopatehelpsthe advanced ones In 1967,a key yey {or manysubjectswithin theprocessthat we describe,the Uruguayan Episcopalconferencesubstituted ttreota Ecclesiastical Bulletin with a new public ation:vida TItsfirst number in May of 1967,highlightsin its editoriaJ:To theyearola death with signsof martyrdom, memoryof camito Tiir; ( . .). A mythicalcamili, and thereforevery inaccessible, wouldfail to servea struggle that iemanasie implacableexploration of the concrete. Two "poems"follow of which we give someverses: In memory/ CamitoTorres hasbeen killed/ In a combatwith thepowgr of the order/ No one hasclosed his eye/ Nevertheless QamiloTorressleepsin peace/ Father camila Torresis dead/ Like q wcve he rnovesthegreat multitude/ Of hisoppressed poor people. Christ/ Youloweredyourselffrom the Cross/ Leattingthe crossto seeus (VtsperaI (1967)pp. 55and76 emphasis ours.) ElnJanuary,1968, a "poem" entitled*Palabri al Che" appeils in the publication:foa . hqvemadea motionlessmotorfrom movablewarrior / And that iotionless mitor that encourages in santa c1-uziy now organizingthe rhythmof the ture battles. Thelaudatoryblasphemycontinueswith a':pray#'for CheGuevara" composedby the Methodist"theologian"Julio Barreiro:Excuse*r, bhi . . . / Excuse me,Chi, but I do not see you deadhowevermorephotographstheymight showme (. . .) / But I do notprayfor you. It is notnecessery, you do not it. / pray, I yes, the thing go aheadr. . .i t rhank'you, to for -need because you makemefeelcouragelVtspeia+(tXty Op.flS;. tThemagazine dedicatedan extensivereportingto the ascension . of SalvadorAllende underthetitle "The ChileanWay." In the expreisive*U-tittr "Counton me,Mr. president,, (wordswith whichCardinalSilva Henrlquezgreetedthenew ruler),the articie,besidesan apologiaof theMancistAllendeandhis coalition,makesa reviewof the ecclesiastical support for thenewsituationestablished in chile by the uniJ"o prp"lar (vtspera lg-20(1g70)pp. l0Oss,),

Pastoral. The magazineis dividedinto two parts:the first, destinedfor the publicationof episcopal documents,hasan offrcial character;the second,hasarticles,news,commentaries, etc.,andis the responsibilityof the editorialstaff. Therefore,undercertainaspects,VidaPastoralis themost importantnationalreligiousmagazine,sinceall parishes,convents,collegesandall thePriestsof the DiocesanClergyin their own namemustsubscribeto it (cfr. VidaPastoral| (1967)p. 3). It wasnaturalthat beingcloserto thepresenceof the Bishops,the magazineusedgreater cautionthanPerspectivasde Didlogo andYlspera.Neverthelessit managedto join the communo-progressivist artillery. It did so in two ways: first publishingecclesiastical documentsof the most"committed"dioceses,Montevideoand Salto;the secondconsistedin resortingcontinuallyto the old artificeof speakingthroughthe mouthof third parties,asalso through"cold"newsaboutfactsthat happenin othercountries,or of the criticalbibliography,ro resources de Didlogo. that otherwisewe alreadysawusedin Perspectivas like Mons. In this way, then,the magazinehadarticlesfrom recognizedprogressivists Poncede Le6n,LeonelVerfssimo,the ArgentineP. Lucio Geraandthe ChileanP. Segundo Galilea.rl The pagesof VidaPastoralapoalsofull of newsandinterventionsaboutMons.Helder Cimara,Mons.Fragoso,CardinalMptrerr2etc. foSee,for example,this "cold" anddisguisedpraisefor the Cubanrevolution:TheantiNorth Americansentimentis increosingin our continent.In manygroupsof intellectualsand politiciansthereis a tackto the left. ,A left (. . ,) would believetofind its detinitionin a socialization(. . .) of theLatin Americancourt (. . ). fhe Cubanexperiencewill not berepeated as such. Thereare manythat admireCubafor couragebeforethe colossalneighborandfor that arousesexpectationsis thePerwian. . . (Taken socialachievements.Thenewexperience from "ActualidadPastoral"tn VidaPastoral 23 (197l) pp. 24-25). rrMons.Poncede Le6n:'osobreLiberaci6n"(36 1973)p. 104);P. LucioGera(editorde Vfspera):"La lglesiay la polfticd' Q4 and25, 197l); P. SegrrndoGalilea:"El lenguajepolftico y promoci6nhumana"(40 en teologiapastoral"(36 (1973)p. l0l); "Acci6n evangelizadora (1973)p. 356);"Evangelizaci6ny promoci6n"(47 (1975)p. 30). ln 1973,the authoritiesof the countryforbid the enEanceof this Chileanpriest into Uruguay- wherehe wascomingto preacha retreatfor the Clergy having beeninvited by the CEU - becauseof his notoriously subversiveideas;he is oneof the expertsfor CELAM. r2Wordslike thesefrom the Archbishopof Recifewerehandedoverby the CEUthrough its magazineto the PriestsandReligiousof the countryunderthe title "Violenceor nontalking violence?":An establishedviolence existsin LatinAmerica:Pay attentionwhenyouhear to aboutkindsof violence,sinceit is necessary ask:About which violenceis onespeaking? About that violencethat can explodemotivatedby the hungerof the oppressed,or is one speakingofthe violenceestablishedby the oppressorsagainst the oppressed?I repeat,an establishedviolenceexists(. . .) Weare going to beginto work (. . .)to achieveq true liberating we will reach a liberating moral pressure;(. . .)If a moralpressure. Do not bescandalized,

of VidaPastoralinFlorida,P. Jos6Luis piedraCueva,would . . Thecorrespondent participate lateron activelywith FrenteAmplio (Ahoiaoctober,13, l9?l; El popularNovember 1 8 ,l 9 7 l ) .

5' BP Colorin the samedirection:with communismttrsunion,recognition, commitment, In 1964,the venerableCatholicdaily Et BienPilblico, doyenof the nationalpress (it was in 1878 by Zonilla de San Martin) reappeared transforrned into.Bp !*9tq Color.Very tied to theCuriaof Montevideo- the ownerof a lot oistrares- the daily set offin the samedirection astheabovementionedpublications. Fromthe column"Vida de la lglesian'("Lifeof the Church")- signedby CAB (Cdsar AguiarBeltrdn?)- in thenameof Catholicdochine,idealscameout capable of convuising Uruguayby thedevastating criticismof socialstuctures. The daily secondedin this way the effortsthat lntemationalMancismwasmaking by artificially creatingthe impression of an imminentpopularrebellionin the faceof "insiitutionalir{ustice." 16 rengio;writer reachesthe point-ofaffrrmingthatevangelizinghereand nowmeans-torebelagainst-the presentsituation (cfr.BP Color February24,1969). This rebellionwould leadus to the socialistsocietyin which the Chuch would suffer atrociouspersecutions sincethe CommunistregimedeniesCatholicprinciplesper diametrum. Noneof this interestedthe reporterof the aailyli*ed to the Curia. S6o*ing his sympathies for theCubantyrannyhe discusses with enthusiasm the "dialoguing"positionoith" Cuban EpiscopalConference beforethe Communistregimeof the-Islan6-prison, andhe hopesthatthe "reunion,recognitionand commitmenf'of the Churehwith "an efic til@theone of the Cuban people"setves asan exampleto othersocieties"that sooneror later will have to begintheir socialistexperience"(BPColorMay 14,1969;emphasisotus). This affirmation makesone remember thatof Mons.Parteliin the Pastoralde)dvientoabout the"irreversible,,impositions of History. Whoevershowshimselfsympatheticin thisnway,tothe Cubanregime,cannotfail to be hostileto theattitudesof govemments that reshictthe subversiveagitatiin oith, ecclesiastics, as wasthecaseof Brazil in 1969,the yearin whichthe scandalous conspiracybetweenthe movement of tranquil,peaceful,svteetnon-violenceis madewe will reach nothing, Theform perhapsof noiding armedviolenceis to organizea liberatingmoralpressure. Mini-reforms do not interestus,we would resolvenothing. We needa true and profound change of structures. And it is certain that in order to reachthis changeof inuctures we will haveto blsin bl the changeof mental structures(lntenention of Dom Helder Camarain the VI World Congress of PaxRomana- VidaPastoral23(lg7l)p. 56; emphasisfrom the original). "Prophetismandconcretecommitmentwith thi liberationof the workerandrural class,, is thenameof an interviewwith Mons.AntonioFragoso,Bishopof Crateus(Brasil),published in no' l3-16 (1968)p. 40. A documentof Cardinali4aurer(thaisupported the Man<ist, government of Tones)entitled"Our Christiancommitmentio the slrvice of the poor,,,was published in no.26 (1971)p.ZZ2.

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,ffi Dominicanreligiousof SanPabloandthecommunistguerrillaleaderCarlosMarighelabecame knownto thepublic. Underthe heading"A persecuted Church,"the religioussectionof BP Color discusses the fearof the existingrelationsat that time betweenthe governmentandthe Episcopate of the neighboring country:The aforementionedreality of persecution,will it ontyhappenin Brazil? Theanswer(. . .) is vital for thefuture of the Church in all of Latin imerica and in our countty. Ifwe inquire into the causesof thepersecutionwewill see:the Churchthat seel$to commitHerself to the social transformationis attaclredby theforces that seekto maintainthe social structure (. . ). For that reasonit ispossibleto supposethat it will not be very long beforethisreality of thepersecutedChurchalso beginsto be experiencedln other countries (BP Color February4,1969; emphasisours). Who doesnot seeinsinuatedherethe argumentof "religiouspersecution"in caseour governmentmight decideto repressthe subversiveactionof certainlaymenand"committed,' ecclesiastics? Coherentwith this orientation,whenthe Man<istAllendeassumedthe Chilean presidency,the columnistof .BPColor,.Sr.CAB, wasexceedinglypleasedandstill more joyfully the possibilityof ttrcformationof a leftist axis in SouthAmericathroughthe anticipated allianceof Allende,VelascoAlvaiadgandTorres(from Bolivia) that would augment considerablythe communist-_pressure throughoutthe continentandthereforein our country(.Bp ColorNovember16, 1970).13

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I 6. 95 uruguayan priests:sDestroyr.even violently,the oppressorsociet5r" Whenwe dealt with the ecclesiasticalmagazineswe alreadysaw somethingaboutthe internationalcharacterof communo-progressivism. A subversivemanifestoreleasidin 1968,on the occasionof the Reunionof the Latin AmericanEpiscopatein Medellin,letsus evaluatethe l3Thisimpressivecollectionof publications and"vanguard"movementswith free circulationin the Archdiocesehavingbeenseen,all of themin greateror lesserdegreetiedto the capitolineecclesiastical directions,a possibledefenseof the CoadjutorArchbishop,basedon the argumentthat many of thesemagazineswerenot underhis direct authority,fadesaway. If it is tnre that Perspectivasde Didlogo, VfsperaandBP Color werenot underhis direct authority,it is also tnre that they circulatedfreely in Montevideoand in the restof the Uruguayan diocesesapparentlywithout the authoritiesmakingsomecensureagainstthemor hinderingthlir diffirsionamongthe faithful, principallyamongthe Clergyandreligiousmovements.On the contrary,manyof his collaboratorsoccupypriestlypositionsof responsibilityandweregiven prestigeby the archdiocesan authority. It is appropriateto recall that the bishophasthe obligation to watch over orthodoxy,in the territoryunderhisjurisdiction, andthatthe lawsof the Churchconferon Mons.Partelimeans for restrictingthe actionof suchorgans. As for VidaPastoral,theresponsibilityfalls not only on Mons.Partelibut with theentire Episopate.

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extension andseriousness of thatwound. It is titled"To theBishopsof Latin America,,andwas signedby 800priestsof thecontinent,amongthem95 uruguayans. Publishedby in our t. intemationalpress,themanifestoiadintense repercussions country,beingtrans_cribed amongothernewspapers by theMan<istweekiyMarcha. Mons'Paxteli,askedaboutwhathe thought document,answeredthat it gavehim theimpressionof a clerry that vibrateswith thi worries "fthr of thepeople andcollaborates with its bishops,manifestingto themwhat it thinksand whatitfeits. Thatthey guess co*ectly or not is anothermatter(PressConference, Montevideo, Augusi13,1968;upua6*.li pastorde la Iglesia.. ." no. I157;emphasis ours). If theArchbishopthoughtthis,wouldanyonebe surprisedto find among the signersof thedocumentsomeof his mostimmediatecoila6oratoniin the leadership of the Archdiocese? variousof them,effectively,signedit: Mons.Poncede Le6n,P. Bosco Salvia,p. Miguel Curto, P' Ratl Sastre,P. JuanJosdPodestd,Cgo.Lellis Rodrlguez,P. Uberfil Monz6n,p. Carlos Nocolini,P. PabloDabezies,p. Amald; spadaccino,clo. 6rlando Romero,p. conrado MontpetitCSSR;the Jesuitsof the CentroPedroFabro:-p.JuanLuis Segunio,p. Ricardo Cetrulo,P. Dario Ubilla, P. AndrdsAssandri,P. RobertoViola. emonithe priests from other dioceses, alsosignersof the manifesto,is thepresentBishopof Sanlose, Vons. HerbdSeijas.ra Theletter"A los obisposde Am6ricalatina" is tuiy teniffing. It makesa generalized criticism,exaggerated andunjust,of severalcenturiesof Laiin americanHistory,utilizing criteriaof analysisthat areclearlyMan<ist,it exacerbates thetensionsandthe classstruggle,it givesarguments for justi&ing subversiveviolence.For suchpreachingthey usethe preitlgi of theirsacredpriestlyconditiol that theyinsiston emphasizing.As manyof themoccupy responsibilities of ecclesiastical directionin our.or-1ry, the-letteris exnemelyimportantfor 'oTh.complete list of the signersfollows. The readerwill judge their importance:Dario . Ferreira,JuanJosdRangel,EdgarArambillete,HubertoRialland,Emilio Trottemens" Jos6 Accorinti,EdgardoMendiondo,Sol6nVerlssimo,Pe/ro Betancourt,Julio Benedet, Antonio Martelleti,Jos6Couto,FranciscoLatorre,JosdSalone6nHerbdSeijas.Emesto Baquer, l MarcianoEscudero, VicenteMonteleone,ConradoPb"." de Le6n, Jos6Alberto pasos,Daniel Gilbert,Nicol6sVink, FranciscoBerdiffas,GerardoLessard,Ignacio Riasol,Miguel Escartin, JulioElizaga,Miguel Cwo, CarlosNicolini, WalterFerndndez, Mauricio Garcfa,Carmelo Hern6ndez, Miguel Arang ManuelDibar,BenoitDumas,JorgeIglesias,JustoAsiafn Jimdnez,HdctorTrinidad,ConradoMontpetit,AngelAlfonso-,R. Acosta"JuanRush,euerubin' Jacques Huberdeau, RomualdGagnon,BoscoSalvia"Juan-LuisSegtrndo, RobertoViola" Dar(oUbilla, AlbertoVdsquez,RicardoCetnrlo,AndrdsAssandri,pablJDabezies,JuanM. Avendano, Mario Hern6'ndes, JosdGirotti, Uberfil Monz6n,ArnaldoSpadaccino, JorgeTechera,Haroldoponcede Le6n,HenderSalles,RarllSastre,MarceloSandoval,AntonioRawrier,FranciscoMalley, Juan BautistaLassegue, ValentfnAndrds,Lellis Rodriguez,Silvio Frugone,Miguel Baniola"Juan JosdPadest6, RarilScarrone,OrlandoRomero,FranciscoFurtado,CarlosM. Bemardi,JuanE. Sordin, EnriquePertusatti,Jos6Luis Sanchis,GabrielPaulo,Juanpilutti, JuanCarlos Renso, RubenIruraetaJuanJosdRodriguez,JoscCigarelli,OdoricoFilipo, JosdMarfa Zaneti,Emilio Ghidotti,Wiler Chiavone,JuanCarlosZaffaroni,JeanPaulBidegain,FranciscoRenart Nelson Araujo,AntonioAbrensi,Nelsonsantos,p. Ducker(cfr.MarchaAugust9, l96g).

understanding what arethe tendencies thatthe leadersof the cEU favor. The manifestomakesits own the simplisticthesisthat a minority of theprivileged have maintained,for centtries,a situationof oppressionin the new world. [n orderto put anendto sucha stateof affairs,they appealto theBishops,solicitingthemnot to compare just the violence of theoppressedwith the uniustviolenceof thi opprrrroi,that the Bishopspreach theunionof all menof goodwill in orderto destroy,evenby forceif necessary,theopprissor structures1s rrHerearesome additionalparagraphs from the letter"To the Bishopsof Latin America,,: Onespeakseveryday with more insistenciaboutthe "violence"in theLatin Americancontinent (. . .) Latin America, for severarcenturies,is a continent of violence. It is a matter of the violencethat a minority of theprivileged, sincethe time of the colony, practices against the immensemajority if tit (. . .). "rptoit"a-people Each dry we are more qware that the causeof thi great-hu^onprobtr*, that theLatin Americancontinentsffirs liesfundamentallyin thepolitial, economiiand socialsystem prevailing in almost all of our countries(. . .). h is the systemthat bleedsthe nilional budgetof our countrieseachyear upon setting asideenormoussumsfor useless nttitayy t prrttt, Tor-thedefenseof the inirests of uselessprivilegedminorities,while ourpeoplecontinuedrownedtn-hungeriin ignoianceand in isolation(. . .), Thisliberation is impossible for manywithoutafundamentalchangein the socioeconomicstructuresof our continent.Many_consider the possibititiesof a-chieving it through purely peacefulmeansalready exhaustqd.Due to thepoier that thepiivileged minorities useto impedethisprocess liberation manydo not seeorolhu solution oihq thin the use offorce on -of tle par! of thepeople. Many militants who reflect with sinceritytheir life in the light of the Gospelare coming to thisconclusion(. . .). l(e, ministerl of t_heGospelof JeyusChrist, (. . .)feet ourselvesobligatedto interpretthis panoramain the light of Christian Revelation. This light permits us to seewith clarity that one cannotcondemnan oppressed , people when thispeople seesitself obtigedto useforceto liberate itself, without roiiittrrg a new iniusticeagainst it. If that condemnationcamefrom the Latin American Church, Sie woutd appearonceagain as the_"opium of thepeople," at the senice of thosethatfor centurieshave practiced the vlolenceof exploitationand oppression(. . .). Wecowider that it is notproperfor the EcclesiasticalHierarchy as suchto determinethe technicalforms that cowtitute the mosteflicientand objectivesolution'(.. .). But neither is it proper to prevent men,Christiansor not,from lookingfor it with an amplemargin of tiberty (. . .). Notto oPposeoneselfto the violenceof the oppreisorswould be eqiivatent to provoking indirectly the legitimate violenceof the opprttrid. Thesefactsand reflectionsmoveusto request(. . .) our pastors(. . .): Thatin the considerationof theproblemofviolencein Latin Americaoneavoid, by every means, comparing or confusingthe (NJUST I/IOLENCEof the oppressors tiat support this,,terrible system"with theJUST VIOLENCEof theoppressed( . .);'z) rnatone denounce with completeclarity and without ambiguitiesthestateof violencein which thepowerfutbe thesepersons,groups or nations- have,during centiries, drownedthepeople of our continent.

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7. Progressivism, a capillary through the fluids and mysteriouscomunidadesde base Theefficaciouspenetrationof the ideas,expressed in ambiguouslanguageby the Archbishopandradicalizedwithout dissimulationby the magazrnei andprt*nr of thesecond rank,requiredthe sreationof an importantminorityof Uruguayans, belongingto differentsocial sectors, to servethemasa soundingboard. Suchminority,in moreorgani"andper-anent contactwith thepopulationnow traumatizedbytheviolence,the sneetdemonstrations and the "criticalwords,"would be in conditionsto propagate personallyinto the society,like the capillariesconductbloodto the extremitiesof thehumanbody,the devastatingecclesiastical thinking. The"comunidadesde base"or grass-roots commwritiesandtheir predecessor, the socalled"gruposde rellexi6n," adjustedextraordinarilyto this role andthe fuchdioceseof Montevideopromotedthemintensely. The effenrescence andthe stirring producedby suchorganizations,especiallywithin the Catholicambiences, would actasan activefactorfor a ehangebfme mentalitiesin iavor of the left,boththeprestigethat theygrantedto the Tupamaroshowandfor the oral diffirsionof philoman<ist ideasandthe depression spreadin the areasof therecalcibantpublic opinion,giving themtheimpressionof beingoutsidethe "irreversible"courseof History. Mons.Parteli,commentingon the meetingof CELAM in Medellin (August-October 1968)affrrmedthatthe Archdiocesewascommittedin a pastoralthat "keepstransformingthe minds,"a prior step,accordingto the Archbishop,for the-transformation oi'the estructures (cfr. VidaPastoral10(1968)p. 319). The nextyearthePrelatedeterminedasa priority optionthe pastoralof thecomunidadesde base. Theprogressivis{ nucleisetout from herefor the conquestof proselytes,inoculatingsmall groupsspreadout throughall,of Uruguaywith the virus of theirtendencies anddochines.

a. In Montevideo,largescalerecruitment The"priority option" established, the work of rbcruitingbegan.Duringthe secondhalf of 1968,throughthe sermonsat the SurdayMasses,the celebrants invitedttrepubticto participate in meetings of smallgroupswherethe nationalrealitywould be discussed.In thesemeetings,the conversations wereorientedby pastoralagentsusingasa guidelineuniquelittle booksentitled "factsaboutreality:that o'conscientized" dealingwith themeslike housing,adoptingmiddleclass ways,realestateproperty,andso on. Progressivist soureesaffrrmedthat 8 thousanapersons That oneproclaimthe right of thesepeopleto a legitimatedefense;3) Thatoneexhort(. . .) TheChristiansof the continentto chooseall that which contributesto a real liberation of the Latin Americanman and to the establishmentof a societythat is more just andfraternal,in closecollaborationwithall menof goodwill; 4) Thatone assuretheseChristiansanample marginof liberty in.the choiceof the means. (. . .) we lament(. . .) that it.isnecessary to accept(. . .)force in order to reestablish justice(MarchaAugust9, 1968;the emphasisandthe capitallettersarefrom the original).

succeeded in meeting,groupedin 700 "gruposde reflexi6n" (article'.Uruguayfour months, threedocuments" byJ. L. R in Vtspera l(f lOly p.ZZ ft..). The people"demanded"the reformt. . . rlnr. beforehandthey imposeda newmentality on thepeoplethroughthe arduouseffort of vastcapillaryorganizations ... As a culminationof the work, the Socio-PastoriEncounter washeld in December,196g, with a delegatefrom eachoneof the "groupsof reflection,"the parish priestsfrom the fuchdiocese,the responsiblelaymenfrom the parishesandthe delegates from theapostolic movements(Vfsperacited article).Thepersonsresponsiblefor the Socio-pastoral Encounter, in March,l969,releasedthreedocuments- the first, a ,,seeing,, of rearity;the secona,a "theologicalreflection"aboutit; andthe thirdconcerning"pastoraloptions,,thatmetpleased receptionin the leftist press. Cuadernosde Marcha lnolz+,April, f qOglpublishedthem unabridgedandeveninterviewedP. Spadaccino, the Archdioces* pg1ronrrsponsiblefor the Pastoralde conjunto. Et Popular,publishedthe first of themth; ,,seeing,,'of thenational reality__ ttnoughoutseveraleditions(El Poputar26 and28-3; zand :-+-oi). In additionto the organof the CommunistParty,Perspectivaide Didtogo, V{spera, Vidapastotral andMarcha dealtwith the theme,alwaysin an eulogisticway. Heitor Borratdeclares aboutthe documents: Noneof thesewords have.anyth-iys,1eW'to sqyfor the readersof the triiiiitr,e " the newnessis con/iguredby who so'ysthem(Marcha,october3,lgflg,emphasis o*r). In anothercommentaryaboutthe texts,the sameBorrat asserts:The Churchis not a new party of the left nor q mereoccqsionalatty of the teft, If Her actionfunctions in the teft it is becauseshe Herself is called (. . .) not to tate as modeianypresent time (. . ). Thereforethe grassroots communitieswill be as importantas the Commission Justiceord pror, (Marcha April ll, 1969). , Reallythe conclusionsof the "Encounter"conespondto suchevaluations. Forexample, the first document,in its mostsignificantparagraphs, t plrt with critical -Ayr., of Mamist inspiration,attributethe difficultiesof the-farminia"a fivestockproduction lenericallyand unjustly to free enterprise,ignoring a much-or.-ro.plex reality. And it prJposesan agrarian reform that must advancetowardscoilectiueformsfor exptoitiig tne ini(;6wNational Reality"apud"Cuademosde Marcha"24 et69{l p. Zl).' P' Spadaccino,in the interview with "Cuadernosde Marcha""emphasized for his part, that the leftist presshad warmly indicatedthe coincidencesthat give eviieniiln tneiuagment aboutour national reality. And he announcedthat in lg6g,the work would continue,expecting the numberof participantsto increasebetween25 to 35%(Cuadernos de Marcht, 24 (1969) pp. r6-20\.

b. The three phasesof the.,compromiseo We arethenin the presenceof a giganticeffort to makeproselytes thatutilizeswell studiedtechniques.The grass-rootgouqs oriented by tendencies whether it be throughthe questionsor throughthe outlinesfor work.Te - the ,.seeing,,- it is not difficult In the first phase to imaginehow the reality is observedstarting from the famous.tuadernillos,,(liffle notebooks) madeandcommentedon by the "pastoralagents."In the second phase,the..judging,,,is

conditionedby thetalksandlecturesof the "cheer-leaders" of the "groupsof reflection.,,ln the thirdphase'theelaboration of a "committed"document(aboutwhich,it is clear,theMan<ist presswill "warmlyindicatethecoincidences"), it will involveevenmorethe.,catholic,, movements asfellow travelersof the anti-christiansubversion. c. Redesigning the old apostolicstructures Expandingthe areaof applicationof its program,the Archdioceseredesigned all the organizations of laymenalreadyexistingur.otding to theexhemelyflexible structureof these smallgroups.ACI (CatholicAction of lndependent Means),MFC (FamilyChristian Movement),JEC(YoungCatholicStudents), JUC (Cathoticuniversity youth; afterUniversity Parishandfinally McU (Movementof UniversityChristians),MoAi(Worker Movementof catholicAction)andeventhe Legionof Mary wire adaptedto the new scheme. of course,only thenamesremainedthe same,sincetherealifyroo.rpondedto thenew organizations. d. what werethe fruits of the '(pastorafrof the r.grass-roots communities? mJlts.

After two yearsof intensiveoperationof the "priority option,"let us look at

someof its

An articleproducedby P. RicardoCetrulo,a Jesuitfrom the CentropedroFabro, for the MarxistweeklyMarcha,showsthe pa{ that correspo4ded in 1970to the grass-roots teamsin the capillarycirculationof the revolutionanj"'pastoral;orientation. The articleis entitled,.The in Uruguay 1970" and consists of interviews,principallywith membersof the Hierarchy, lhurch theClergyandleadersof the specializedmovementsorganiiedin the mannerof the grass-roots communities. The Presidentof MOAC - CarlosDur6n- sfiowedwhat the action of his teamwas to poisonideologicallyq. workeraspirationsfor greatep'.,well being:(. . ) the unionstrugglethat is nevermerelyprotest (. . .) is consolidatedas a politiial struggte,a stntggtefor the tib-iation of thepeople(. . .), againstthe oppressor(. . ) a[ainst capitalism. P. PabloDabeziesandotherdirectorsansweredforMCU. Theyindicatedthat since manystudentshaddifficulties(problemsof conscience?) to reconcileittrToittt and the revolutionarycompromise, the MCU, throughthegrassioots teamsshowingthemthesl/l hiddenexplosivecontentsof the Gospel,tiea to aJstroysuohobstaclesfor them. From here camethereformulationof the conceptsof ..peace,",,violence,"..liberation,,,.olove,,, etc.imbuedwith this explosivecontents,what"iove" and"peace"would the Universities of MCU preach? P. Martin GorlAzar,t6 thepersonresponsible for theACI showedthat the attemptof the

r6P.MartinGorlAzar,in a lectureto theClergyof Montevideo hadalreadysaidthe following:Thereformof the institutions is impossiiie if it is notsupportedfirmiy in a transformation of mentalities (. . .) And thistiskofforminglaymen,of maintaining themthere 44

membersof the workermovementin favorof a true revolutionof structuresis not easyaboveall amongladies,housewives,whosehusbandsdo not sharetheir new ideas. Thecasesof theyare matrimonialseparationprovokedby the"apostolate"of the ACI areknown. Perhaps these,fruit of the stitthiddenexplosivecontentsof the Gospelwhich they preach.. . . spokeindicating Finally the personresponsiblefor the diocesanpastoral,P. Spadaccino, for producing involvedin actionsadequate movements"became to whatpoint these,,apostolic takinghold of the the impiessionthat a general,acuteandgrowingcrisiswasspontaneously 30' 1970). society(Marcha,December Uruguayan coloredwith dissimulationsthat only deceivethemost We seeherg,in thesestatements, in all levelsof ingenuousor scrupulous,a veritablemachinefor promotingthe classstrr.rggle nationallife. How doesthis machinework? The revolutionaryprinciples arediffirsedasif theywere thewatersof a waterfall. Above,Mons.Partelithrowsout a wrong orientation,that insinuates publicationshastento explainthem morethanaffirms leftist ideas. The commuro-progressivist from a Man<iffing point of view. The "comunidadesde base"tansform the communodoctrineinto little bits of."procis"throughwhich theytry to pepperthe progressivist andsocialtensions. Lnuito*"nts in which theylive ryith,'dlscontent into the question.We describean objectivereality. An intentionalplan;l We do not enter g. Taking advantageof episcopalsupportingevidence,Priestsmoveto direct action. . . All this vastcorrosiveactionhadto produceextremedisplays. the progressivistconceptionof the'\rnjust violenceof Carryingto the last consequences several the socialst:nctures,"that oughtto be combatedby the'Just violence'nof theoppressed, priestsandlaymenmovedtom ttre "pastoral"theoriesto the facts,giving dramaticcolorsto the andterrorism. Within the "partelian" doctine, the obtainingof national showof restlessness the total modificationof the socialstructuresof Uruguay,under peaceandconcordpresupposed popularindignationmight erupt' ihe shamethat uncontainable 'oconscientize" t ot" muchit costMons.Parteliandhis helpersto We saw,neverthelesr, aboutthe "unjust structures"that "oppress"it' this people ' b*irrg all thesey"*r, the exhortationaboutpeacebroughtwith it thil threar Parallelto this, neverwJre the priestsandlay disciplesof thetheoryof the two tlTes of violence,whotook and live their on the ready,of makingthemevolveso as to accepttheir responsibilities temporarycompromiie.xo/making them appear in eachsocial circle and of putting themin ,orditio^ of riatizing this'transformationof the collectivementalityand of the institutions,this ,changeoyine waters" is the m;issionof thespecializedmovements (. . .) Our workwith the becausetheir laymei in-thispastoral of the socialcirclesbringsbothersomeconsequences in the complain come to persons that aition hastemporatimpiications (. . .) and thereare to know how to presenceof theparish priest,to the consultantor to the Bishop.It is necessarT supportthe aciion ottUe militants energetically(VidaPastoral4Q967)pp.21,23,and25; ours). emphasis

theircommitmentail the way to direct subversion, punishedor sanctioned. . . . They"complemented" the "critical **d;;ith;;relate with directzubversiveaction,at timesterrorist' certainlytheyconsiaerea themselvesu,n"ng the committedin the .difficurt strugglefor socialjustice," for whom the Pastorall,rtt"r ' respect'Perhaps and theyhopedto be'loved*'torp[.rnorirr" "redvent huJ *k;; understanding of the archepiscopar orientation. a' with ('non-violenttt methodsin accordance with what Dom Helder proposes In septemberof 1969,an ecumenical groupof Priestsand protestantpastors setup a meetingin theparishc-hurchof cord6n ti rririin the tight of the Gosperon these l.orier

ofthe atmosphere itrfff*fli:iilffiffi H*il:|ffi ,.ftil il;#;;J onaccount host'e to Nevertheless

it wasauthorized by theHierarchy. Thesameecumenical grouphao'tatensrd;'-hr previousweeks in order religious services in the-ruo,e spiriiroittrei,oprfi;;; po-riri.i*, andunions. to celebrate uponreportingthesubjlct,theMan<iJt a.ily o! fuchbishop thelegend:Parteli:on therouteof Helder ienteplaced belowa drawingof the cdmaraip, Frenteseptember 6, 1969). ***

In thesame,month, eighteenbankers,in of protest,madea hungerstike in a room contiguous to theMenopolitancathedral. The T 1rt p. Rafl Frugone-- a Assistantlastor future activistfor theFrenteAmplio -joined the strikers p. ilu*ing lots with Jesris Silva in order to decidewho wouldacco,npanyih.;. "n"t ThePriestFrugonedlchred on the occasion:Giventhat there arepeople who are sffiring in thesarnehouseas one' o,i drty i, to siari tix ,u6rrng, this mortilication and to feel ourselvescommittedin a ,on-uiiirnt measure tkat tendsto resolvea prolonged and hard

o|anon-"io;;;;ilu;;' ,iiil o,Dom Hetdi, ci^o,o preaches, i!,ili,ffrrlff TheAuxiliaryBishop'Mons'egt't Rubio, appeared onthepremises to askaboutall of them andthetakethemmatirialsupport(De Frentesiptember "ii!!f,i!,;i 6, 1969),

b' or by'rjustified,viorence: theTupamarop.Indarecioorivera In theparishchurchof Reducto'a group of young"conscientized,, youthediteda small weeklycalledcommunity,at the,*. ii., theyyerep,iningposterson the doorof thechurch condemning theNorthAmedcan a*y thatwasfigffiliir*u,,, *a *rr. ringing revolutionary refrainsdedicated to theguerrillapriestcamiloTorres. Tothiscirclesofertilefor hisijeas, -' anived E" ' ve the priestrnqale( ulv vA-\)cusDr'ur ex-saresian rnesl lndalecioolivera" loadedym a of Man<ist uutt orr. library some time later most of theseyouth were addedto the most wanted list or were

however,of thePriest prisonersor kiiled in armedconfrontations.The whereabouts, vagabonds; on personsaskeda shopownerestablished wasnot known. Until . . . November 12,lgilg,three includinga. ^ OUo for a largeamotuttof iiemsusedfor printing' thestreetJdio genera y'fne Theyleft pesos' totat for thJwhole businesscameto a million mimeographmachine. distnrstedthem andcalledthepoliceman wirhoutbuyinganything,but our cautiousbusinessman JuanAntonioViera Piazza, Thislastpersonfollowedthemandaskedthemtoidentisthemselves.Therewasa the ttuee unknownsdied, who turnedout to shootoutwith the outcomethat the ug.n andoneof priest. They.wereTupamaros.be Indalecioolivera da Ros4 the ex-salesian declaredto the preslthat!!re Mons.AndrdsRubio,Auiliary Birriop orrrrontevideol, him callouslv gf tfri [o*fth wherethe priestw1sdyingleated policeguardin the;JGt;"m hehad

whosespirituatadvisor andwithoutunderstaJi"i,"t * nr u.J to visitFatherolivera" of Fatherotvlra's abandonment

beenandwith whom he had maintaineda closerelation'ntil ministrY. the sacerdotal priest'sbriefcase,caniedout 22 raids, The police,basedon the documentsceasedin the decipheredTupamarocodes' The police detained7 personsio, n rtt * iou.rtigution ana the Priestto be a leaderof p cell'with 22 members' considered 13 and 14' 1969;May Mons.Rubio attendedthe Priest's'burial(La MaflanaNovember l 6 , 1 9 7 0a n d N o ve mb o Z e ,l -9 75;ElPopular November ll' 1969) ' censureof the revolutionary that theie hadiren anyecclesiastical It does ""t;;; guenillas, duing his actMty-with themnor conductof Fatherolivera beforehis joining the provokedby Tupaglo behaviorof the afterwards.In November1971,whenG rl"u"aur parteli craimedto respict his memory,indicatingonly eccresiastichad arreadydiminished,Mons. tfrat hjs optionrrrasincgmpatiblewith the rhathe hadleft his ministry becauseof r"cogniring

hearts(Interviewwith j-Jfr."t.1"yuy,^?ti Godrotows evasive H".ffiriJhis priesthood. delaIglesi":' .'l1o' l2l l)' Dutchtelevision , "fartelipastor JuanCarlosRuiz later, an "apostolii frtrit" of the conductof P' Olivera' Somemonths the Priest' whom he met in a *u, urr"rira and admiGd to havebeenrecruitedby Castar'1o, i.ii giout school(La MaftanaFebruary,23' 1970)' c. DeacondirectsTuPamarocell ln December'DeaconLuis Ernesto The first Tupamaropriest died like this in November' tlie Dioceseof Mercedes)was arrestedin the captitol, in Fern6ndezR"ddil;afr;rnthe with oontaot daily period of six monthshe had capuchin convent of danelone, *. ft;o: Foi a meetings' p. olivera in the parish church of Las Acaciasr"h.r. they held countlesssubversive for meetingsandhiding TupamargsFern6ndezadmittedhaving offeredsafeplacesto'the could plot without worry' suchastemples,religioushouses,etc. Herethe seditious a few dayslater four persons The police c-o?id"red it an importantsedition,detaining fromhis cell. prosecutedLuis Eduardo ln the sameweekthat the Deaconwasdetained,the law seminarianswho were studyingin the SamandruSerraand Ram6nMario C6ceresMartinez,

Lyceum"seccoYlla".of thecapuchins(kilometer 26,route102). c6cereslackedonlya few monthsbeforehis ordinationasa priest. Theyhadhandedoverto the Tupamaros photosandpiecesof informationlike storage placesfor armaments, schedules andpointswherethe guardsaresituatedfor the Air Base Boisso Lanzaandfor theEscuelaTdcnicade la Aeron6utica popularDecember (Et 2, 1069;La Maftana December 5 and6, 1969). ||t*{.

Thenewdevastating orientationin all of its degreesof intensitywasspread from the Metropolitan Archidiocesejncomparably thecountryt *ort populatedandinfluential ecclesiastical jurisdiction' This new orientationallowed a theologyaboutthe savingmissionof thechurch andaboutthe matrix of the temporalorder to appearthat was different from the one taughtby thetraditionalCatholicMagisterium. Coherentwith this newtheologicalvisionthat is glimpsed,rz thereappearsthrough declarations, attitudesandomissionsrelatedhere,an.uoluii*irt, relativist'morality, according to whichthecommunistsubversionwould now not bethemortalenemyof Christian civilization;but undercertainaspects,an instrument 'ohistorical of progress,, andof the "liberation of theoppressed.',

rTThefaithful sense'in the aberrantcharactetofthe orientationand devastating . . ecclesiastical conduct,pointsof conflict so violentwith the traditional tractringsof the Magisteriumof the Church,that carriedby an instinctive notion of the internalcoherence between theFaith,Morality andthe habitualway of of E a catholic, q' glimpsea new ' -- proceeding vsu'v*v' they r----revolutionary theological idea.

on the otherhand, distinguishedrepresentatives of the new tend expourd their specificallytheological Yltn theydo it in a figuag"thut i, ,o complicatedandeven tthg., hermeticthatit becomes difficult foisomeonewho is iot accustomed to the studyof thesetexts to comprehend whatis beingsaid. Seefor examplethe books: Ilhat is o Chrlstian - Pre-Chrlstlan Stagesof the Faith / Chrbtian Conceptionof Man and Massesand Minorltles ln the dlvine dtatictic of Liberation bythe"theologianof liberation"P. Luis Segundos. l. of tfreCenhopedroFabro,who hashad freeandinfluentialaccessthroughoutthe Archdiocese of Montevideo.Analogouslythe pastoral Letterof Lentof 1970,publishedby Mons.Partelijustifring his new orientationandwrittenin a complexlanguage, full of doctrinalambiguitiesandtaeii uritlerstandings, surprises.

3 And the rest of the Episcopate? The ideologicaltempestthat swoopeddownon Montevideowith the rise of Mons.Carlos in all of Partelito thegovernmentof the metopolitanseatcertainlyhad intenserepercussions Uruguay. Whatwas the attitudeof his peerswithin the National Episcopacy?What took placein theotherdiocesesof the cotrntry? We saw,beforebeginningthe descriptionof the factsthat constitutethe principal matter Hierarchyin the fight againstthe Communistsect of this book,the missionof the ecclesiastical and in the assistanceto the defenseof the Corurtrybeing attacked(cfr. Preliminar- historicodoctrinario). This basiccriterion wilt allow us to appreciatebetterthe attitudeadoptedby the otherUruguayanbishops. ,:

1. Omissionwould alreadybe a collaborationwith Communism In the circumstancesin which the nationwas living, a politics of crossedannson the part would mean,inevitably,a collaboration of the differentleadersor by the EpiscopalConference grantedto the conspiratorsthat were attemptingto submergeUruguayinto chaois. Unlessthe Prelatesdeniedtheperversityof Communismor declaredthe moralobligation to defendthe good and to fight the evil asoutmoded,embracingthen an unacceptablerelativism andrepudiatingthe militant characterof the Church,their normal attitudewould havebeento go to the aid of the Faith, of the flock entrustedto their careand of the Countrythat sawthemborn. Mons.Antonio Corsotook variousandbraveattitudesin favor of the orthodoxyof ChristianCivilization,in this first periodof the MancistassaultagainstUruguay.We Catholics keepa pleasantmemoryof them. Neverthelessthe National Episcopacy,consideredasa whole, abandonedits duty to fight categoricallyin full scaleagainstthe red sect. The rare and discreteshowsof conFarietythat Mons. Balaguerdisplayedagainstthe more radicalpro-Mancistpositionsof the "Catholic"left arenot of the sort that canbe considereda clearandopenaction againstCommunism. But not only was the Episcopalomissionfavoring the Mancistadvanceconfirrred; there at a wasmore. Almost all of the Uruguayanbishops- Mons.Balaguerincluded- supported, greateror lesserdistance,the work of destructionwhosemost powerful centerwasthe in the Bishopof Salto,Monseflor of Montevideoandthat hadoneof its spearheads Archdiocese MarceloMendiharat. Throughoutthe lengthof this book we will suffrcientlyconfirm this sadreality. As we will now briefly verify, alreadyin the initial stateof the revolutionaryshiverthat shookUruguay,the generalityof the Prelates,whetherindividuallyor throughtheir solidarity of realityto the with theEpiscopalConference,committedtheir prestigeto give appearances Marxistmythologythat wasattemptingto disconcertthe countyandto bendits moralresistance of egalitariancollectivism. in the presence 49

2. The featuresof the CEU revealits orientation Fromthebeginningof the revolutionaryproeess,the CEU wasgiving prestigeto and providingaccess to positionsof influenceto repiesentative priestsand corlmuno-progressivist layrnen,especiallythoseof the apparatus that,ii'om the capitol, pro-ot.d-u leftist stirringin all of Uruguay.r Whatis more'we showedin the previouschapterthe character acquiredby the organof theEpiscopalconference,the magazinevida Pastoral,startedin 1967. In it *"r. habitually publishedarticlesof the "partelian"fend andtextstranscribed from foreignieftist authorsand newsreportstendingto influencethereadersin the samedirection, whileihe pronouncements of thedefenders of CatholicTraditionweresystematically silenced.The rrrug*in. of the cEU thento beplacedalongsidevfspira andPeripectivasdeDidlogi asan , deserves organof propaganda for the left in the Church. a. Pavingtheway for the devastatingprogram of the Archbishop i

During t967 theCEU issuedtw_odocuments thatpsychologicallyandideologically prepared thewayfor the sadlyfamouspastoralof Adveni Thefirst, "Le!te1ofth9 Bishops_of Uruguayaboutsomecunentsocialproblems,,, publishedin Lentandsignedby all the Bishopi p"int* a criticalpicture for us of the Uruguayan situationwhoseremedy_dematds beforeanykiry a profoundchinge of mentalhabitsand structures."Urgent" reformsof structures,"profound" changes,but vague . . . The formula was herethatthe Prelateswould repeatwith insisLnt anddistessing nugurn-.r, during all theseyears. o'changes," of course,agrarianreform,thekey issuefor socialistcollectivismin all llong such Latin America, It is certainthq they distinguishamongthe agrarianreforms thoseof an ideological political.stampandagrarianreformsof a sicio+echnicaltype,butthey do not explain whatdifferentiatesthe two, a1d the only criticism that they find to maftereui"rt the first kind is thatlogically theyproduce afear that bltnds. Morepver,'.trut p.rtpose doesthis distinction serve if theydemobilizeattifudes?Onemustnot liveforewarnedagainstthe currentexpression t'.agrarian reform"(p.10).They finally cometo insinuateby the ambiguityof the termsusedthat the.rightof privatepropertyis a positiveoptionalright for stciety anaiot a permanentnat'ral rightastheDoctrineof the Churchteaches.In thisiespect,the Document rtut"r, God has destinedthe earthand qll that it containsfor the useof ail'of human kind, otttoug;ir"ir*rr ro

rlt is enoughto-cons_ider the compositionof someof its Departments andcomrnissions. them frgure laymen like Juan PabloTerra"HdctorBorrat,Alberto Methol Ferr6,Leonel Jl Verissimio,Jos6Luis RodrlguezBossi,EnriqueCesio(salio) andecclesiastics like thepriests PabloDabezies, OrlandoRomero,JuanM. atgonq SilvanoBerland4ConradoMontpetit, MiguelCurto,Amaldo Spadaccino,.Juan JosdPodestA.. .(cfr. Guideto the CatholicChurchin Uruguay- 1973).

humanlav;stolix the mannerof how thesegoodsreachall in an even-handedform (p. 28f In orderto give moreforceto their proposals,theyinsistthat thepopularrebellionis imminent(pp. 6 and23). A thesisthat,aswe haveseen,is essentialto leadthe entilecountryto acceptreformsthat it doesnot desire. Monthslater,September6, the "Letterof the Episcopacy"appeared, signedby Mons. Viola andMons. Balaguer,at that time PresidentandSecretary,respectively,of the CEU. In this letter,througha languageflavoredwith a relativismthat permitsthemto avoiddefining themselves asclearlyagainstManist aggression, theypleadanewfor thenecessary structural reforms. In a momentin which Uruguaywasbeginningto be unjustly attackedby a multiform subversiveattack,the Bishopshavelimited themselves to disapprovingof "violence"andthen considerit opportuneto add: Violenceis displayed,at limes,by therevolutionaryinsurrectionor theguerrilla, in order to break a situation that isjudged oppressive.Other tirnes,by theforce of political power, or the meansof economicpower, violenceimposesan order that is apparently stableand tranquil, but which is underminedin its heartby the deprivationsof right, or the conditionsof underdevelopment that supportsomesectorsof thepopulation. The leadersof the EpiscopalCopference removetheir solidarityin this hour from the Uruguayancauseandgive prestigetb thp "aims" of the Tupamaroaggression, tendingto depress anddisconcertthosewho wishedto defendthe counby. To finish, they askthat the polemicswithin Catholiccirclescease.Asking only thatthe polemicswithin the Churchend, ignoring the fact that their principal causewas the Mancist ideologicalinfiltration, meantobjectivelyleavingthe way openfor the hanquilproceeding of the destroyers.Whoeverrecommends cah4to the firemenandthe arsonists,only favorsspreading thefire (VidaPastoral3(1967)pp. 28-30)3

b. Disconcertinginsistence The myth of the massesreadyto rebel- in the period, aswe havementioned- wasthe 2TheChurchalwaystaughtthat the right of propertyis a natual right. In effect,writes Leo XIII: To own goodsin private,aswe havesaid shortly before,is a naturalright of man;and usingthis right aboveall in the societyof life, is not only licit but evenabsolutelynecessary. It is licit thatmanpossess his own things. And it is necessary too for humanlife (SaintThomas, q. 66 a.2); (RerumNovarum,May 15, l89l PontificalDoctrineSummaTheologica,2-2 SocialDocuments, BAC, Madrid,1959,p. 328). 3Dr.JuanC. Quagliotticonfirmssadlybut firmly, in an openlefferto thesignatory Bishops,the vaguecharacterof the aforementioned document,sayingthat Catholicswerehoping for a definitionfrom the Bishops.On the cunentdivisionswith the Church,he saysconectly thattheprincipalcauseis the Communistinfiltration in the Clergyandthe laity. On this point, he says,therewasa fault of omissionon thepartof the CEU, sincethereis not anycensure againstcornmuno-progressivism in the text (cft. La Mailana,November13,1967).

mostpowerfulpsychological leverof theonesthat wereseekingto weakenthe moralresistence of authenticUruguay- wasstirredconstantlyin theptonouncimentsof the Episcopate. In this way,in 1968,on occasionof the meetingof CELAM in Medellin,a statement signedby allthe Bishops,with regardto thedocument-base that they would taketo the encuentro, said:Thedespairof thosewhodo not attain the levelof hfe that their human conditiondemandsandseethe deferringof eflicaciaussolutionswith distressis growing; it is a vi.olent situationthat threatensto burstin attitudesof violence(Vida Pastoral Tdg69) p. nl; nt PopularJune2l, 1968). In a documentdirectedto the Catholicsand themenof goodwill of our country,October 7,1968,theUruguayanBishops,makingtheirstheconclusionsof the disputedconference, turn to insiston thethemeof the explosiverevolutionsof desperation(Vida Pastoralg(1968)p.261; BP ColorOctober9, 1968;La MafianaOctober9, 1968). 3. Mons.Balaguerand Mons. C6ceres:with the "men of goodwill,,t againstoppression Mons.Balaguer,Bishopof Tacuaremb6, andMons.C6ceres,Bishopof Melo, addedtheir prestigious voicesto the showof thepretended, popular,imminentandspontaneous rebellion. ThisEpiscopalclamor,comtadeto the stridentlure madeby the conrmuno-progressivists of the secondlevelin the crudestlanguage,confusedtheearsof a nationalpublic opinion,desirous,it is true,of improvementsfor the modestclasses,but neverwishing that Uruguaybe tied to the Marxistcart by meansof a confiscatoryreformism. If therewere not the worthy reactionof countless faithful,allied to a solid nationalgoodsense,perhapsthe Tupamarofarcedestinedto subduetheanticommunist resistance, might haveachievedits objectives. Thetwo Bishops,togetherwith 25 Priestsof their dioceses,issuedajoint documentthat paintswith shongcolorsthe socialsifuationof NorthernUruguay,usinga wordinessmoresuited to thepartisans of the classstrrggleandaskingto be excusedbecauseof their previouslackof preoccupation in the presenceof thepain of the others. In orderto correctwhat they considerto beanomissiontheymakean appealto the Catholiqg,,andto all menof goodwilt ta strugglefor theliberationof our mostneedybrothersin orderia marchwith qll the oppressedwho search for theirliberation. In this languagefull of insinuationsandambiguitiesthey indicate: lastly,we encourage theoppressed to obtain their proper dignity, Iqtowingthat their efort is just (Caudernosde Marchal7 (1968)pp.33-34). No onecouldobjectthat onestruggledecidedlyagainstexistingsocialinjusticesbut one doesnothavethe right - lessevenwhenonespeaksfrom an EpiscopalChair- to generalize demagogically situationsandaccusations seemingto fertilizethe Mancistcritical vision.a oltis the caseto recall heretheprudentwarningof PopeSaintPiusX: Catholicwriters, upondefendingthe causeof theproletariat and thepoor, mnstabstainfrom wordsandphrases thatcouldinspirein thepeoplean aversionforthesuperior classes of society. Onedoesnot speak,then,of demandsand ofjustice whenonedealswith simplecharity. . . Remember that JesusChristwantedto reuniteall menthroughthe bondsaf mutuallovethot is theperfectionof

4. Salto:lessdoctrinalpreaching,moreconcreteaction After havingseenthe directionof the CEU in thesefirst yearsandexemplifiedwith the positionof a Prelatelike Mons.Balaguer- not only asa memberand Secretaryof the Episcopal - who projectedthe imageof himselfasa Organization,but alsoasBishopof Tacuaremb6 mechanism of "moderate,"we will considernow an extremecasethat rivals with the devastating it. (Lateron, throughoutthe courseof this Montevideoand in certainaspectsevensupersedes studywe will haveoccasionto referalsoto the individualrevolutionaryconductof other Bishops,like Mons.Rubioy Mons.Nuti). andthereforewe Montevideopossessed the principalbrainsof commtrno-progressivism detainedourselvestheremoreprotactedly. Salto,proportionally,"exemplified"in greater degreethethesispromotedby Mons.Parteliandhis team. Let us seeit, althoughit be rapidly,in its occasionsasprototlpe. a. P. Dibar, right arm of BishopMendiharat The seconddioceseof the country,at theheadof which wasMons.Mendiharst,with whom we will meetagainfurther on, radicalizedparticularly the orientationcastby the ecclesiastical leadershipof Montevideo,takingit to notableextemes. There,for example,the experiments of P. Zaffa,roni,P. Dibar,andof P. Bidegain,hadfreerein. The "apostolic" Diocese'sdaily newspape4El Pueblo,supportedthe FrenteAmplio. Oneof the widely knownPriestsof Mons.Mendiharat'steamwasP. ManuelDibar,right armof theBishop,parishpriest,first in Saltoandlaterin Fray Bentos,andcoordinatorof the "new pastoral"in the Diocese. P. Dibar acquireda deplorablecelebrityin the counfy by his conduct:he gavefrequent (cfr. El Popular April 2,1968); he wrote interviewsto the CommunistParty'snewspaper "committed"articlesin the local "Catholic"daily, El Pueblo;he spokein public meetingsof FIDEL (cfr. El Popular May 24 and25,1968). Despiteeverything,he still hadtime left overto encourage a socialistpolitical club, to write seditiousproclamationsandto give talkson the formationof Commandosfor TupamaroSupport(CAT). Finally, in 1972,he wouldhaveto be arrestedfor his complicitywith the Tupamaros,aslwe will recountin its propertime. Howeverclamorousthesedeeds,bothMons.MendiharatandMons.Parteli(sincethe priestrefenedto wasdevelopinga largepartof his "priestly''activity in the Capitol)gavehim the"go-ahead'to act freely.

b. FatherZaffaroni: to what extentdid he take the idolatry of Che Guevara Nevertheless, moreimportantthanthe PriestsDibar andBidegain(this lastwouldalsobe justice and includesthe obligation to workfor reciprocal good. (Motu Proprio on Popular CatholicAction,December p. 344). 18,1903- A. S. S.,vol. 36 (1903-190a)

.Irestedfor links with theguerrilla)tle mgslrgsounding - nationalcase,the parryof salto, wasthe alreadymentionedinstanceof the ex-Jesuit Zaffaroni. Mons'Mendiharathadalwavsliked the so-cailed"stimulatingpastoralexperiments.,, Nothingmorelogical,therefore,than P. Zaffaroni,*trit, decidedio'uua,,Jonthe companyof Jesus'shouldopt for the Dioceseof salto *rr.rr rrr fr"t"na.a to transformhimselfinto a - in orderto makehis forays, worker-priest rtr""ri"g iiJ r*" workersof Artigasashis

J:T,1*ff'r*fi11trff#:.'the

propaganda madeiy theleftaround these workers, presented

ThePriestwasreceivedoctober 21, _lg66,bythe Bishop,going to work asa bricklayer ( he did not becomea cane-worker).In the followinirnontt r, he is linkedto the turions of the canecuttert'trying to stir themup with his continuoisvran<istpreaching.at rrri, time Raill Sendic,theheadTupamaro,washready *ortinJirt*lf] tn.r.. A little later,the brand-newwoiker-prid, il;l"g his..evangelicalcommitment,, made public his link with MRo (oriental Revolutionary tutou.mentl,a splinter goup from the extreme left' In 1967'withJdt.u:qon alreadyhaving ,.ruit, at the intemationallevel,he rraveledto cuba to takepart in the world congressorcutt i. (confi; Mundialde la cultura). He gavepublic speeches o-penly-preaching imed revolution,ashe did in his well known conference, in the headquarte.torvnljon aug;i 19;di, year. commentingon that occasionaboutthe conductof his model,thepiiest a;il; Tones,he said:,.can you loveyour neighborin columbia.without killing? No." coherentwith this ide* he answeredthatone musttakethe sub-machinegun *d he gave the motive: wat is important is to createa revolutionaryfocus,sincedirect actioiis .muchno,reproiuctive than union action, And about theactionof che Guevarahe said:Theob.ligation qf everyrevorutionaryis to activatewhatever guerrillafocusinwhateverpart of Latin Americaoi fiari said. A trueievoluttonarymust stimulatetheguerrilla. Thereforiche Guevara is tne fpe of warrior that I idolwe(La MafianaMay 5, 196g,emphasisours). Perhapssomereader,still unaccustomed in theperiodwith the new..pastoral,, directions of our clergy' mayhaveimaginedthat aPriest ro itqfl;;utory would receivean immediateand unanimous reprobation.lql !t peers.AnaclroniBU.lirurion! The well-knownFrench magazineof the "catholic" Left,informaciones. ciiiolique Internationolo,..ntions in this way thesacerdotalsupportreceivedby p. zatraroni *rt.n rt. rommandedthe theatricaland failed "marchof the caneworkers": lvhat was notableon the christian level is that the ,,cafieros,, were often'if not to sayalways,lodgedandwelcomed in tw pirirn", and conveits ina christians. fu During their long stay tle ianio of ce*o f. . .l it iit iiio in tt, local partshesthat they .in madetheir meetingsaimed at raising the awareness af thepopulatio, o, io theirplight(I. c. I. ) l ). 3 3 6( 1 9 6 9p.2 ln Montevideo,the Lyceumof the sacred Heart,of theJesuits( seminary),openedits doorsto thepriest-agi{o} permittinghim to rp.ut to tl"-rla. nts(ti Manara'June4, l96g). And his Bishop? In a statement ynlr aimo"o by thgpress,afterdoingthe historyof thissingular"apostolate"in his diocese, he usesu r"ptr#iriic languageto revealthepriest,s ties to subversive movementsandconcludesthat,in whaiis essential, ..experiment.,, he approves his Thereasons allegedarethathis pastoraloptionfavored greater a sensitizationof the valuesof

charity' ' '5 justiceandthat - let the readerbe amazed!- it givesus an exampleo{christian charity" all his "christian we pooruruguayans,if p. Zaffaronihadthe oppoiunity to deverop withoutkilling? t' ' ' ' thatmadehim proclaimtCan one lovehisnetgibor in Columbia sayaboutthe hereticaldoctrineof the And what did the Archbishopof Mont-evideo Uruguay'especiallyin thut wasresoundingtho;gh thepress'andT' V' in all of priest-tupamuro, thecapitol? to statean opinionsince Askedaboutthe casehe answeredthat it wasnot hisplace 22' 1968)' Zaffaroni wasfrom another diocese' ' ' (La MafianaMay motu abandoned P. Zaffaronidid not experienceanycanonicalsanction.Laterhe 1969)' proprio the cassockin orderto marry(La MafranaYry! 27' corso declaredhimself Mons' only In all the Episcopate,that we areawareof, indicatingmoreoler at the time: I cannotbelievethathe categoricallyagainstthe priest-agitator, Shortly authorizationas he hai said (La MaflanaMarch27,1968)' doesit with ecclesiastical of the words these himself to contradict afterwards,as we saw,Mons. MendiharattOokit upon perfectly we[ acquaintedwith the action Bishopof Maldonado-p*tu del Este,,i"*i"g himserf aspects of the Marxist Priest and supportingit in its fundamental commitmentto violence'may Howevermuch the action of the tehorist Priests,with their emphasizehow' from the very wordsof be awful anddeservingof repudiation,it'is importantto in the processof movingour Count*.t9 th-e Mons.Mendiharat,it is clearthat its main useiulness existedfor those"sensitizing" left, doesnot consistin their direct..,ion assuch. The Zaffaronis powerful "non-violent" actionof the shocksthat servedas a lever to the much moreefficient and BishoPs. devastating

,The document,datedJune3, 1968,wasreadat all the Churchesof the Diocese'during that the experimentof p. Zaffaroni ftcs the massesof the roiio*ing Srurday.In it i; affirmed presbyteryin their periodic meetings.After a few beenfollowedcloselyby the Bishopand the he n;"-t" the following Evaluationand Declaration: considerations a)WethankGodthattheexperimentunderwTymayhavefavored_althoughnotall,for - a greatergeneralsensitizationtowardsthe thetimebeing,^nyinir,rrtand it titcetn* in the seriouslycommittedat thePresenttime; and an in*ease authenticvaluesofiiti* in the Dioceseand especiallyamong reflectionand in tn"-ii^^n*ent oyatt thepeopleofGod the prieststhemselves. option(the to this past.oral b) we valuethe motivesthatpersonallymovedP. zafaroni serviceof othershe gun?)(Jpong,ing hispersonii sacriliceand hislife to the sub-machine givesus an exampleof Christi.an-c-harity' of violence(not of the-ends) He then makessometimid reseiations aboutthe preaching letters'thesewordsfrom Gaudiumet by P.Zaffaroniandhe endsapplying!o,h".^", in capital DIVIDESUS;IN WHATIS

spes:WHATUNrrps us N srnoNcgR THANWHer (LA CHARITY LIBERTY,INEVERYTHING UNiii, TNTTmDOUBTFUL NECESSARY MafianaJune4, 1968) 55

c. The clergy of salto herpsthe cEu to magnifythe specter of crisis Because of an ambiguous declaration of thecEU of september15, 1969(cfr. vida Pasto.ral l3(1969)p.23), about"socialpeace"- in whichnaturally Communismis not mentioned asthe tr.ueenemyof the public order- groupsof Priestsfrom the Dioceseof Salto tookadvantage of the occasionto continuetheir woik ofraising the awaren"r, ortn. public by publishingtwo notesof supportfor the Episcopaldeclaration, with countlessdemandswrittenin a demagogic andunjustform that would-ht perfectlyin themouthof anyleftist agitator.As was "-" nowhabitual,theyweretranscribedby the Manxistandleftist daily newspuprrr.;"Hr;;.;,radicalizingthe Episcopaltext, theywere,,complementing,, the actionof the cEU. d' What wasinsinuatedin Montevideo,in Saltois saidclearly:..grass-roots" communities in order to promotethe popular rebellion Mons.Mendiharatalsogive priority attentionto thepastoralof the .,gass-roots,, communities (comunidades de base)in the styleof the menopolitanArchdiJcese. Thepublicationof the final resolutionsof the"DiocesanAssembly of Salto,,givesus the reasonswhy it chosethem. ln orderto change,the participants analyzed. . . the uruguayan crisis' Theyindicatethe following asamongitr.uur.r: is regards the defectivetemporal organization, theresponsibilltyis shared(: ) bl ( . .) thepeople, noi lriing bein generally for cwareof their situation yylhavins adaptedanrtcorrfor^ed,often,to the uiiist'situation to whichtley aresubiected.That is to say,thepeople*r.. noiwanting the re6euion. It is partialconfession,a relief of proof. ThedisillusionedJonfirmation of thepopular disinterest for the ideasof the "saviorso'is meaningful.Evenby declarationsof the devastating ecclesiasticsand laymenthemselvesit tumedout to benow notoriousthat the threat of a popular, violent.uprising, explodingthe socialstucturesin placewasonly a crudepropagandistic fiction, dramatized by the showof Tupamaroviolence,thaitlaeygaveprestigeto with their conduct. It wasnecessary' then,to finish with.$e popprlar disinterest,- But how?- Thepriority, then,of a conscientizingevangelization,to ltbeiati," humanizeandpromote man is imposed.6lnthefirst of them, 20 Priestsof the LittoralNorth @epartments of Artigas,Salto, Paysandri andRlo Negro)besidessupportingthe declarationortne Bishops, *t ro, concrete measures like the liberationof leftist union liaders,theendof the anti-union;iepression,,, and theylamentthecurtailmentof liberty of opinion,etc. All which corresponded thento the demands of theCommunists. Thedocumentenumerates2l denunciationsthat arenothing more than manifestationsof otherrealitiesandthey ask for botd and brne transformationsoflnany of ourjuridical, economic, educationalandpolitical structures(Et iopular Octoter t,'tieO; Marchaoctober 3, 1969;BP ColorOctober3, 1969) Thetoneof the secondmanifestoof supportfor the CEU, signedby l3 priests from the Pastoral "SouthTeam"of the Dioceseof Salto,isgivenby the final instructions:For azr uruguaywherethereare neitheroppressorsnor oppressiagf Cobr October3, 1969). 56

- Having in mindtheseelementstheformationof grass-roots Throughwhat mechanism? Christiancommunitiesis believedto be urgent(. . .) Theassertion,extensionand increaseof thesecommunitieswith their conscientizing tash mustbe a priority preoccupationin the immediate (tlida pp. Pastoral I l(1969) 5-12). future 5. The union betweenthe religiousaspectsand the political commitmentin communoprogressivism In orderto completethis chapter,we recallan episodeof the revolutionaryprocessplayed outsideof Montevideoby the "advanced"Clergythat servesto bring to light onceagainthe correlationsbetweenpolitical leftism andthe religiousideathat aboundmoreor lessexplicitin the new trend. In the Dioceseof SanJos6,thengovernedby the deceased Mons.Luis Baccino,a controversialsituationwasdevelopingbetweenthe faithful andvariousecclesiastics.The Bishophadselecteda groupof EuropeanPrieststo help him in the new "pastoralde conjunto" thathe wasplanningto implant. 'JViththe passage of time the actionof the ecclesiastics beganto awakenlively reactions.The tension,became unbearable: the "advanced"progressivist nucleus importedfrom abroad,to which wereaddedsomelocal laity, wereimpedingtraditional catechesis,handingover religious instructionto elementsof their preference;they refusedto take the Sacramentsto the sick; they ridiculed confession;they celebrated"prophetic" masseswith strangeliturgical ceremonialin priv.atehomes;they discreditedthe hierarchicalstructureof the Church;andthey combinedall of this,withpolitical revolutionarypreaching.The faithfulthat did not subjectthemselvesto the new pastoralwerepublicly andprivatelyinsultedby these Priestsandseculars,for havingtheirrottenminds,etc. The ecclesiastical authoritykept silenceduringall this action,that wasgoingon now for years(the Priestsreferredto initiated their destnrctivework at the beginningof the sixtiesand wereradicalizingit little by little). Popularindignation was spreadthroughthe zonedemandingthe endof the scandal, pointingout the Bishopandhis immediatehelpersasaccomplicesin the awful work of the nucleusespeciallybroughtfrom Europeandtoleratedwift impunity for so muchtime. In April of 1970,at the end,the UruguayanPriestsof this ecclesiastical jurisdictionfelt themselves obligatedto write a public lettertakingchargeof the situationandaskingtheforeign prieststo leavethe diocesemaragata.However,cwiously,afterrecongizingthegoodintention, dedicationand qualities of the priestsreferredto, they expressthe wish that thesequalitiesmight be ableto makcthemyield maximumfruitin anotherplace (cft. Perspectivas deDidlogo42

(1970) pp.s2-5a).

r** Upon considering the aspectas a whole that the religious and political-ideological panor:rmaacquired between 1965 and 1970,many were astonished. It is impossible to avoid the impressionthat we were witnessing the rapid and intense

unleashing'of a multipleassaultagainsttraditionaltrJruguay. Armedviolence,leftist universityriots,unionandpolitical agitation,andpowerful devastating actionof BishopsandPriestsweretakingplacein all Uruguay. Everythingwas speeded up at once. Eachoneof the revolutionaryforces,althoughdifferentbetweenthemselves ( andat timesinvolvingdegreesandnuancesin their own internalcomposition)nevertheless complemented eachotherin the end,resultingin a uniquepowerfulimpacton public opinionand theUruguayan strucfures.

4 Love for the poor, merepretextof the progressivistutopia We understandthat a reader,movedby respectfor the Ecclesiastical Magisteriumand alarmedby the conclusionthat inevitablyflows from the documentsmentionedup to thispoint, might try a justification in extremisfor the directiontakenby so manyBishopsandPriests, for the poor,the desireto reducethe sufferingsof the maintainingthat it is the merecompassion people,the questfor fraternity ttrat movesthem to makecommoncausewith the Mancists.There is nothingmorefalse. In spiteof this beinga pretextalreadyworn out from extensiveuselet us detainourselves briefly in the considerationof the problem. The mythomaniaof the obligatoryandegalitariandistribution of goodshasalready broughtmoral ruin andeconomicmiseryto countlesspeoples.Libertywasalwayssacrificedfor of its application.Besides,the destructionof propertyandtheresultantlack of encouragement the socialistlevelinginevitablybrog$htscarcityandhunger. Contemporaryworld history"provesit to the point of satietyand,to go no fartherthanour own continentfor examples,therei3 theCubaneconomicfailure,recognizednumeroustimesby Fidel Castrohimself,aswell asthe miserythatAllendebroughtto Chile with threeyearsof socialism.This fact did not hinderUruguayanprogressivists from defendingthoseregimes, while at the sametime it doesnot appearto us that anyof thesedevastatingecclesiastics raised their voice to feel sorry for what the.Chileanssufferedand what the unfortunateCubanssuffer : underthe Man<istregime. The recentexamplesof Cambodiqwherehundredsof thousandsdie underCommunist bullets,blows andfists; or of Vietnarn,overwhich descended a curtainof silence,prove pursued exhaustivelythat the end by the Man<istsis neitherfraternity nor plenty,nor do thesesad examplesseemto movethe progessivistto compassion. The lack of liberty in theseCommunistregimes,the poverty that drivesthemto begfor wheatand technologyin the West,the bordersclosedfor enteringand leaving,the curtainsof iron, bambooandsilence,the Berlin wall, thepolicestateareundeniablefactsthat leavethe leftistsin the Chruchin a very badpositionfrom which to claim a supposedlove for the "oppressed"asjustificationfor confiscatoryandsocialistegalitarianism. Apart from that, St. Pius X alreadydeclaredwisely that the tntefriends of thepeopleare neitherrevolutionariesnor innovators,but naditionalists (Notre ChargeApostolique,August 25, 1910,Ponti/icalDoctrine- PoliticalDocuments BAC,Madrid,1958,p. 421). Thewordof the SaintPontiffis especiallysuitablefor alertingmindsagainstthe permanentreformersthat,in the caseof our country,proposeradicalsimultaneous changes,taking specialcareto leave confusedtheir contentandfinal aim.

a. A partial confession,a relief of proof But we aregoingto let two intellectualPriestsof the leftist trendhavetheword. The magazinePerspectivasde Didlogo,favorableto the governmentof Allendeandto theFrente Amplio, hasrespectivearticlesclariffing asregardsthe little importanceattributedby

progressivist priests theprobrems ofpoverryandtherackof liberty. 10 Thefirstarticle is uy ctturt"sRiviere,; F ;;t;;it ruuorudi.to thecastrodictatorship. Aboutit, hesavs:tt ts theTr* revorution *;;;; nit ii-o rapse of timeso briefandin a *onri, sospontaneous has,managed to iestroy.tn,ot/ rorirty"ri^ptrtrty and pass capitat ismto sociatism directryfrom i rg y1, o oorrouiii, dictators hip. :::!:r, with iii ThisPriestis pleased a tJ*ity rrto - *-rilritt ,"" - r.io*, sacrifices thecatastrophic. pleasantly themoral*a r.i.riir *Jr-u.in;;#. He peopreto theiaol of equatity. In thesubtitleThestandardojhng,rt. ttutrrl Crio iirri unari in r*nomic Inprinciplefoods *isis (. . .) arerationedandi,e maynot acquirethemwilhouta notebookIn 'strictmeasures spiteof adoptedrationingti tis severethan whatwas.inFranceduringthewar. the Littre

;'Jiiii::,,ff.11;"?**.*'*;:,f$Lf *#lin*.onein"*,#yd""d;;; on theorherhand,it seems *ainr--ttiilw'Jfintt^

of-crothing greaterpart of the citizenswear ismuchgreater.The the samefabrics( lfii| *en do not haveobjectionsabout wearingusedtrousers' In general, the articlesd tne i;;;, the consumer products that are not essential'importedgoodsind utensili are rationed or simpryrit obtoirrd, Gasorine is meticutouslvcon*oiled, private !.sorgustl a:iti*_otti^ br;;*;;;;;r and-rarer (exceptsomeprivate taximeters generarv.very diraptdateil. -i;; avairabitity vehicIes,fuet is IacHn,s,' ofsetf_propetred 1i.1yi,, ii;::;;'; rr r, ; u,i turcand ; i ndu s try. Despite everythingthe auth"orconcludes *ith ;;;ristent

praisesfor the cuban

qosipp;" r wiiis,r,*-tr,ut-tr,e ;::iJ,,il1"lL'g::'ff povedy :j'i; tr;11"ft:iir orthe "j:"'*o ,1.**

thebasicprinciples thattheyputforwardfor theirdemands .,human rights,'ffi HrHry.to for Theuruguayan Jesuit,JuanLuis of liberation," desirous !rg*do_,Trng r: r"p rankingso_calred.,theorogians of Aestrofift, prrr.nt Latin;,A;,erican socialstructure, thetunnepath:woever prefers'o doesnothide iiiotir^ r" ,iiiiiiri*pitarist structure,doesnothavethe rightto criticizethe humani*t oiiir useof auth oiii'.' n, does nothavetheright to attack theabuses of thepresentauthorityasiitne.h"og;;l;;;"rua aia oot J"i"oi equaror greater co'tts' equalor greaterrepressiool"qu:l-:: rffigafion s".ilr ofjusticeandtheso-cared "liberties"' ' ' EveT.new-historicir tiirlt:t*las b t, iiiafor,atle (Perspectivas hyr!price of authority deDttito,go z^2^iroii2

dn:.'iiri;;;;;ph#t,",

#"AFf ffi ,:HH:1i'"i,*:fffi fl::f Thereis alreadycoinedu tuphrtirtic

rhe

1. cubanexecution walrand ;'''#t'il.onshateit.Andthepriestsoo

rormuta thatnamesthe oceanof tears brought blood,hungerand bythecommunis, *"ririr": thesociai*Joitru revorution. ...

b. Then,why the progressivist obstinacy? If theyknow that the collectivistregimeis goingto bring tnanny andhurgerwhy do theyinsistobstinatelyin preparingthe way for it? It is that turningtheir tributaryattitudesin a greateror lesserdegreeinto the ideasand blindedby the egalitarianutopia. mentalityof a Man<ist,theynaturallybecomemythomaniacs, From therecomesthe fact that thereare so many middle-classpeoplefavoringthe intentionsof Communism,in an attitudeflagrantlycontraryto their own interests. ecclesiastics. And so too in the Churchthereareself-destructing Despiteknowing that the destructionof raditional Uruguayand its transmutationinto a moreor lessMamist societywill bring tyranny,hungerandsorrow,they still desirethis demolitionto take place. The egalitarianutopia"the ultimate foundationof the hated for social hierarchy,appearsto movethemirresistibly. How then not to considerthat they clothetheir true reasonsiwith the robesof 'Justice," "peace,""fraternity,""love of the poor," and"humanrights," only to maketheir philosophy habituallyusepretextsayingswhenit is a matterof congenial?The fact that the progressivists drivingthe egalitarianrevolutionagainofregimesbasedon privatepropertyand,practically never,againstthe dominatingoppressionin the varioussocialistcountriesis, in this sense,no lessrevealing.

lr tl

ri:

5 Theydid not hearthe clamorsof their people Therevolutionaryprocessto which we werebeingsubjected,dueto the deploymentof resources usedto hide its artificiality,hadsomethingaboutit that wasirremediablyartificial. In thisway,the averageUruguayan,in the lastyearsof the sixties,felt himselfdividedby variousimpressions.Many times,duringhis normalroutine,aswhenrestingcalmlyat home with thefamily,he wasin touchwith the Uruguayof always,filled with pleasant,vivacious people,full of gocidsense,skillful in appreciating eventhe little harmoniesandbeautiesof daily existence.Theviolence,bothphysicalandmoral,that wasinundatingthe nationalcircle, acquiredthenin our attitudeaspectsof a nightmarethat washalf unrealandinexplicable- in thesurprisingsimultaneitywith which it wasafflicting thecountry- andwe put it out of our mindswith a shrugof the shoulderor somespiritedsaying.The experienceof socialstability triumphedthenoverotherimpressions. Nevertheless, thereweretimesin which a diffirsediscomfortwastakinghold of the majorityof Uruguayans.It wasimpossiblein thesemomentsnot to feel vaguelybut uneasilyas thoughsomemonsterwhoseheadwasin Moscow,Peking,or Havanaextendedhis propheticand enveloping tentaclesover our Country. And whenthe thousanddaily occupationsallowedthe averageUruguayanto stopto considerthesituationmoreattentively,this discomfortwasftnsformed into discontentandeven indignation:Why didn't our political leadersactwith thenecessary energy?And, especially, howwasit possiblethat oneof the tentaclesof this monsterseemedto be comprisedof prominentecclesiasticsand laymenin the stucture of the UruguayanChurch? FortheCatholic,this questioncarneaccompanied by a painfirl connotation:it wasthe lossof confidencein his Pastorsor spiritualguides,ascouldhappenin the extremelyanguished caseof thesonthat,perceivingquickly the comrptionof his father,first avoidsthinkingmuch aboutit, until the momentin which he confirmsthat the father,moreover,wantsto leadhim too alongtheroadto perdition. A distancingof the majorityof the faithful with relationto their Prelateswasinitiatedin this way,which was accenfuatingwith the courseof,the eventsor, to put it better,the sons remained faithfulto the receivedteaching,while thb"spiritualGuideswereseparating themselves fromtheirsacredmission,accompanying the enemiesof the Christiannamein their destroying work.

1. Forfy thousandappealto Rome This enormouslatentpopularoppositionagainstthe movementof Comrnunismandits fellow-travelersthat were fiying to envelopus surfacedhereandthereasthe revolutionaryforces continued to showthemselves. Thenew UruguayanTFP now took the oppornrnityof verifying this reactionpalpablyin its firstcampaigns. In themiddleof 1968the TFP senta message to PaulVI denouncingthe fact thatthe Communist dangerlceeps growing in our Countryand that thesupportsand influencesto this

growth areProceedingfromthe Catholiccamp. Wepointedout respectfully"that in our country analogoustendencie-s_ havesurfaced(pro-Marxtst)ai for example,in th-eatmosphere of classstrugglepropitiated by P. Zafaroni both in the sadlyfamous "Marchas de los cafteros de Artigas" and in the of that unfortunate cleriial preacher ofviolenceandsubversion -conduct developedin the MRO or MovimientoRevolutionarioOriental, riirh in turn is a constituent elementof the leftist group signrJicantlyinsuibed FIDEL (FrenteIzquierdade Liberaci6n). Thesetendencies are manifestedalsoin certain articlesof the ^ogo)in, Vfsptera.,, The manifestofinally cameto "IMPLONNG, then,Jilially, His Hotinesspope paul VI, to adoptmeasureswith all urgencyso that THEAcTIoN oF THE qRC,GRESSIVIST CLERGYMENAND I}IYMEN FAI/)MBLE To C)MMUNISM BE ENTIRELY ELIMINATED." This messagewassupportedwith the signaturesof 40 thousandCatholics,gatheredin quick campaignsthr_olehoutthe principal cities of the county, wherethe characteristic red-gold standards of the TFP fluttered. What was th3 rgagtionof the generalityof the UruguayanHierarchyin the presenceof this respectfuland filial denunciation,as in the presenceoltttr countlessrito*r of legitimate apprehension anduneaseof so manygtheg,faithful?In spiteof beingwamed,theydid not turn authorities-ofU-gruy appeared !ac\. lnat is to say,the greaterpart <ifthe ecclesiastical to have firmly fixed their lamentableorientation. 2, Cry of alert againstthe proliferation of smallsubversivecommunitiesin the Church In Novemberof 1969,the TFP h9. new opportunityto enterinto contactwith thepublic in our cities,launchingthe first numberof its magazlneof ideologicalcombat,Lepanto. fninis editionit facedup to the new "self-destucting"processes that wereshakingthe Churchandour Country. To that end publication reproducedandcommentedon two sensationalandcomplete $9 studiespublishedoriginally in Europeby themagazines Ecclesia,fromMadrid,andApproiches, from London. The first articledealtwith the existenceof smallcommunitiesthatwerespreading throughalf the body of the trniversalChurch,callingthemselves"prophetic groups.,, The secondarticledescribedthe existenceof a giganticcornmuno-ptogr.ginistpiopaganda machine calledIDO-C (nternationalCenterof InformationandDocumentationrelativeto the Conciliar Church)r IIDO-C appeared at this time asan internationalgroupwith headquartersin Romeand with a growingnetwork of branchesembracingthe whole t"oitd. The presidentof the InternationalExecutiveComrnitteewas,at thattime, P. Rafaelvan Keis,professorat Rome's "Angelicum";the secretarygeneralwasthe DutchPriestLeo Alting uoo d"uruu. Amongothers, a North AmericanPriestfrom RadioVatican,a directorof MFC of Mexico, an elementfrom the very familiarleftist FrenchmagazineInformationsCatholiqueInternationalesandanother from theCatholico-CommunistZnak,authorized by the Communiststo functionpublicly in poland participatedwith this ExecutiveCommittee.The directorof the Englishmagazine Sfant,which

on thatoccasionwe showedhow thesesmallgrass-root groups,of a reservedcharacter, favoredthesubversion of the ecclesiastical structuresihrough an almostcompletelyoral methodology which,for that very reason,wasdifficult to de:tect.The..prophetic groups,, dev.eloped, alonga line parallelio the triigiou, revotution,* inr.nr. activity in favor of the egalitarian andcorlectivistrebellionin the temporalsociety,2 we indicatedhow, while thesecommunitieswortea secretly, in the middle of the thousand ambiences that directthe Catholicmovement,too-c hada publicity machine to reach thefaithfulmasses. to say, it acted over them trt"""grr books, magazines, daily Jhal is newspapers, radio,television,conferences, spreadinganalolousrevolutiJnarytheses. In Uruguay,IDO-C hadits officesinihe centerat 14g6 Canelones "otrio*o-irogressivist street.About this placewe havealready refenedpagesagowhenwe dealtwith Vtsperasandwe will refurnto it againlater on. . . Lepanto,with the documentsof denunciation, wassoldin all the country,by meansof a directdialogue-with-the-public methodusedby the TFP. Seeingthe enthusiasticreceptionof our compatriots, leftistagitatorshied, without success, to promoterL.t h.d;;;pecially in the areassulrotxldingsomechurcheswhereour cowteousandpeaceful distributionwascarriedout. TheEcclesiastical Hierarchypreferredostensiblyto ignorcthis new actionof theTFp, keepsgoodrelationswith anotherwell-knownPolishCatholico-Communist movementpar, supported by the Communistgovernmentin Warsaw,alsomadeup the Committee. 2Thedoctrine of thesecellularorganizations canbe summarizedin the following way: All subordinationof a beingendowedwith reasonto anotheris an..alieriation,,, an exploitationthatevolutionor the liberatingrevolutionmustbring to an end; This liberatingprocessis.accelerated by a uaoguurdof supposed..prophets,, of the churchof the the religious field p**ot" oe eliminaiion of all hierarchy 9t :T and objectivelydefinedtruth within the chtrch, in orderir rrpturc it with a New church, poor, "open"andwithoutstructures,which,in thepoliticallielij sympathizes with the historical,social andeconomicideaof Man<ism Themostadvancedonescometo affrrmthatGod is not a personal Being,nor transcendent, but that it would be scatteredandimmanentin ttreCosmos,for which it would be th.eliberatingenergythat driveshistoricalevolutionin theway of compt"t" *o "disalienation." "q*tity Hencetheyconcludethat man'sonly problemsarâ&#x201A;Źthe onesof this earth. The Churchmuststopworrying, therefore,aboutth. andtrying to discernin History the,voiceandthe signsof this imrnanentgod and"xlatenesbial dedicateherselfto the solutionof human proDlems. The Church,for them, must renounceHer sacralcharacterand Her defined juridicalstructure;Shemust- in a word "self-destuct",transformingHerselfinto a thousand smallcommunitiesthatwill be the fermentof socialrevolution-against all "alienations"(understiand all hierarchy,all disciplineandall morality).

with the exceptionof Mons. Antonio Corso,who sentan expressiveletterof supportto our I 969). campaign(Lepanto,November' Communism 3. Catholicspoint out the connivanceof the Archdioceseof Montevideowitil In 1970,hundredsof faithful, manyof whom werepersonalitiesof greatnational January3l andFebruary3, a manifesto significance,publishedthrougtrthe press,between entitledTheCuria of Montevideotied to Communism' The documeirt,of enonnousrepercussion,declaredthat the Curia wassupportingthe De Frente' constitutionof a..popularfront" of a cbmmuniststyle,groupedaroundthe newspaper responsible archdiocesan ln orderto proveii the manifestoshowedthat P. ArnaldoSpacaccino, in the Council, appeared who for the pasttral, a consultativeeditor for that Mandst organ this pieceof togetherwith variousDemochristianelementsandCommunists.It addedmoreover Sancarlos evidence:the grantingof propertiesbelongingto the ciurch, like the colegio parlshof the SacredHeart,for politicalactsto be Borromeo,of the pp.-of 6on-Orione,anA.ttre andto which El Popular gaveextensive canied out there and whereCommunistls'intervened Mons.Rubio, coverage.Two cordial interviewsgranfedby the Atxiliary Bishopof Montevideo, to thefublication De Frente,werealsocited' present The documentthen relatesotherscandalousfacts,like the masswith the body celebratedfor one of the deadterroristsin Pando' ln its conclorionthe text proclaimswith sounddoctrinalbasisthat the signatories,-using and of those, their right as Catholicsand paniots,will stand againstthe betroyal of Communism or promoteit in whethi theybe Catholicsir not, or Prelates,Priestsor seculars,who support openor hiddenor direct or indirectform' de It also declared:Mons. Carlos Parteli, Mons.Andrds Rubio,Canigo Haroldo Potice are Le6n,FatherArnaldo Spadaccinoand manyother prieststhat imitateandfollow them Tiempo for helpingCommunismwith their attitudes(La MaflanaFebruary3,1970; tanscribed February12,l97l). took As was no* hubituul,at the time, the Manist newspapersEl Popular andDe Frente 4,1970 El PopularFebruary2,5,1970}Many (DeFrenteFebruary thesideof the Archdiocese pulpits andin priestsaddedtheir voicesto this chorusfrom the left, abusingthe signersfrom the iadio andtelevision broadcasts,with epithetslike "slandefers"and "liars." to reject The angry answerof the Curia,February5, was of the sametone,which tried facts,and the chargesthat were madeagainstit, claimingthat they were based"on somefalse of others"' falsifiedly malevolentinterpretations to As a rejoinder,the Cattrolicswho signedthe original documentlimited themselves if this did not pointing out that the matter imputedto the c*i. waspublic and notorious,andthat toproceed answerthe accusationof liars castoverthem,theywould be obligated,with solrow' February' (La withoutdetayin defenseof the Church,the Country,and our good name Mafiana 25,1970). openedup their columnsto the theme. Articlesandpolemical The newspapers skillfully, then stolethe heartof the question, werewidespiead.Th. progressivists, declarations 65

tryingto slip into thepublicthe ideathatthe anti-communist reactiondividedthe Church. A readerof La Maftana- Sr. Felix PdrezMartino- argued,mostcorrectly,that it wasnot the signerswho causedgreatharmto the Church,but the datholicswho werefomenters of communismin catholic circles(La MafianaFebruary2s,lg70). Oneof the mostprestigioussignatories, the fondlyremembered CatholicintellectualDon AurelioTerraArocena- who in life honoredus so rnu.L with his friendship- showed in a considered but firm articlethat the ecclesiastical authorities,by not beingabieto answerthe centralaspectof the manifesto,that is to saythe facts,limitedthemselves to attackingin a personalway its signatories(La MafianaFebruary2g,lg70). Theletterof a faithful Catholic,publishedin a newspaper with regardto this same manifesto,is very symptomaticof the conflictsof conscienclcreatedin riany Catholics by the prelates. conductof the devastating The letterwriter -^who signshis nameNatdn- torturedby the ideaof havingto enter intoa clashwith the ecclesiastical authorityconfirms,nevertheless, that the factsdenounced are thecauseof the separation of Catholicsfrom the Church.Pointingout the absurdityof the ecclesiastical conduct,he daresnot nameMons.Parteliandcentershis disfust on Mons.ponce deLe6n(La MafianaMarch 11, 1970). Therespectleadhim, at that time, not to mention him, howeverit wasobviousthat the Vicar Generalwasbackedbythe Archbisiop, who, if he wished, wasableto removehim [exhonerarlo?]from his positionwith only a shokeoittrr p.n. In Montevideoandin the interior,Catholicsloving the trueradition wereexpressing moreandmoretheir repudiationof the attemptsto communizethe counbry.As occasionprJsents itself,we will recordvariousonesof thesereactionsin the following chapters. It is laymenandat timesPriestswho arethe onesthat haveto confrontthe devastating conductof Prelatpsdeafto the cry of their people. ThebreadoftheTruthandthelightoftheGospelweredeniedtothesons.Tothe faithful'scry of sorrowtherefollowedrepression or the scornfulsilenceof the ecclesiastical leaders.And, morethanthis,the courseof eventswascontinuingin the samedestructive direction. Thequestionof the Divine Mastercomesto mindr Wom qnong you is the onewho if hisson askshimfor bread, giveshim a stoneor, if hl.askshimfor aJisi,-giveshim a serpent? ( M t . 7 :9 - 1 0 ) .

6 The CEU takesadvantageof the increasein assaultsand crimesto makethe alternative, socialistreformsor violence,more acute.

In 1970the terroristoffensivewasintensiffingdayby day. Duringthe first six monthsof the year,oneof the agentsof orderfell assassinated, others werewoundedand skirmishesbetweenthe subversionandthe police forcesgrewin impressive progression: More thanten spectacular robberieswerecarriedout successfullyagainstbanksor importantcommercialestablishments, ampliffing the perceptionof powerthatthe guenillawas seekingto produce,in additionto meaningmillions of pesosstolenfor the benefitof their criminalactivities. Threatsto private persom,seditiousproclamations,impact-invasionsof cinemasshowing movies,bomb attacksever5nvhere andthe ostentatiousassaultagainstthe Centerof Instructionof the Navy in the Old City of Montevideo,from wherethe Tupamarosstole an enormousquantity of arms,alsoformedpart of the frightening.list. by surprisean agentof the guardin the The 4h of July the subversives,assapsinated police;severalpolicefunctionarieswere residenceof the second-in-command Montevideo of the woundedin different attacks,and in a confrontationwith the Tupamaros,a secondpoliceman died,leavinganotherfour seriouslywounded. At times it seemedthat the county, beingdraggedeffectively into the vertiginousturnsof thewhirlwind blown from the violence,.was comingto its end. 1. Mons. Rubio, (fellow-trayelertt with Communism,evenin this circumstance Nevertheless,howeverblown-up the guenilla adventurewas ableto appear,it is superfluousto insist on the fact that it did not haveauthenticpossibilitiesof leadingthe Tupamarosdirectly to power; nor was it devisedprincipally for this puq)ose,althoughmembers of the seditiousorganizationbelievedit to be so. We haveseenthat skillful manipulators of public opinion tried to stagea greatshowdestinedto incline the Uruguayanpeople,through disorder,fearandtiredness,to accepta regimeasleftist aspossible. Mons.Rubio,who now acquirestwo offrces,the office of Auxiliary Bishopof Montevideoandthat of Secretaryof the EpiscopalConference, onceagainlendsecclesiastical helpto obtainingthe psycho-politicalobjectivesof the subversion. He delivers,in effect, in July of that year,an extensivenote aboutthe eventsthat, already from the beginning,turn out to be disorienting:l{e reject and actively- he says- theviolence that oppresses;we also reject the bloodyprotest. Notice that the Prelateformulateshis activecondemnationfirst againsttheviolencethat oppresses, in orderto alludeimmediatelyafterwardsto theTupamaroaggression asabloody protest,presentingthis last subtlylike this asa merereplyto the "institutionalviolence." After criticizing the contentof a projectof law restrictiveof public libertiesandof condemningthe resortto homicide,Mons.Rubioadds:Iet the oneswho in somemannerwere

thecauseof iniusticesor do not wantto recognizethemnot bepleasedwith thesewarnings: their attitudeis just as or morecondemnable-than thepreviousone (. . .), TheSecretaryof the CEU insinuatesin this way that therearesocialinjustices worsethan theassassinations of the sedition. His vagueandseriousaccusation, at this tirie, acquiresaspects of anextenuating explanationin favorof the guerrilla,all the morebecausethe Auxiliary Bishop avoidsevenmentioningthe Man<istideologyof the Tupamarosandits character asian aggressor instrument of InternationalCommunism. Finally,citing w91dsof the ApostleSaintJames,without geater exegesis, he usesthem in anindiscriminate andthreateningmodethatonly canseryeto iicreasetftJpr'.frological impactsoughtafterby the showof terror. He ends,in effect,announcing:,aia'no,you, therich, cry out in tearsbecauseof the calamitiesthat are going to happento you . . .(La yionoroJuly, 16,1970). *rftf

Thespiralof tenoristdepredations andmisdemoanors continuedgrowing. New seditious declarations andotherbanksassaulted, moreconfrontations of the police-andthe subversives. Two weeksafterthe sententious announcement of theAuxiliary nishop of Montevideo,the Tupamaros kidnapJudgeDanielPereiraMartineli,who hadnrld.d totomplete his dutiesin consecutive criminalprocesses againstthe guenillas,in orderto submithim now to the..popular tribunals,"established by the sedition. Thejudgewill be freedaftersomedaysof "interrogations" havepassed. 2. The CEU in the presenceof the Tupamarocrimes:..discoverthe voiceof God that speaks to ustt,. . Nevertheless, it is July 3l whenthe guenillpattacktook placeout that would haveto markthis year,producingenormousshockin U*gxruy andin the Exterior: the simultaneous kidnapingof theNorth Americancivil servantaoli arO andpoliceconsultantDan Mitrione and of theFirst Secretaryof the BrazilianEmbassyandConsulof his courtry in Montevideo, Aloysio DiasGomide.As will be remembered, anothritno highJevelcivil servantsof the UnitedStates alsocapturedthat day,managedto escapewhile theyweretransportedto the Tupamaro hiding place.r IMonthslater,Jaunuary 8, 1971,the British Ambassador GeoffreyJacksonwaskidnaped, Hewasfreedby theTupamarosSeptember 9 of the sarneyear,in the door of the church of St. Francisof Assisiof New Paris,of the CapuchinFathers(calleVictoria"ex de la Marina no. 59, betweenLlupesandSantaLucla). A few daysafterthe liberationof Ambassador Jackson,the Parishmentionedagain became anobjectof public attention.ThepolicearrestedthereP. Ciro Ceballos,in whose room theyfoundpamphletsof MLN anda newspaper clippingof the photographof a Tupamaro, published in a newspaper from the Capital(La Manina September to, t'gzt; El piputaroctober

The factsaretoo much alive in the memoryin all of us to detainus in details.Intense againstthe government;callsfrom the political blackmailby the subversives policesearches; stining petitioningthe guenilla for thereturnof the civil servants;parliamentary embassies demandingthe authoritiesto give in to the terroristswho requiredthe liberationof all the proposalsfor a solutionof the case;offersfor mediation seditiousheldasprisoners;ecclesiastical in the Exterior,etc.,etc. of the ApostolicNuncio,intenserepercussion August7, an agronomistengineer,ClaudeFly, alsoa North Americancivil servantfrom AID, is kidnaped.Meanwhilethe attacksandthe robberiescontinuecarriedout by seditiousin differentplacesandthe police manageto arest numerousgUenillas,amongthemimportant leaderslike Ratl Sendic. of Dan The final hours of the periodof time givenby the terroristsfor the assassination Mitronepass,andthe PermanentBoardof the CEU sendsout a declarationsignedby Mons. andMons. Rubio asSecretary. ParteliasPresident,Mons. BaccinoasVice-President Facingthe evident,tagic, andbloodyCommunistconspiracy,the Prelatesdeclare:Ifte kidnapingof membersof the Diplomatic Corps,addedto the other incidentsthatfor sometime havebeenunsettlingpurblicopinion,requir.efromall of us a seriousreflectionto seeabout voiceof God that speaklitous from within history, from within the events... discoveringthe preamble?How doesoneavoidthe Whatis thereto sayaboutsuchanlepiscopal dignitariesareherepresentingwhat is in fact an evil, artificial, impressionthat the ecclesiastical Mamist stagingasthough it were a mysterioussign of the times, an indicator of directionsfrom God for the futt5e? Wasn't a brutal violenceover the consciencesof the faithful beingcanied out in this way, preciselyin the momentwhenthe physicalaggressionagainstUruguayappeared in all its brutality? Who doesnot seethe profit gainedby the "conscientizing"showof theTupamaros of this unheardof distortionof reality? because Thencomethe reflectionswith which the Prelatesdecipherthe eventspreviously by their arnazinginnoductorywords: Wehaveverifled a processofradicalization overshadowed that continuesdevelopingin scaleitheysay,in orderto immediatelydescribethe courseof these tortures,detentioruof union at timesexcessive, differentkindsof "radicalization":repressions leaderswithoutjudicial guarantees;thefts,robberieswithviolenceand crimesof kidnaping; livesendedin uncontrotied actionsand so manydeedsthat (. . .) accastomus to lookfor theends that oneseeksevenat the cost of man,as if the endiustified the means. The directorsof the CEU makethe centralaspectof the question,which is the psychologicaland armedwar by the anti-ChristiansectariansagainstUruguay,disappearby a in which theydescribethe facts,suggestthat the defensive rf.igttt oftr*d and,by the succession actionof thepoliceis the causeof the increaseof gUenillaviolence. Theirieferenceto "that the enddoesnotjustiff the means,"alsodistorts,by omission,the truth of theevents. In effect,if the Tupamaromeansareclumsyandunjust,their endsof communizingthe countryarealsoclumsyandur{ust. The Prelatesdid not havethe riglrt to condemnonly the that nothinghadto be saidabouttheir tenible criminalactionof the seditious,suggesting

23,t97t). 69

objectives.Still lesscouldtheyput on equalfooting- eventhoughtheremightberepressive excesses worthyof censure- the necessary defensiveactionof the Statewith the criminaland essentially unjustattackof the subversiveaggressor orchestrated by an intemationalconspiracy. Finally,theBishopsinsiston thenecessity of botd and urgent changesin the social, economic,and political order that mayleadto a truejustice, the indispensable foundationof peace(VidaPastoral20(1970) p. 16; I/aAugust8, 1970;El PopularAugust8, 1970;emphasis ours). rt{.*

Threedayslaterthe police would discoverthebodyof Mihione, with his handstied and his bodybullet-riddledby the Tupamaros. . . In themassfor the soul of the assassinated North Americancivil servant,celebrated by Mons.Rubio,theAuxiliary Bishopreturnedto committhe sleightof handof condemningthe violentmethodsof the guerrillabut not the Communistendthat drovehim (.BPColor August17, t970). The Governmentdecreedan official mourningon Monday,but the flag on thebuildingof the Curiawasnot raisedat half-mast.Whatcouldhavehappened?Accordingto P. Sashe, Secretary of theArchbishop,all wasthe fruit of a lamentableinattentionof the Religiouswho usuallydealwith this. Theyareguidedby a calendarof nationalholidaysfor the raisingof the flag, a practicethat causedthe oversight. On the otherhand,he reaffrrmedthat onecould not doubttheadhesionof the Churchto the nationalmourningfor the deathof Dan Mitrione (.BP Color,August13,1970).

3. Mons.Mendiharatrefusesto celebratemassfor the soul of Dan Mitrione In Salto,a groupof faithful petitionedthe Btshopto offrciatea massfor the soul of Dan Mitrione. It wasa goodopportunityfor the Prelatp,ito showthat,despitehis known leftist inclinations,he still kept somethingof Christiansontiments. But he refusedit in an unexpectedmanner,declaringto havealreadydoneit andthrough havinga:rangedanothercomrnitmentfor thesametime anddayagreedto previously.The excusesoundssufficientlyskillful. Shortlyafterwardshe arrangeda masswith theparishionenfor nationalpaciJication'and the eternal rest of the soulsof the victimsof thesituationthat the countryis experiencing;in for thisway,hewasalsoableto includethe Communistspublicly,althoughambiguously. Thefaithful of Saltohied oncemoreto havea masssaid,but theydid not getit (BP ColorAugust13,1970).

4, The voiceof the secondlevel,alwayscrueler Followinga neverdeniedconstant,whenimportant,communo-progressivist personsof

thesecondlevel speak,theydo so with greaterharshness. Let us seehow Perspectivas de Didlogodiscusses the assassination of Mitrioneandthe kidnapingsof Dias Gomidey Fly. Analyzingthe eventswith apparentcoldness,it pointsout in a mannertendingto excusethe assassination committed,that if the deathof a humarbeing honifiesandthe violencedispleases theycannotbe consideredin the isolatedact that realizes thembut only in the contextin whichtheyappear. As an exampleit givesthe actsof killing soldiersin a war, which are inscribedin thegeneralcontextof themianing of the conflictlor eachpart. The deathof Dan Mitrione would not havehappened, the magazineconcludes, if thosewho hadpretendedto posses a monopolyon democracy,had undeistoodand acceptedthat this evolves.But, asthey did not yield, the Tupamaroskidnapedandkilled, sincetheywish to obtainanothersocialandpolitical structure,approvetheir methodsor not . , . (perspectivas de Didlgo 46(1970)pp. 165-66).To whom would the moralresponsibilityfor the assassinarions be imputed?It seems. . . to the context. At anyrate,hereit is, with little disguise,the Tupamaroblackmailwith the language of the"catholic" left: Accept,anti-communists, the socialandpolitical structuredesiredby G Tupamarosandpeacewill return.. . lt is really diffrcult to servethe tvtrarxist designswith moreboldness,nvo kidnaped personsstill beingheld by the subveriives,andonly a few daysafterthe burial of the onewho , wasassassinated. 5. Mons.Parteli: ttTheTupamarosseryeto awakenthe public conscience'l Somemonthslater, when the more acutephaseof the effervescenceof the recentevents describedhadalreadypassed,Mons.Partelirefersto the guenilla problemwith unconcerned relativismandin termsvery revealingaboutthe "seryice"that the subversives would be providing. The Archbishopof Montevideosays:The Tupamaroguerrillas serveat time to awalcen thepublic conscience.I do not believethat thereis onelone Priestfavorabletowardsviolence, but many Priestsarefavorable to the radical changesand someof themsympathizewith the Tupamaros(lnformationsc atholiqueInternationales 373(197o) p. I s). In this way Mons.Parteliconfirmsthe characterof "conscientizing"psychological factor of the Tupamaros,that were placedon the extremepoint of the Uruguayanrivolutionary process in orderto accelerateit. On the otherhandone seeshere,with what parsimonyandlack of censure,the Archbishopdeclaresthe existenceof radical clergy and even sympathizerswith the Tupamaros.They areperhapsthe "complement"of the Episcopalaction,althoughdifferent. . aboutwhichhe spoketo us in the Adventof 1967. 6. Tupamarossatisliedwith the ecclesiastical support The following year,the Chief of Policeof Montevideo,Cnel.Legnani,handedoverto the pressa documentseizedfrom the Tupamaros,which waspublishedin the magazineCuesti6n,

favorablefo theFrenteAmplio andto the guenillas.2Seeherehow the Tupamaros sawthenew oriontationadoptedby the ecclesiastical authorities,in the item entitledgenerically.,The Churches": Thegeneralexceptions of the lavt setin all Latin Americaciruespondto her, evenin theRockefeller report,whenit points out that oneaf thepillars wheredomiiation traditionally restednot only tottersbut at timesturns- activelyagainst. ltbursts out then in favor of the Revolution(. . .) We cansaythat they supportus,that our experiencein relation to them is highlypositive,we havepenefratedinto them irathe sameway that men coming from there are our excellentcompanionsand evenmartyrs like Indalecioolivera. It constitutes thenan obltgatorycircuitfor our actionat variouslevels(Documentno. 5 of theM. L. N. - cuesti6nAugust29, rgTr,i.zfi,emphasis ours).

'ln this document it is declaredamongotherthingsthat the leadersof the guerrillawould inserttheiractionwithin aplan of continentalManciBtuiu*.r, in which the Man<ist governments of Allendein Chile andof Torresin Bglivia hadspecialimportance. Thesubversives hadhopesthat suchComnlunistsuccesses tnighi havea leftist repercussion in ou countryandthey showit textually in this way in ttre subtitle ..Continental situation,"item 3, refeningto the governments of chile andBolivia: The ,,models"recently successfulfall ideologically into our pro cess: a) Thearmedforces:sectorshovealreadybeenconlirmedwithpertmiansympathies but onecannotthink that they dependon aforce suitable taking ouq porrr. yes onecan think for abouttheir takingpositions with respectto deedsof ievolutioiory oianr political importance: our action,the "Frentismo,"the ,'imperialism,the repression,etc, b) In thepoliticalforces: the constitutionof the FrentePopular and the "nationalist" groupsof somesectorsof the traditionalparties (magazinecited,p. 23). Thiscontextof a continentalCommunistadvancethatmadethe Russianaggression of whichtheTupamaroswereinstrumentsmoreserious,wasnot, by the way,denouncidby the CEU,whichonly dealtwith the problemmerelyasa questionof spontaneous or localizedsocial tensions, productsof "institutionalized violence.,'

7 FRENTE AMPLIO (wide front): Christian-Marxistcollaborationin 3'concrete objectivest'

In Uruguay,simultaneously "conscientized"in favor of leftist reformismby the leversof Tupamaroterrorandthe progressivistsermon,for the first time in our historya political organizationof importancewasformedthat would uniteCatholicsandMan<istaroundthesame collectivistprogram. In wasduring 1970that thedetailsof the coalitionproposedby thePDC werefinalizedaccordingto the mold of the ChileanPopularUnity or UnidadPopular. (only 36,3%against63.7o/o The electoralcampaignandthe victory of Allende'soperetCa who did not want Comrnunism,this lanermajoritydividedandalsoworkedby theprogressivist thanksto the uaitorousvotesof the Andine Clergy);its laterratificationby the Congress, ChristianDemocrats,and then the presidentialinvestiturehad intenserepercussionin our counhry wherethe leftists leadby the CommunistPartywere desperateto repeatwhat happenedin Chile. The"catholic" left higfiighted with enthusiasm on this occasionthe role carriedout by Cardinal SilvaHenriquezin Allende'srise to power. With the evidentintentionof influencingthe Catholicelectoratein the senseof acceptingandsupportingthe coalitionwittr the Mamists,the famousphraseof the Cardinalof Santiagp,deliveredon the occasionof the dishonorable visit thatthe Cardinalmadeto Chile's new Headof State,waswidely publishedherein Uruguay.The Cardinalsaid:"Count on me, NIr. President."The sayinginsinuatedthat a Catholiccould, withoutproblemsof conscience, supporta Manist candidate. In the secondhalf of l970,the new leftist coalitionconstitutedthe mostimportant politicaltheme.Now it wasconsidered$at all the partiesthat formedit would takepartasone in thepresidentialelections. What would the Bishopsof the countrysayaboutthis, consideringthe themein the light of Catholicmorality?

l. Catholic-Communistcooperation:free rein At the endof September,1970,the CEU met. At the endof its deliberations, Mons. Rubio,Secretaryof EpiscopalOrganizationhearkened to the press. A groupof 2,500lay Catholics,includingpersonsof importance,apprehensive aboutthe possibilityof the ecclesiasticalelectoralcooperationwith the Man<ists,and interpretinga perplexityof the entirety of the faithftl Uruguayans,had petitionedthe Hierarchyto defineitself aboutsuchan issue. The newspapermen quickly hammereddown on the key point, insistingthat the Secretary of the CEU definethe possibilitiesof cooperationbetweenCatholicsandManrists. The answerto the well-foundedworry of the faithful arrived in unoffrcial wordsfrom the Auxiliary Bishopof Montevideo.He saidthat at a laterdatethe Churchwould releasea documenton the theme. Neverttreless,interpretingin his way a text of John)OflII on the distinctionbetweenphilosophicaltheoriesandpractice,he declaredthat the followingattitude wrs conectfor Uruguay:rejectthe atheistphilosophyof Man<ism,but accept(circumstantial

unionsaroundspecificprogramsof concreteimplementationand ordinary ptansof human promotion"(La Maflarna October2,1970;El PopularOctober2, l97A fa OctoUer 2, lg70). Now it is seenthat the Hierarchywill declarelicit the Catholicvote for the presidential candidate of thecoalitionin which the Communistseonstitutedthe mostdynamicelement. Oneunderstands now the ingenuitywith whichthe Communistsproposed,alreadyin 1967- followingLenin'sinstruction- not to discusswith Catholicsatout thingsof heaven, butto put oneselfin agreement with themaboutthe thingsof the earth. . . in a Communistway of course(ctr. El PopularDecember8 and 12,1967). 2. The Archdiocese getsready for the elections At theendof lgTl,confirming his satisfaction towardcommuno-progressivism, Mons. Partelicalledtogetherthe secondSacerdotal Encounterof theArchdiocese*h.t" the followers of thenewtrendfavoringthe Christian-Marxistcollaborationwould pontificate. a. The leftistinstructionin the sacerdotarEncounterof l9z0 Theteamthat preparedthe Encounterwui the sameaspreparedthe first one realizedthe yearbefore.A few of the natnes,by way of illustation, includedthe priestsMontpetit,Reyes, Gortdzar, CetruloandPabloDabezies.. . Themainconferences of the Encounterof 1970werepublishedin the book entitJedThe Priesthood andPolitics,publishedby the NationalCenterof the Meansof Social communication (theDepartmenlof Publicopinion of the cEU) andprintedby TalleresGr6ficos deComunidad del Sur,concemingwhich morewill be saidlater. The prologuesaysthatthe idea for theEncounterof 1970arosein June,in a meetingpf the Consejode presbiteros(priest's Council)in which the generalsituationof the countryandthe proximity of ttre electoralyearwas discussed. Fromhereemergedthe proposalfor the ptlcod:nter, as"an instrument of education for the priests"(p.8). Thethemechosenwas"PoliticalRealityandthe Kingdomof God.', 176 priestsparticipated in the Encounter(50 secularandl26religious),37 seminarians, Z brothers anda Methodistpastor.

b. Development of the Encounter TheEncounterhadtwo periods. Therewasa long preparationof threemonths,during whichthosegivingthe conferencespokefor thepriestsof Montevideo: - P. Hugo Asmann- Braziliantheologian,"Christian-Mancist," memberof thegroup for (It Socialism." "Christians is saidthathe hasabandoned thepriesthooda shortwhile ago). Theme: "Politicaltheology."

_P.Jos6Croato-Argentinecorrunrrno-progressivist,editorofVfspera.Theme: Bibleandtheactionof Godin history' editorof V{spera' oflr{an<istinspiration' - Prof. Antonio PirezGarcla Sociologist of rh.rn.i"Me.lh3Jologyof thr.interpretation Dlarogo. perspectivas de with collaborator ..iuiin"i*lir* politicalreality'" t.uriy *a "Uruguayan p"ri,[a realiry,,; poritical -Prof.W.ReyesAbadie-Theme:..LatinAmericanhistory,historymarkedby history'" and"Uruguayan dependence" **tr

TheEncounterreachedapeakduringthreedaysofintensiveeffortbetweenthel4sof at the conference: tltt foUo*ing speakers Decemberandthe f ii;;th God' of the Encounter):"Kingdomof ceremony closing the of (Homily - ffisas. Parteli ' Politics"' the Priesthoodand ; andPolitics'" - $tsag' Poncede Le6n - Theme:"Homily de Didlogo' Theme:"The Perspectivas - P. Andr6s Assandri S' J' - Director of -a the Questioningof Her Structures"' commitmentortt.-6i*.n or Theme:'oThepriest:To be political - Pbro. Silvano Berlanda - Rectorof ITU' apolitical?." andPolitics"' - P. Luis de Castillo S' J' - Theme:"Education

L il i I

_pbro.Arnaldospadaccino-Theme:,orhepriestandthepoliticalformationofthe laitY'"

---r!^-- of the Episopateanc r ..Analysisof the interventions _ Theme: pabro Dabezies _ pbro. the PresbYterY"' of the Churchin Uruguayan - t)1. Patricio Rod6- Theme:"Political attitudes history." Theideologicalorientationoftheconferences,whichisnoweasilyperceptiblebythe give in the footnote ,..n throughthe 'ample that we iiL*r. i. narnes, ortr* connection proper below.l

the200Priestsin thisway: rP.Spadaccino addressed oneis livingthrougha stageof Evidentry nrctrdioc..se: the of andRerigious Seminarians 75

we seein thiswaytheeffortof theteamledby Mons.Partelito induce ideologically his Clergyin a directionto the left, on the ev9of thepresidentialcampaign. It is easyto imaginethe satisfaction of theMancistpromotersof the Frentl Amplio with the Encuentro Sacerdotal of t9 7 0 .

3. collectiveDocumentof the Episcopateneutralizesreactions Uneasiness wasspreadingmoreandmoreamongthe Catholicflock asa resultof the clearlyleftistorientationof the majorityof theEpiscopa:te. Therewerecategoricalreactionson thepartof thefaithful; asmanyagainwerenot.itr.i*iring their thoughtuu:t trreirconscience wastorturedby the changeof directionthat wasobservedin tfreirpastors. None of this, however,seemedto havean influenceon the Episcopalmind. on Novembet22,1970,with the FrentJemitio practicallyformedandAllende power in in Chile,all theBishopslauncheda documententitlid: ';Ch*ity andUnity in the Church.,,It wasnotaboutthedeclarationannounced by Mons.Rubio. Its generaltonl feignedimpartiality between poorlydefinedconservative andprogressivist positionswith genericrlservationsas muchfor one'asfor the othertendingto neutralizethe discontentof the faithful. Not takinga clearpositionregardingthe bumingproblemsof themomentandrenewing their dramatic exhortation for "changes"with neitherreservations nor distinctions,in the final analysis, conveyed thewatersto the Marxist mi[. Forexamplethe Bishopssaid,in the subtitle"The ChurchandViolence": Thereare those who,in thepresenceof thesituationof injusticeand the,iltegitimate resistanceto the necessary transitionin theChurch,andtherefore,the stressthat is placedon the priestas ferment a of the laical"mass"still comesfrom a pyramidalChurch,.thatisstructuredtoo hierarchically, wherethe roleof thepriestcontinuesbeingin someway that of a qibal witch . . . . Normallyit is pointedout thatpoliticsis too do,ty(. i . A very old phraseused by ) Mouniercouldberepeatedonceagain:(one hasto gei"6ne'siands oi"ty.i Let us supposea hungerstrikein which our laymanis comrnitted.It is decided to visit thetradesmen to askthem to boycottthe productsof tle enterprisewith which they arein conflictfor suchandsuchcircumstances. (. . .) Thepressureis goingto arriveto showhim in a moreor lessclearor veiledway the brick with whici theygo to trim to break glass the door. At thispointwe enter. . . thepriestsentertolell this laymantlat onecannotbreak glass the door. Hereis thetension!It wasvery easyfor this boy ofiS to 20 yearsof ageto find his union commitment, but whenhe hasthe brick in his hand, for the 25, itis now not so easyto tell him that onecannotthreatenthe tradesman.D We haveto free ourselvesfrom moralisms. Thingsarecomplex,they arenot simply goodor bad. Moralismtendstoiudge situations gtobatlyana superliiially (.. .) you cannot havepoliticalformation-ofthe laymanif we subjecthim to the iocussanip""rru"u that it is good,that it is evil, that it is licit and that it is illicit. ("The Priestandthe iolitical formation of thelaity" in o'ThsPriesthoodandPolitics,"centroNacionalde Mediosde comruricaci6n Social, Montevideo, l97l,pp. 83-8g;emphasis ours). 76

violentmeans(' ' ')' In the anclurgentchanges,place their hopein the socialrevolutionby violenceis neither of thissadiearity, we Biihopshavethe obrigationto declarethat presence Chr istian nor evangelical. (. . .), helped(' ' ') to In the subtitie..Socialpeace"theydeclare:Thishumbleattitude ( ' 6wareof the iniusticesand the uniuststructuresthat oppress )' - become and a sacrificelilreperhaps^never demandsoi t6ort, a boldness Theimmediarr"Tururc hisears the citizenof our-iountry(. . ,). No one hastheright to close hasbeenar^orariiii live in peace(VidaPastoral22 to the immenseclaior of the (Jruguryanfanity thartlo'ngsto (1970)pp. 12andl5). How the documentwas aiding the Tupamaroshow perplexities: The Episcopaldocumentgivesoccasionto the following and urgent changest -.,Illegitimate resistenceto the necessalT to resistthe campaignfor a) What is illegitimate resistence? Is it perhapsillegitimate changespromotedby the Mamist left? sThe necessalTand urgent changes' referredto herearenotthe b) one could argue: sameaskedfor bYMamism. time this sennonbeganto No suchdistinction existsin the text, nor did it exist from the urgent is evidentlynot enoughto confusecatholic n Jrg. The qualificationof necessaryand from high ecclesiastio differentiatethem. on the other hand,thereare severaldeclarations althoughthey showingthe coinciden , of ,rtporal objectiveswith the Mamists' personages both beyonddiscussion'ln thisway disagreein somephilosophicalaspectsthat areplacedby with the collectivistchanges' then,the naturalinterpretationinducesthinking abouta coincidence Inuruguayr'*tt''oppositiontothe,o,io-economicregimeproposedbytheCommunist this way whenwe werestill Partythenbecomeillegitimate? And this waslaunchedin fear producedby the Tupamaro confrontingan u"tint 6ommunist Partythat, secondedby the nature' ** ,t ui"gically askinq-forconcretereformsof a confiscatory aggression, insinuatedin thetext We sayit Jtfrlaa"lss but his latter is the absurditythat remains whenthe countrywas being preparedfor the electoralcampaign. - One must ,.becomeaware of the injusticesand the unjust structuresthat tboldnesstand "sacrifice' oppress"- The future demands perplexeduruguayanproprietors, The call to sacrifice,doesn,tit perhapssoundlike, for justiceandthis latterin turn giving up legitimate-rights?In effect,astotiut Peagederivesfromdocument would not be realized - accordingto what ii deducedfrom the ecclesiastical the andconfiscatory, withoutthereformsof stnrctures,that everyoneunderstoodassocialist

proprietors werein this way invitedto capitulatein orderfor peaceto come. Onecould not in thesecircumstances, insinuatethe collectivegiving up of legiiimaterightsfor the sakeof a utopiansocialpeace,_without beingconduciveto a nagrant-injustice ia betrayingthe proper socialpeacethatthePrelatesclaimedto defend.All th; moreso because, in this case,the oneto benefitfrom thesituationwould be Internationar Man<ism. Thedefenseo-fsgchrightsat thal.time,wasgu{uantee of the supportof principlesof ' CatholicMoralityandof the ChristianCivilization6eingrhreatened inUruguay. Thedecrease of the variouskindsof resistence tJ the futureptogtu; ofFrente Amplio, formedpartof theobviousconsequences of theEpiscopaldocumentat the end of 1970. - "There are thosewho put their hopein the socialrevolutionby violent means; violenceis neitherChristian nor Evangelicall' And thesocialrevolutionis not violent? This yesis ChristianandEvangelical? The Tupamaros placedtheir hopein the socialrevolutionti"ough violent means. eia Utnough in the Episcopal text therearecriticismsof thosemethods,we dJnot find in it anycondemnation of the clearlyMan<istobjectivesthatthe guenillasclaimei to haveasthe goal of iheir seditiousaction. Onthe contrary,how manyattifudesof laymen,pnestsandbishopswere there in these ryc9ntyearsshowingsympathyfor the collectivistsociaitransformation desiredby the guerrilla fighters? But thereis more. For any observermoderatelyinformedaboutour reality, the disowning of thetenoristviolenceby the overwhelmingmajorityof the citizenswasevident. The Tupamaros did not hary, asa consequence, condltionsno( realpossibilitiesof installing themselves in power. would attain- aswe haveshown- the only T:it show-aggression outcome possible,obtainingthe resultthat the frightenedUruguayansociety accept,,peaceiuuy,, theMarxistsocialistreformsasthe lesserevil in irc prrr.nrc of violrn... itlonr. partelihimself, 'in declarations to the voiceof Frenchprogressivism,'Informations CatholiqueInternationales, attributed to theTupamaros the "merii" if wakingip tn, puttit conscienci. . . (I. C.1.37j (1970) p. 18). c.r 4. The devastating clergysupportX,renteAmplio Andsowe enterinto 1971, Theyearof thepresidentialelectionwould marka milestonein the new ecclesiastical orientationled by the devastatingArchbishop.In effect,it wasnow necessaryfor the pvolutionaryBishopsandthe Clergythat backedthemto describeonceandfor all just where theirpreachingin favor of stuctural reformswasgoing,andto makeit clear if suchpreaching ledthemor not to considerthe votefor the Manxist.-aiAut. of the FrenteAmplio, controllei by theCommunistPartyandsupportedexplicitly by theTupamaroguenilla"licit ftfr. Marcha

Jaunuary 8, lg7D2 The fright of the public spirit, provokedby the ecclesiastical conductof recentyears, madethis definitionmorediffrcutt.tn rpitr of this, trr.rnou.rent of Mons.parteliandhis followers,in the directionof an imporrible christiano-tutancist socio-econfmicconception, passedbeyondthesedifficulties;suchwasthe determinationto reachtheendof theprocessof the transformationof the catholic mentalities.,hq,hrt;;; pursuing.It wasin this waythat influentialPriestsandorganizations closeto the Ecclesiasticalleadei from Montevideo beganto behavein a way that clearlyfavored the Frenteamprio and its socio-..ono*i, programof Man<istinspiration.s As we shall see,evenseriouspolicesuspicionsof links with the guerrillafell on someof them' Severalothers,foreigners,wereexpelledafterward, to. ttt. ro,rit y *0., the accusation of beingseditious. Nevertheless' eventhoughthe attitudesof suchPrieststied to Communism helpedthe FrenteAmplio, the greatecclesiastical eventof l97l wasthe official declarationof thecEU abouttheelections. ,i 3

2Editorials and "bits andpieces"in the Mancistpressrevealthe interest thatthe communistsput in the "dialogui" with the catholics uia *. indicativeof thehopethatthe announced pronouncement of theBishopsaboutthe electionswould be favorableto them. EI Popular of Jaunuary21,lg7[,wrote like this in its editorial..christiansand Mamists": Theintention of opposingChristiansand Mamists is one of theprincipal slogaw of the campaignagainst tltg FyenteAmplio (. . .). That christians and Marxists can act as onein the social struggleand in thepotiticat arena,is not a recent inventlon. Lenin alreadymaintained that believersand Marxists can struggletogetherto resolvethe problemson earth without prejudiceto their different ideasabout heaven and the beyond(. . .). The;;;;;;.il;, the church, of the ecclesiastical hierarchyand of so many religiousthat havetaken the path of the people,facititalethis rapproclement 1...; rmphasisours. cuadernosd:-M!r:P, for its part, dedicateda whole number to the theme..christians andMan<ists"'JosdLuis Massera"in his artiqle "Unitr trrut*ir., whenconditionsripen,,,cites the following declarationof Arismendi:Thechurch uriiif n^ abeadypronouncedtheopinion about thefact that there doesnot existan incompatibilityfor resolving earthly worl<sin common betweenMqrxistsand Christians,betweenreligiousanclion-religious(. . .); now it is a matter of the strategicunification of the catholic .-".r", with the communi st andadvancedmasses to overthrowthe world o{_otigarchyand to enter into the constructionof a newworld (Cuadernosde Marcha 47 (lg7l)p. 39; emphasis ours). 3Mons'Ponce de Le6n,thePriests pablo Dabezies,Uberfil Monz6n, 414ao spadaccino, JustoAsisin Marquez,Silvio Frugone,Josc Luis Piedrac*uu (correspondent for the cEU,s magazinein Florida),carlos M. Bernardio(Episcop"l vi".r of ihe Dioceseoisato;, Manuel Dibar,JosdLuis Sanchis,etc.,stoodout amongmany others. 79

a. Episcopalconferenceauthorizesvoting for the Frente Amprio TheUruguayan Episcopalconferencewasin sessionfromSeptemberg. The atmosphere s.unounding themeetingpresentedthe sensethatthe declarationto be releasedat the endof the deliberations wouldnot harmthe FrenteAmplio. A elimateof apprehension andunrestreigned amongthemajorityof Catholics. Mons'Cotso,Bishopof MaldonadoPuntadel Este,anticipating the Conference of the cEU, separated from the orientationof thewhole. Daysbefore,he publisheda categorical Pastoral Letter,of rich doctrinalfoundation,hinderingthepathagainst the supportersof the licitnessof theCatholicvotefor Man<istcandidates.Now'it wasnot possible to put on the shoulders of thecatholic populationthe overwhelmingweight of the unanimityof the Episcopate actingin thesameway,that is, in favoringCorr*iril. Shortlyafterwardsa declarationoith. Priestsof theFemandineDiocese waspublished, supporting thepositionof their Prelate.Moreover,Mlons.Corsoreceiveda letter of congratulations from the ArgentineArchbishopofMendoza(cfr. El pafs andEl LiderSeptember 14;.1971)'In theoppositesense,the Jesuitmagazinerefersto the opportunedeclarationwith the followingdiahibe:Authoritarian excess of a B'ishopthat allowedhiiself ta la beyondwhatthe ApostolicLetter of Paul vI understoodthat oughtto go, issuingcondimnittons and oppressing it consciences (hatoughtyes to.-beenlightened butheverheterminiafu ahernativesas complexas politics(Perspectives de Didlogo S7(lg7l)p. l7g). on the 15ftthe CEU conveneda collectiveinterviewandits secretary, Mons.Rubio,gave thenewsmen thetext of theEpiscopalDeclaration;thedocumentconsideredthe vote for the FrenteAmplioto be licit. The daily newspaper of theCommunistparqy,exultant,announces on thefirst page:Bishops:Nglhing impedelvoitngfor F. Amptio. rne matter upp.*.6 on the third pagewith thefollowing title: Bishops:Theca-tioticscai voteTorF. A. (El'popularseptember l6,1g7t). Thedocumentwassignedby Mons.Parteli,President,andMons. Rubio, Secretary of the Episcopal conference.TheAuxiliary Bishopof tviontevideowilr askedif the fact of not being signedby all theBishopsoughtto beinterprit"d * a,lnok'ofunanimity aboutthe approvedtext. Yo.nt'RubioreportedfI t, is not obligaiorytnat di rypeof dectaritronbesignedby att the bishops'And he added: asreedto publtih the dectiiation as enanatedfrom the Conference \-e itself,signedby thePresident and these*etary (La Mafianaseptember16, lg7D4 At thebeginningofthe ecclesiastical declarationwe find: In virtue of Her nature and Her mission,the Churchis not tied to any ideologt, to any aMons'Rubio issuedat the opportunityan opinionthat wasinterpretedasa pressureon theCatholicsthroughoutthecountry. Askediro* ttt. faithftl of the Diocese of Mons.Corso (whohadtakena positionin disagreement with the onethat the Episcopalorganizationadopted) oughtto act,the Secretaryof the CEU answeredin a contadictory and improier way:In each diocese,theteacheris the Bishop,and it is right to respect histeaching, if it doesnot go against theteachingof the Chureh.Now, the Christianof thai diocesehastrvi words pronouncedwith similarauthority(sic!):theoneof their Bishopandtheoneof theConference . . .(La Mafiana September 16, l97l; emphasis ours).

syst-em, nor to anyparty: nor is Shecompetent to statean opinionaboutthe concrete technicalitiesof resolvingpoliticar and iconomicproblenJ(no. 3). Now herethereis-anincompletedeclarationthroughwhich the signerspretend to escape a doctrinalopinionregardingthecoalitionqlde up by thetommunists. a ao.t inul opinionof thatkind, asCatholicdoctrineteaches,is within the provinceof the Hierarchy, sinceit lieswithin in the field of the principlesof Morality in social*utt.n andofthe intereststitftr Catholic cause'not involving pronouncements aboutconcretetechnicalitiesfor resolvingcontingent problems. Basingthemselveson a sleightof hg{, the Bishopslimit themselves, firther along,to an obviouscondemnation of Manrismin its atheistic,dictatoial andviolent *pr.tr withoutmaking anyreferenceto the socio-economic principlesof thered sect,that wereinrpiJng theprogramoi the FrenteAmplio. It is necessaryto recall, then,that the Christian cannot,without contradictinghisfoith, adhereto the Marxist ideologt, its atheisticmaterialism, itsdialectic ofviolenc, ord to tie way this ideologt understandsindividual tiberty within the collectivewhoti, denyingat thesametime all transcendence to manand to hiscollectiveandpersonathistory AiottoitiLefter 26).In the presenceof theseprinciples, it is obvioasthat Christian and Marxis'tire contradictoryterms 1no. l4). The Communistswereableto rimain calmwith this theoreticalreference.They,aswe saw,did not wish to argueaboutthings of Heaven,sinceit was tactically useful for themto collaboratein the thingsof the earth. . . . Assumingairs of impaftiality,the declarationalsocondemnsliberalism(no. l5). In the Uruguayancontext,however,suchcondemnationsotrndslike a censureof the acfualsociopolitical structuresandof thosecandidates that defendedthemin their essentialcharacteristics. It statesimmediatelythat MamismandLiberalismarefallible projects(no. l6). And it eulogizessocialism,assertingthat it is unquestionablythe aspira6on to a greater socializationof the meansof production,in accordwith the exigencies oitn, commongood (no. l7). Nevertheless, accordingto the CEU, thoseideologieshavi someiusiaspirationsand openpossibilitiesof dialogueand collaboration(no. l8). Towardwhat siie does the collaborationlean? Let us see. Upon analyzingthe variouspositions,it hasa cold confirmation when it refersto the contactsbetweenChristiansand the onesthat it calls Liberals,and a wann onewhenit dealswith therelationwith the Socialists:Thereare Christiansthat committhemselves in the 1-e of Iiberalismand christians drawn by thevaluesof socialism(no.l3). The documentprogresses like this to concedea poorly veiledsupportto thecoalition wherethe Communitl Putty was calling the tune: In (Iriguay, accordii! b the electoral legislation inforce, thepartisan slogansare not nrtrttiily monolithic. . . . And the bomb appears:Keepingin mind thispluralist characteristicof theslogansand the ambiguitythat it implies,and lookingonlyfrom ihepoint of view o1theTarth,we do not find suflicient reasonsto recommend,becau_se it is not oui province,nor to eiclude as illicit the votefor any of the slogans(we do not refer to the sub-aiguments),suchas they presented are to thecitizenryin the electionsof thisyear (no. l9). The Man<istSeregnicould,therefore,be supportedby the Catholics,accordingto the

CEU' Besides'with broadsectorsof the ecclesiastical machineworkingpublicly for the Frente Amplio'thepermissionto vote andto makepropaganda ror ttreMan<istcandidateseemedrather 'anapprovalof suchactivities,asthe text carifuily-avoidsanycensure of the priestsandlaymen openlyfrenteamplistas. ThePastorstook their consideration for the Communistpartyto thepoint of not even beingexplicitin relationto the communistsub-slogan FIDEL, that theyoughtto condemnalso (wedonotrefer. . .). perhaps,flfllng that despitetheir enormousefforts,the FrenteAmplio would come 'outdefeated in thepolls, it seemednic.tr*y to themto insertthe following waming: To the citizensthat are electedby thepopular tnfirogt (...) we ask themto talcethZnecessaryinitiatives to carrythereformsforuard (.. .) (no. 26). our peopledesireandwant thesocialrenovation(.. .), fi is onlyJittingto remember whatlle theBishops.s1idin Medellfy speafing aboutalt iatin America that supportedforyears a conditionthat wauldaccgptwith dificulty ihorr* kas a greater nwareness concerning hunanrights(Med. Pastorat @o.27j. vida 26Q;7D pp. t94-9g);emphasisours;ra l* 1sl. Maftana,Ahora,EI popular Ootober16, lgTl), TheTuramalgswerecontinuingto makethemselves absolutelyunpopular;the Frente Amplio,with all its disguisesandsupportr,*u, unableto sway morethana minority. In such circumstances, the ambiguousepiscopatexhortationcouldbe interpretedasa desire that,with seregnior withouthim, thSprogt"- lf .ollectivist reformshad to be imposed. TheDeclarationof the EpiscopalConference createda delicate,ituutioo with regardto thevalidityof thedecreeof excommunication dictatedby His Holinesspius XII againstthose whocollaborate with Communism.j sTheSacredCongregation of the Holy office, by orderandwith the authorityof the supremePontiffPius {fI,-Promulgateda decreeon July l,lg4g,in which it categoricallybanned comrnunismandall collaboration with it" respondingp ttt"foilowing questions: I' - Is it ticit for Calholicsto givetheir o"r'.:'uod lend their support to Communist Parties?Answer:It is not licit Communismis materialistic, anti-Christian;in effect,the Communist bosses, evenwhentheysayverballythattheydo not fight religion,despite everything, asmuchby the doctrine^ ggugtr action,thly showthimsetvls enemiesof God,of thebueReligionandof the Churchof Christ. II' - Is it ticit to edit, to spreadand read books,magazines, daily newspapersand brochuresthat defendCommunistdoctrineand activities?Answer: It is not licit; it is forbiddenby thelaw itself (canon 1399of the code of canon Law). III' - The faithful Christians who, knowingly and freely, may have committedacts aboutwhichnumbersI and II deal,can they ue almitted to the Sacraments?Answer:They will notbeableto be admitted;accordingto generalprinciples, onemustdenythe Sacraments ' to whoever is not in theproperdispositions to riceivethem.

iiil,'

b. Despitethe imaginable,the Episcopatdeclarationtraumatizespublic opinion It wasthe first time in Uruguaythatthe Episcopatepublicallyandoffrciallypermittedthe vote for a Marxist candidate. The declarationhaumatizedthecountry. It wassaiduponthe occasionthat Mons.Balaguerhadnot approvedthetext of the declaration6, althoughthe Prelateavoidedtakinga catigoricalposition,like theonethatMons. Corsotook. It wasfoundout too thatthe Bishopof Mercedes,Monr. LorenzoCabrera" by being sick in Montevideo,did not participatein the meetings,but he maintainedcontinualcontactwith his peers(El Pafs Septemberl5 andSeptember23, l97l; El Popular September16, lgTl). The URC (RadicalChristianUnion) senta documentto the MesaPermanents of the CEU, expressingsurprisefor ttredeclaration,underliningits omissions(El pafs September 23, l97l). Thejournalist EduardoJ. Corso,in intelligentarticles,pointedout the conhadictions of theEpiscopalDocumentandhow muchit favoredCommunism(Et PatsSeptember17 and22, t97D.7 ,' lt

IV. - The faithful Christians *ho professthe materialistic, anti-Christian doctrine of the Communistsand mainly thosethat defendand spread it, do they incur ipso facto in the excommunicationreservedin a specialway for the Apostotic See,as apostatesof the Catholic Faith? Answer:Yes,they incur (AAS, vol. XLI, lg4g,p. 334). 6However,Mons.Rubiodeclared in the interviewreferredto:I am not quitesurethat Mons.Balaguerhasdisagreed(La MaflanaSeptember16, l97l). TTheCEU, on the eveof the election,orderedthe editingof a brochurewith thetextof the document*Faith and moral valuesin an Uruguayin a situationof change,"presentedasan instrumentof reflection to orient pastoralaction n 1972. Participatingin its elaborationwerethe Secretaryof the Episcopate,Mons.Rubio,the PermanentCounselorolthe CEU, the ITU, the Professorof Moral Theology,P. J. Algorta,besidesotherBishopsandPriests. lt was declaredin the documentthat our country lives in the Third World, in a situationof economic,political andculturaldependence. An oligarchytied to the imperiumof the storethat basesits rule on unjuststnrcturesdominatesit. Thereis the possibilityolmodiffing the situation:the "conscientization". This bringsthe organizationof the workerswho give authority to their rights of participation in theprotits, managementandproperty of the businesses. ln their way, they are supportedby politiciansand students. In the presenceof sucha situationthe documentviews the Christian-Manist collaborationwith complacency.It evenattacksthe oneswho fear Mancism,statingthatthey wantto keepthe democraticregime,concernedabout onlyfor the defenseof egoisticinterests. Wasthe CEU forgetting that the public opinion polls were showingthat the FrenteAmplio would receiveproportionallymorevotesamongthe well-to-dothanamongthepoor,aileastin Montevideo?Ideologicalfanaticism?And anti-Communismdoesnot existfoithe love for Catholicprinciples? The frenteamplista newspaperAhorapublishedparagraphs of the documentof the

,c' Thesecondecclesiastical levelclearlyspeaksthe word insinuatedby the CEU Giventheconditionof public opinion_, the explicit supportof the FrenteAmplio by the Episcopate wasinconceivable. This support,howevei,camerhroughthoseorgansandpersons closelylinkedto theBishops.Not beingtrnderthe weightof theEpiscopalInvestitures,they probablyfelt themselves freerto do it openly. - The Jesuitsask: are the poriticar optionsin rearityso many? Perspectivas enDidlogo notedthe transcendental importanceof the fact that the Bishops hadopenedat oncethedoorfor everyonethatso *ory irrc trying to close.It underlines, however,that it doesnot seemcorect to declarettratatt the doors"are,quully op"ord for the elsctionof thefaithful. th9 E-ncyclical Populorumprogressio,usingthe documents l{aniqulating fromMedelllnandrecalling the Pasioralof Adventof Mons.Parteli,it concludesthat in these documents a definitive criticism of the capitalistsystem is realized! It is evidentthatthe intentionof thi ^ug*{rrofthe Cento pedro ',,, Fabrowasto transform thedoorscandalously openedby the Bishops-] in ruu* of "n.* society,,that would be constructed in commonwith the Mamists- into anobligatory " step. TheJesuitpublicationmakesoneunderstand thatihis would be the intentionof the ,Jjugtt:.ofthe Episc:p:telbut that theyhadto limit themselves to consideringlicit the voteof catholicsin favorof the Amplio slogan: rc tipjot, that thefuu ranii ofpossible lrente choicesindicatedby the Episcopal beclaration rs dui perhapsto the respectfor the diversityof opinionsexistingamongthe christians as amongthemembers of the conference(perspectivas deDidlogo57(l9jl) pp.177-7g;emphasis oursf In plainEnglish:it y-T impossibleto go fartherwithout scandalizing andprovoking vigorousreactionsfrom public opinion. In thesamenumbet,Perspectivas de Dillogobpgs two studies:..ChristianigandClass Struggle"and"Liberationanditsconcreteconditio"ns'1id;* revealto what extentthe Episcopal organon the eveof the electionwith the obviousintentionof influencingCatholic voters(AhoraNovember27, r97r; vida pastorar 2T-zg(r971) pp. 2ss-66). sThemagazine seemsto invert the aflirmation of Pius K: Communismis intriruically perverse(Enc'Divini It coincidesin this point (asotherwisein manyothers)with lgdenptoris). thepositionof DomHelderC6mar4_ expressed in theletterto the Man<isttheoreticianRoger Garaudy,ex-senatorfor the Frenchcommunist Party. fire grazilian RedArchbishopwrites: For usChristians,the nextstepto complete,is that it be'proclaimedpublicly that it is not Socialism but Capitalismthat is inttinstcatlypernerseand thai Socialism is condemnableonly tn its perversions (ApudRogerGaraudy,parole d,homme,Robert Laffont,paris, lg7s,p. I lg). eThefirst of them is the text of a conference by the Italianpriest Giulio Girardi,regarding the yhom magazineinforms: P. Giradi is a Salesianiheologian,consultantfar the Secretariat As expertin VaticanCouncilIt, hepariirpatud in thepreparation for non-believers, of the

of the Mantistthesison magazinefelt entirelyfreeto providepublicexampleof the assimilation door? thelonstuctionof the "new society." The Bishopshad not openedthe - One sameline favoring frenteamplismo:from the Pastoralof Advent to the Episcopal Declaration thealter ego Oneof the bestknown Priestsin Uruguay,Mons.HaroldoPoncede Le6n, wasnot really of Mons.parteli,alsoaddedhis voiceto indicati thatthe EpiscopalDeclaration to favor the neutralamongthe different contendersfor the Presidency,but that it tended in a resounding Marcha candidatefrom the FrenteAmplio. He madethe declarationthrough intenriewentitled"The verb to freg." be freedfrom the In words summarized,he saidthat ttreLatin Americanpeopleought to ,nationaloligarchiesandfromimperialism. The documentsfrom Medellln wouldbe within this vision. ..liberation" beganin grandstyle, accordingto Mons. PoncedeLe6n, In Uruguay,the through with the pastoralof Advent, and asu.lnr.quince of that, the work of "conscientization" 'i! the"groupsof reflection." accordingto the coordinatgsof the Dpclaration Episcopil th" Commentiit.; Cathoticvote prohibitedArchdiocesefor which he was Vicar-General,the Priestconsidersthe Seregni,he seesFerreira for candidatesthat try to keepthe structuresintact. Besidesthe vote for of the cEU (cfr' Alduantealsoas a candidatein accordancewith the spirit of the Declaration I, l97l). MarchaOctober

,,Gaudiumet Spes."Currentlyhe is a professorin the CatholicInstituteof Paris' Constitution correspondto In the editorial the magazineexplainsthat the declarationsof P. Girardi theseaffirmations: situationslite what ie irprriin , todry in Urugury. Letus look at someof do not havethem TheGospelcomiands us to loiie ou, ,ni^its; it doesnot tell us thatwe betweenloveand class or that we do notlight them. In thisway thereis no-incgmlatibility an comesto befor the new Christianconscience struggle.(. , .) Thrit uggt, of the class,es oflove (' ' ')' Onemustlove everyone'butnot imperativeinseparablefromthe commandment by li-beratingthem;onelovestheoppressors everyonein the,oii *oyt one lovestheoppressed theChristiansor byJightingthem(. . .). Onceagainwedo-iot haveto choosewhethertofight they because oPpressors the not;rather,we have'tochoose-whichchristianstofight. To tolerate thiy are christians,condemningtheir sin,and are christianswould meanto gtveup, because through this,to becometheir accomplices' Jesuit The secondarticle is madeup of notesfrom a conferenceby the Ecuadorian ..Liberationandis concreteconditions." Amongthe notesit is said: EstuardoAreuanoS. J. : a social sin' lae Thepermanenceof the current order is,accordingto the Evangelicalmessage, For us no other christians are in the unavoidabteobligation to siuggle for it to disappear' reiectcapitalism' alternativeerisfs. By the sametolcenie makeit our firstpriority. We

- Mons.Poncede Le6nruns awayfrom the debate Mons.Poncede Le6nhadanticipatedtheEpiscopalConference andnot only did he declarethevotefor the FrenteAmplio licit, but he alsoiarticipatedactivelyin political affairsin favorof theMarxistcoalitionandcarriedout an intense"conscientizing"workin his own parish church. Suchattitudesanddeclarations of the influentialVicar-General provokedscandaland confusionamongthe faithful, shownthrougharticlesandlettersin the daif newspapers, that caused a controversy in which laymenandPriestspartieipated, amongthemDr. EduardoJ. Corso andthePbro.EdisonNoguez,thenparishpriestof Melilia. As a resultof the declarationof Mons.Poncede Le6nin the Communistafternoondaily (La ldeaJuly 14, l97l), that consideredthatnoneof the partiesin the next electionwas prohibitedto theCatholics,Dr. Corsoinvitedhim to a public debateon this point andon the wholerangeof his attitudes(El pats August 14,lg7t), The Priestanswered,without going into greaterdetails,that his opponenthad echoed falseversionsthatled him to accusations castto thefour winds,addingtlut it wasthe fuchbishopandthenibunalsof the Churchwho werethejudge of the-orttrodoxy of his teachings of thefaithandof his pastoralattitudes(El PatsAugusttg, tgZt). He chosean obligingjudgeIn thepersonof Mons.Parteli! Forhis part,Dr. Corsogavehis counter-replyin a letterpublishedby severalmorning editions. In this letterhe saidthat the Vicar-Generalhadrun awayfrom the contoversy in front of theUruguayan peoplebecauseit would be difficult to defendhis "conscientizingpastoral,'inthe presence of anobjector.Respondingto the accusation that he hadgathered"false versions,"he askedthepriestif the affrrrnationsthathe hadsolicitedDr. Ram6n-Chapet Labordeto accept beinga candidatefor intendentede SanJosdfor the FrenteAmplio; if h! could deny otheriacts too,suchashavingaccompaniedthe frenteamplistarepresentativeSebastidnElizeire in propagandistic activitiesin the TalleresDon Boscoandhavingpromoteda meetingin his parish where,togetherwith otherPriests,after an alreadyprog4arutleddialogue,they arrived at the conclusion thatonemustvote for the FrenteAmplio oi.not voteat all. And he challengesthe Priest:If all that I havethe nerveto confrontyou with isfalse, thereis calumrryon mypart and I am disposedto put it right publicly. Submitme to a civil or ecclesiastical tribunal. But if it ts nue? (El PatsAugust lg, igTl; El Diario August 19,l97t; La MaftanaAugust20,l97t). Mons.Poncede Le6nthoughtit bestnot to answer.. . . - PadreNoguez:the Hierarchy doesnot havethe right to tyrannize Theparishpriestof the Churchof Melilla, P. EdisonNoguez,senta forcefulletterto E/ Paisfrom which we extact someparagraphs:In thepresenceof thepublic notoriety offacts that areappearingforsometimeand thescandalconvertedinto an habitualstate,lopwn iy all, I, a priest,urgedby myduties,give testimonyof the seriouserrorsthat havemovedthe politicsof the Curiaof Montevideo and of the violenceand moralpressurethat the Christianpropl, hot 86

suferedandsuQrs'-I amfamiliar 'hr,hloocrily, thecynicism andthecruertywithwhich ^Yl!!and i' ;;'"^0, iie

,uaiiemarks ofwhich they arevictims ina, that

::Itihi:;iifi.ii1

,or,r,,[ltof]ii![i!J.does

nothqvetherighttosetitsetfup in tyrannyandoppression of the

Andhelifts a cornerof theveil overwhatgoeson behindthe thepriestshave:I note oit; wailsd'ring themeetings i;-oio*t puorr;;i;;;"r,rtu ofJicialmovement' ou* the priesn to givein to the T'n o p'iri'rpritcs seriousi;'";;;;, offaith, during eccresiastical T.atters

n,ii ioa,, ,,oi.if,i,trin,nn r:;T:i,r"r":rt:"yr1;i ,, "iiiz,i,r, inanotherform (Et The braveattitudeof priest

$Tff a,fi ;*_ffi *ffiffi,Hlfl*h;1*:?,H'"::ff itrjJfj,#il:lJ,i?** the

putsin evidence

ThesamePriestpublished callfromMons'pontta't-rton, a notein-theprrrr-inii.ating thathehadreceiveda telephone irlssuringrrir iou-trrrlutningwaybecause transcribed sratements of theabove tal pa"'s!pi.rl.r-U, i i.i

;"""

- The Vicar-Generat (vindicatedrr, is

Mons' Parteli'Mons'

Rubioan!.thePriestcouncil ofJVlontevideosentmessages solidaritv toMons'Ponce at r.Jr iny'.! rhil66;1g.igi*o""** of withwhatthey

ffi",fi ltrffitrfiT"?f :'##,-?:t",1;#fl {;*,ffi .Tr*u,',enrnoranyconc In hisletterto Mons'pontt Jt L96n,

ttr. arJlTigp.hT thisveryunusuar onecanquestion paragraph: l,ourrgrs^ory!yolitical ffo choices,ir*"'iiti terongs-to ,iri)lor, ofhearts ofthe

;3:;;:{tr;frT:!^if ;:;:::;:,:":;,ff,,*i"ilnlli*o,o6"tia",-q|i'girii, However: ot[selves

- those"political cornment Ye scandalized choices,,were thefaithful public,they *ta auoiJthe propaganda oithe enemies of thecathoriccause. t**

The Man<istdlty newspapers decidedlytook the defense wolves of the threeBishops.The howling in defense . .'tii.'iiipurar

"ru{.iirpherds.

d' A branchof cathoric Action

Augastzl,lgTr).

supportsthe FrenteAmprio

The worker Movement

of catholic Action (MoAc), subjectto the Hierarchy,since a branch of catholicAction,p"uriJ.a'" significanir*riE;," it is iiuorino,rrr.ia*.irt weekry. Afterdeclaring thatu;g""tfi", i" rhowswho,in itsjudgment, "ppr"rri"i,-ir is the svnthesis, or"iiiilf ; i"rms orexproitarion :ft':;::)::;i::;rism'.svmbor-ana andoppression

Th6manifestoasksimmediately:Wrhatis thepolitical choiceof the Christian? - andit answers: For Christ,againstCaesar*for liberation,againstoppression It questionsagain: Howto concretize this choice?- Eliminatingtheoppression- Capitalismbeingtodaythe oppressor, it andwhomovewithin itsstructure,theyare enemiesof our choice. Moreexplicitlyit aflirms: Of theprogramsproposed,with possibilitiesof application, onlyone,the oneof the tr'renteAmplio beginsconstructionof a path for liberation. And it endsin this mannet II/e call: - tltrough all this our Christian brothers,all our humanbrothers,to accompanywith theirfaith, with their mysticism,with their hope,with their concreteworlt andwith their militant vigilance,theprogramof theFrenteAmplio (Marcha November 19,l97l) - emphasis ours). Moreover,this movement(MOAC) hadpublishedin Marcha manifestoin which it was attackingthedetentionsof its militantsin a tonedecidedlyphilo-man<ist andcontraryto theantisubversive actionof thepoliceforces. The documentwaswelcomedin the pagesof the Episcopate's magazine (cft. VidaPastoral24(1971)p. 105). e. Mons.Nuti preachesin favor of the FrenteAmplio TheBishopof Canelones, Mons.OrestesS.Nuti, wasallowedto obtainthe last consequences of the Declarationof the CEU,preachingopeninglyin pro of the FrenteAmplio. A significantepisodetook placein Parquedel Plata. The Priestof the place,Father JoaqufnMontagnoli,calledthe faithful to the Basilicaof NueshaSeflorade Luj6n,on September 22,tohew Mons.Nuti speakon the theme:"Christiansinthepresenceof the elections."What wasdealtwith in reality wasthe possibility that Catholicsmight vote for the coalition dominated by theCommunistParty. Somefaithful,in the courseof the meeting,posedconcretequestionsto Sr. Bishop,asfor example: - TheUruguayanChurch,qre you certain that,theattitude of UruguayanMarxismis dffirentfrom that of Cuban,Soviet,Hungarian,Potisft,tChlinese Marxlsmand their respective Churches of silence? - Thisdialoguewill it perhapsnot endlike theoneof the French "worker priests"that wereconvincedby Marxism insteadof convincingtheMarxist? Likewisethey askedMons. Nuti why somePriestsof the Diocesewere pennittedto substitute thepreachingof the Gospelwith commentaries favorableto Mancistcountrieshaving andusingthewall of execution. The Bishopescapedfrom the last questionaffirming that his Priestswere adults.. . . About the elections,he declared:If a party governed/iftyyears and did it badly, another cameandgovernedbadly,what is leftfor us7 Wanderingaboutthe political panorama,he commentedthat this was neither white nor blach but grey throughthe work of the traditional parties. Thesesame"Christiansof Parquedel Plata"wamedall their brothersof the Dioceseof Canelones throughthe press,sincetheywill alsoreceive,but ho'venot yet done so,the visitof the Sr.Bishop,concerned to convincethemthat in thepresenceof theseriousevilsof the co.untry, 88

thesaving'solutionis communismwith themask of theFrente(El paisseptember30, l97l). f' The FrenteAmprio was arsosupportedin the Dioceseof sarto The Episcopalvicar of salto, P. carlos Maria Bemardi, adopteda similarattitude.on a visit to the Parishof Guich6nhe hadno problem in appearingasa sympathizerof the Frente Amplio (La MafianaOctoberlg,lgTl). The fact provokedastonishmeni.a$indignation amongthe faithful guichonewes,but

surelyhewill nothavedispleased his Bishop,rurinr.rurrJinrr.r, in wrrose iiuao* otherpriests developed intensefrenteamplista conduct, priestslike p. ManuelDibaror p. Bidegain, besides thedirectorof the"catholic" dairyEt pueilo,theclerk c.rio. campaign in favorof theFrenteAmpliowasdeveloping *itr, ruill *l*:11:l*"rtastical 5' Episcopalpreachmentfacilitatestherpoisoning of the ideologicalatmosphere whoever might think that the effect of the new ecclesiastical preachmentwasexclusively to attracta weighty minority of catholic votesfor the coalition that, l-, trrc n""r analysis,was commanded by the communistPartywouJdbe wrong. This effect by iit.ria"ne would already be raisedasa most seriousaccusationagainstttrosepltois of soulsortn. church in uruguay thatabandoned essentialaspectsoftheiisacred mission.-Hor"u"r, they did more. This ecclesiastical presence'objectively.ravorin!tle gradualman<ification of many uruguayans,contributedto the spreadingof lehist toxiis in the generalideologicalatnosphere of our country. Seeingthe ecclesiastical hierarclrr- representiatives in their eyesof a bi-millenarian church- takingthe devastatingattituderhl; f*p a.r.trbing, manyanti-communists, withoutceasingto be so entirely,lostheartor intervffi efficiently in the ideologicalbattle thatwasbeingjoined. others,disconcerted, kept r;dl# ritrn.. isnouliporiri.i*, andthe moredamagedsectorsof public opinion,evenin non--Catholic circles,felt morecomfortablein speakingthe languageof the leftist stnThlal reforms, thr""gh the prestigethatthe exhortations of the Prelatesand ..theologians" awardedthem. This egalitarian,confiscatoryandcollectivizing tincture, that markedthe languageof a greatpart of the Uruguayanpolitical class,was shownln its awful consequences by the manifesto theTFP publishedin_itsoffrcial organLepantoand in ti iat(November 16,lgTl). The issueof Lepantowith our declarationwasspread in the sfreets-aptu*, of lg cities throughoutthe countryby the friendsandcooperatoo oi"tt. TFp. It did not receiveany refutationon the intellectuallevel,limiting.;*;:;r"gr.ssivism, becauseof a lack of arguments, to perpehatecowardlyphysicalaggressions 6at wereunsuccessful in stoppingthe impetusof the campaignof dissemination.tin thousand copiesof our magazinewere sold duringtwentydaysof peacefulpublic conduct.

6' Progressivist commitmentto violenceaccentuates the impressionof chaosand social collapse other facts'in additionto the onesrelated with thepromotionof thepotiticiansandof the progmm,showed,duringttrisetectoral;;;;, the sadcourse-tut"nby an ,T:lr.Tlttsta tmportantpartof our ecclesiastics.one of theseru.tr ** the deathof the rtoarnt Julio sp6sito, to thevicar-Generalof the Archdiocese andparishpriestof pocitos,Mons.poncede [y":tt* - I accuseyou padre ponce de Le6n of the deathof spdsito ThestudentJulio c. sp6sitodiedin a clash with the police on the first of september.He wasa memberof MIYA (Movementof childhood *Jno-or.rcence orcutr,oii. Action) andalso formedpartof theParishcouncil orst. ronn *r, !"0*,lp"citos) andin whictrwasrepresenred the"teamsof reflection.] Groupsfrom the lEc (c;il;li.'ltod.nt youth) andof the FER (Revolutionary studentFederation), from the exhemei.n, urromadeup a paxtof this council. (AhoraSeptember 2 andt4,lgTD:. Tluoughon:,ofg.t dailYnewspapers of thecapitol,sr. washingtonpuppocastserious accusations againstthe vicar-d ene*li l-accu* you, iiiiir poncedeLe6n,as the one responsible for thedeathof thestudentspdsitoT^ii9r, parish council),because you, forgettingyour specificfuiction, ^ irirrt, to evangerrze "7y9ur ird prace ,o* and lo,ve, yow have workedatfomentinghaffedsand radicatizing th" ;;;;i. V)u, Father ponce de Le6n haveallied yourselfwith castro-communism. .. He endsaccusingthe Priestof havingideologically divertedtheyoungsp6sito(ra MafianaSeptember l, ltTl). - A noisyparish danceand . . . the escapeof 111rupamaros from punta carretas

wer:comflrbtin; therestofthetunnel destined for

;i;;Udffi"ffi ';:#:;:T':;;,::?:::::":::iai'::r,hd;";i';;ffi :.1;;;;fi::*ri:::*"*::.-Tg1g-*;f ffi t#:,H":,TffiJJ il.,l#'J7;"i1",tr; 'f ,T"lif"n::*:T,1":^*Jgru:s

Y:'xr":T:::,'!!!::{'!"-::yli:;.,T:Tr"il6ff';#d#::il:J:i,fl onesth"atwere;f "!{JJXI^" qi"r_*-rr^rril'(itffi ffi ffi,Tfi:'fifi l mustthe seditiou$y

Priestshavechosen a timero oppot,refor theescape plansof the

- Materials for militarypurposes foundin thechurch of Marvin Thenewspapers of thecapitolreported thatontheJanuary16,thepolice,duringa forceful entrycarriedoutagainst thectI[ch of Malviq ii"a ro*a afticlesof clothing andsemimilitarybootsof thetott thutthetenoristareaccustomed to usingin a certaintlpe of their operations' Machetes, andothersuchknivesrorttreiruJto,-.ooning utensilsandmats;in addition abundant to Tupamaro propaganda materialmusthaveuiroil..n foundbetween thewallsof the

tower' The onein chargeof theParish,P. Ratl otero, statedthat he wasunawareof the existence of suchmateriars or of how theyhadg"tdil;;. The secretaryof the curia, P. carlos A.'Nic;iini decraredto EI populqr: The things that theysaythat werefound, no ont Tro^ the church t;;i;^. But he tt .n ual* As regards the spacein thenewtower'.it is accessedfreetyfro^ ini tittr. Any transientcanenterinto it. . . Anotherthreechurches

wererorcenrity .ntr..a in ,ubrrlu.nt J;t;.--' what wassymptomatic of theepisoaewastrrl-d.r.*r to theoeattrofthe clergyonthe partof theofficialorganof thecommu:nist.P*tyiilrl"tn, toidentify the police proceedings with a campaignagarns!the chruch,moreday i*prritik and the reaction, that tries to raise againsttheFrenteAmprtgin uruguav ;i;;;;rfew communists who wourd be !lr_*it,:;* almostreadvn deu-otyycathotics-(Li uononil*uury \i, til u Et DiarioJ*u* 17 , r97r; Et PopularJanuary 17,l8 and19,tcjlD.

.ll

iil ,t{

- PadreMonz6n:Tupamoro mail or (mere'adherentto FrenteAmptio? In Asunci6n,P.UberfilMonz6n,. a notoriousfrenteamplist4 wasdetained by the Paraguayan policeon February 27 undEr,rthe u..u*iion oiU.ing,.Tupamaro mail,,for subversives in thatcountry.Tirecuiia i*rra it, drMf*t.uid.o saying that he wasthereasa delegate to CELAM,ofwhoseDepartnent of Laymenh";* a member.It wasneverknownfor certainwhowasright,althoughtheUruguayan Priest'sbackground did not contributetowards considering thesuspicion reckless. TheArchbishop Mons.ParteliandtheAlxiliary Bishopsof Montevideo, Mons.Rubio,in addition tothe,.committed" clergy

*4.:; g:_l*r ii|1;:;ilil;irai,ity withthe Priest! (ctr.Etpopur!March7,12,ru::?!:rqzr; Apifi,'rr, 13, l07r; May 13and14,r97r; December 20,r97r;Mqrchaapril

i6, r97!;Ahoran".".t", z+, tslt'; crit ono.l2; April r3, l97l; Perspectivas the double :y2Y!ys"-52-52'(lg7l)all issue;Lq Mafiana March6, 7, 12 and27, "*nuoiai.ru.y l97 lr, 'rri*

In additionto the casesalreadymentioned,in l97l the police suspected thatthepriests ciro ceballos(Jacksoncase),Darlo ubilla wtro auanaoned 1ex-lesuit the priesthood)andpablo Dabezies, thenresponsible6r the university Parish,*rti.rr^yt forcefully raidedsix times,[were alsoinvolvedin someway] (cfr. La Maf,anioctober z,q, tglt: El poputaroctober 27,lg?l and December 20,lgTl). - The Cathedraloccupied February7, 150demonstrators, in supportof the strikersof Bp color, occupied the cathedralagainstthe will of the Priesl raare ttogu.r,-*to *., pushed in ttre midst of shouts andtumults;five priestsenteredwith tirecrowd. someonecalledthe Policeandtheysunounded the churchanddid not let anyonewho did not identis himselfleave' Mons.Ponced-eLe6n, ilrA preventedarrestsfrom happening at 9l

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theexit. Accordingto thepress,the authorsof thefact hadbeenelementsof the now sadly famous "grass-root communities.', FatherNoguez,for havingreactedagainsttheprofanationof the Cathedral,wasremoved ,ppdsentto a chaplainq il the subub. (La MafianaandEl popularFebruaryg, l97l; p. , stiganaga op.cit. P. 109). Withoutenteringinto the merit of thequestionthatmotivatedthe conflict what is sad is thattheArchdiocese hadtakenan attitudeof scandalous condescension with relationto the occ-upation of the Cathedralandits usein a way likely to heatup the laboragitationin the ,oountry. tl.

In FrayBentos,the Churchwasalsooccupiedby muncipalemployeesdueto labor demands, with the consentof the PriestsJuanMasnouandEnriquePertusatti(Et popular January 25, l97l).

7. After the defeatof the FrenteAmplio, the greatterrorist aggression

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And sowe arriveat the endof 1971,with the leftistshelpingthe Man<istsin various ways,althoughmostespeciallyin the electoralcampaign. TheTupamaroviolencehadnot managedtoreachthe entiretyof its sinisterends. The Progressivist Clergydid not get Catholicandanti-Communist U-g*v to give in to the guenilla'sblackmail.The FrenteAmplio andits programof communizinlreformswere soundly defeated in theelectionsof the 28s ofNovember,gainingonly l8 percentifthe votes. We still rememberthe hoursthat followedthedefeatof the pDC-pC coalition. The jubilantreliefof the Uruguayanlargelyanti-Man<ist people wasexpressed throughimmense humantidesthat,overcomingpartisandifferences, cameout into the streetssinging,throwing mincedpaper,while numerousr automobileshonke{trorn5. A greatnightmareseemedto haveended.Fldel Casto, who wasprolonginghis visit to Chilein thehopethat thevictory of Seregnimightprovidehim with a "tiumphil" l*ding at the airportin Carrasco, couldnow carryhis suitcasi*i r.*r.rrne his placeasjaiier in unhappy Cuba,whichin facthe did. Ourpeople,with the ancientweaponsof their sensibleChristianformation,knewhow to rejectthesirensongsof the progressivistpropaganda. Theattemptto communize,throughthe electoralprocess,the socio-econornicstructures of ourCountryfailed.However,the forcesthatbroughttheir resources togetherin orderto propel thesocialrevolutionin diversedegreesareskillful in adaptingthemselveJtocircumstances and makingthemostof thepointsof supportthathavebecnconquered, howeversmalltheymight be. Thepoisonof anunhealthyreformismwasnow circulatingin ttreveinsof the Uruguayan society, conodingits vitality anddividing the anti-Communists. Thepsycho-ideological wall that separated public opinion from the Communistminority -Priests. partially was demolishedby the revolutionaryBishopsand The ostensiveandscandalous

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underthe cathorics,,evensawthe light of day and,.advanced communists of aggrutination all the oiiies andwith the satisfactionof almost stimulusof influentiarecclesiasti.uruutt Hierarchy. _ __- rL^ 1 to sensethat thetime of their survival

;;i"sv,*ootaiut'"th"n*o il::m:?,iiifrllffi -.,-jL.};r'|;:;:*n,'ffi:?ff artificiallLura on the uruguayansocietywas not fail to perceivethat this assault evenlike this' to gu"rr'r" in this phase,but theywanted' a goingto precipitate-G oeatrrof the r.pulity acquiredin orderto deal operatio"a the *a ideological makethe most of the "ri,out

violenceBrow

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in suclrawav' thecountrv ofbeingabtetotraumatize any

gradualandpeacefulroad-under thatthecountrymightlaterseetr,..rtiii"g, Ot-ti*, asa lesserevil'r' oui*til nowit rrrirt"a accepting, communisr to way their the on mask other Hit'uttti *i 9G1q continue'with t.*f*ionuty would,ttt of In thosecircumstances ttt"* f" tftt *gtc andcriminatadventure ,o tt riipt**" giuing oreaching, "f""ii*n"r, iJi.g,f,Z'i*-a:tization to a paroxyttl, ,

of rapid of sloy nyogressandrevolutionaries r'Thedistinctionbetweenrevolutionaries of the in"thewell-knownessay descriUed ^a,y.'tit"iilit *"gir*i"'y writtenin found progressis Revorutioi'iiacour,er-Revolution' o[veiJ;;iitr.;d puJo'conca be cathoricleader 1959. stageto stagetriesto leadthewest processthattom revolutionary long the Refeningto at twodffirent speeds' s occurs authgr the ;ff;*lt goal, $1nt"tt communist to thefinal usuallycrownedwith 'iliit in the'f'o't t'il*'- Ihe other' One,rapid,thatis geniratlydestined to studythe is muchslower' success, thatit is necessary the in on later adds writer Tsay more TheBraziliancatholic nr;"rr,ii, n. one courdsaythatthe the in ;il;;itn" verocities a raises these roleof eachof of theseextremes so'Theexplosion not it Ho*'n''itii oir-irtrrr. towards rapidmovements moderarrtTiii "eryradicalism'andbut that target fascinates af*ed it creates communism' standard, in tii' *oy, socialiimdisowns *oui.to begin slowly the latter these which rimotetythesamecouldbesaidof ri.'io" tororar' oia;;;i T theywere admiresit in rit"n if ,h, FrenchRevorution: grimme* rast the talreil' Babeufand hisforowers.in communist tkriia'o wheretheywantedto d;;;'7;u;rtns moves society powerfullv crushed. Butslowly .i y1y,*ilob'o'ot' indirectlvbut the then is, i"ir**i, the of of the "prudent"' Thefaiture ",ri;"'"nrt uncountabri-iuttitude tiitr-t-n, by tittre attracting deliriums for theRevolutiont, iutpabte-ind th;i of .,moderate,,, "ot"bated colecci6n for;;;;;;itution and'the"mediocre" a" ori"rir",'purt t, chupv[, no'4' c"rrc" iri"i" .Revorution, *a io*t (Revolution y piopiedad'BuenosAires'1970)' fu*ifiui Tradici6n, 93

8 19722Inthe Final Attack of Terrorism:one-sidedness, omissions, and Episcopalaid Thelastescalationof Tupamaroviolenceafterthe electoraldefeatof the leftists carried thepopularindignationto a climax. To thebarbarous crimeswereaddedan intensesocialand parliamentary agitation,stirredup principallyby the CommunistPartyandthe FrenteAmplio. TheArmedForces,interpretingthe popularsentiments, redoubledthiir effortsto defeatthe aggression directedby IntemationalMamismagainstour country. In thatmoment,insteadof supportingthi indispensable jofice-military action,essentially legitimateandmeritorious,a greatpart of the ecclesiasiics, undjr thepretextof .*rrrrrr, tried to discreditit andin this way neutralizeit. Whatis more'while the tensionswerecaniedto their paroxysmby the revolutionaries, certainecclesiastics renewedtheir concessionist preachment asif theyins-idiously saidto the Uruguayans in short:"If you wish to seeyourselvesfreefrom this honible andbioodynightnare, renounce immediatelythe defenseof thetraditionalstructureseverywhereandacceptthe social changes demanded by the Tupamaros.', Nothing,then,hadchangedin their inexorabledetermination. l. In thepresenceof the terrorist escalation,(impartial'declaration of the Episcopal Conference No uruguayanwill everbe ableto forgetthe bloody l4s of April,1972. ThatdayprofessorArmandoAcostay Lara"a practicingCatholicanda coravinced antiCommunist who washighly regardedin educationalcircler,** coldly andbrutallyassassinated. Hehadpresided,in diflicult circumstances, overthe ConsejoInterventorde Secundaria and occupied theUnder-Secretary of the Interior. He wassub-machine gunnedby terroristslodgedin theMethodistChurchof PastorEmilio Castro(involyedpreviouslyftogether with F. Justo Asiain,in linkingswith Tupamaros).That sameday,'thdaptain of CorUetaEmestoMotto also fell, cowardlyriddledwith bulletsby the seditiousitt Lur Pi;dras. While in an ambush carried out-against a policepatrol Sub-Comisario OscarDelegaandthe AgentCarlosLeitieswbrekilled withouttime to defendthemselves. On this hagic working day severalagentsof the law andorder fiorceswerewounded. EightTupamaroswerekilled in differentconfrontations. Thedisastrous spectacleof bloodstinedup by the Tupamaros, wasdesperately covered with therobesof civil war. Suchwasthedrasticof tn. subveisiveblows. The' representativeness of the victims showedthat the seditiousnow would not stop at anything.On thecontrary,theywould seekout the deliriumof violenoein an attemptto leavethe fibers the of nationalresistence brokenbeforethe endof the showthattheynow sawwasmoreor less imminent. Thedayhadnot endedwhenthe Presidentof ths Republicsenta decreeof a stateof internalwarto the Parliament.It wasapprovedby a majorityandpromulgatedby e ' - - - - ' theExecutive o nA p r i l 5 s .

The funeralprocessionof the fou victimsof the seditioncameout of the Govemment Househavingat the headthe Chief of Stateandotherhigh civil andmilitary authoritiesbeing accompanied on the occasionby a humantide, angeredby the criminal daringof thesubversion. Whatwasthe attitudeof the Bishops? A representation of the Episcopatelimited itself to makingan appearance in the GovernmentHouse- wherethe remainswerewatchedover- goingto greetthepresident.It did not occurto the Bishopsto makea visit or evensenda cardolcondolJnceto thewidow of Acostade Lara,alsowoundedin the attempt,which led this Lady,justly grieving,to complainin a letteraddressed to the Prelates. The following day,the highestorganof the Episcopate,publisheda declarationsignedby all its members,in which it lamentedtheenormouswcveofviolence;it underlinedtheabiudiry of therecourseto it andcondemnedall violence,askingthe Uruguayansto join togetherfor the construction of a morefraternalorder(vida pastoral3o(lg7z) pp.7l-72).The Episcopaldeclarationplacesthe cold andbrutalcrimesof thj Tupamaros, for the sakeof a causein its turn unjust, andthe deathof tenorists in combatwith the Forcesof order, which defendedthe Countryfrom the guerrillaaggression, on an equalfooting. Behindthis comparison,it is impossiblenot to seea terriblemoralrelativismanda retreat in the fight againstthe cornmonenerhyo,f,boththe chuch andthe country. 2. The Bishopspray for the dead. . . in the Headquartersof the Communistparfy

On the l7s of April, duringa propeeding in PasoMolino, sevenCommunistmilitants, resistingthe police actionwith weapons,died.t The bodieswere movedto the headquarters of the CentralCommitteeof the Communist Party. Mons.Parteli,Mons. Rubio,Mons.C6ceresandPbro.GregorioRiveroncausingscandal andangeramongthe faithful, appearedat the vigil in the seatof the Communistpart, allowing themselves to be photographed next to the coffrns(cft. AhoraApril 20, 1972;Vida pastoral 30(t972)p. 93). The GeneralSecretaryof the CommunistPafty,RodneyArismendi,sensingthe symbolic, revolutionaryimportanceof this very unusualpresence,knew how to obtain advertisingbenefit from it for the atheisticand materialisticsect,sendinga significant letter of thanksto ttre 2 Coadjutor Archbishop. rAs an exampleof the base way that representatives of internationalprogressivism referredto Uruguayanevents,we havethe form in which the Parisian magazini,Informations CatholiquesInternationales,presentsthe chronologyof the eventsof 1971:April i4: Deathof four membersof the Death Squadron and of eight Tupamaros.April /l murder of seven workers,members of the Communist Party(I.C. I. no.475(1975)p. l9; emphasis otus). 2TheGeneralSecretaryof the Communistparty writes: I wish to expressto you - personallyand in the nameof tensof thousandsof Communist members- our gratitudefor your attitudeof solidarity upongoing to our house,whenwe were 95

ttftt

Dayslater,Mons.Parteligavea homily in the Cathedral,in which he stated:Thecountry is living throughdramaticcircumstances.IIle are all au,areofit. lve att sufer. TheChurchtoo tlsuffering,sharingthepain of all, without discriminating.prayingfor peacein thecountry, Encouragingall the paths to justice that lead to thewrshidfor paciJication.prayingfor the deadof thesedays,bec-ause shefeelsherselfthemothero\ail, iitnirt thisprayer or our presencein theshowof collectivepain having any other meaning than the ihr{rtron solidarity in th-esffiring of all and the unbreilcablewill to cintribute to the-understanding iytn, Uruguayans (VidaPastoral3a Q972)p. 93; Ahora Apnl22,1972; (Jltima uori Ap1il23, 1972; emphasis ours).3 keepingvigiloverthesevencompanionsfatlen oppositeto the Comitd Seccional 20 of theparty. We especially valuethis gesturebecauseof the highestspiritual responsibilitythat your Hierarchyrepresents/oran extensive portion of thellrrgroy* peopte. But, moreover, because it underlinesan essentiattruth in thi presentbamatichistoryof (Jrugaay and of humanity: beyondphilosophicalbordersand professions of faith,;h;men-and the organizations that feel authentic love for the peopleandsufer litrethemeachdrop of blood, eachsorrowand eachmarQrdorn,all social injistie or acts-if uncon/ined despotismthat iniuresthecommonmanand laceratesthe fleih of theworleer,can only get together toprevent suchtragediesfromfallingon the country. Mons' Parteli,yoz crossedwithoutfearingthepyejudiceor the calumnyof those involved,the line that someclaim is an unsurmountablewall, to arrive at our house, to the bleeding-heart of uswho-werekeepingvigil overthesevencofins of the sevenmarty,s,we seeit praisedby thisgesturethat showsauthenticityof an inspirationrooted in the Sermonon the Mount' We, the onesinspired by the marxist-leninisiphilosophy,feel that thefementlovefor thepeople- that lovethat wasthesymbotand devotlon",of theioipersfapen in their obscure - supposesa profound and vgs..t butheroicapostolate regionof coincidencesforag the oneswhodo everythingtheycan for the sakeof buitdihg ^ ioppy country and a true pacificationonlypossiblein nationalsovereignty,tibertl and sii:tal justiie. Understand that I do not intendany otytl uponissigning thisprojectionto your visit of simpleChristiancondolence to a housewoundedby nisfort)ne and martltrdom,My Communist heart,that keepsbeatingin order to scareawqy tearsand to afrirm militancy, hasdictated this message of gtatitude to me and theselean reflictions whenwe all think that martyrdom is better thanto attendimpassiveany crime and the ixtinction of the alreadydim lights of tiberty in the country(AhoraApril20, 1972;emphasis ours). 34 yearlater,Mons. Poncede Le6ncommentedon the visit of the threeBishopsto the headquarters of theCommunistPartyon a radio program.Uponbeingquestionedformally about howheexplainedthe"rareandcompromisingutiitul. of ttreChurch,ihe answered: I think that a greatdealof explicationis not needed;wherethereis humanpain, the Churchfeelsinvolved in saidpain (. . .) Just as the Bishopwaspresentin thepain o|-etglrtfamilies, he was also

Theneutralitywith whichtheArchbishop alludesto thedeadof thesedaysdepresses, as if theywereall victimsof somemerepartis* ngrttr,-i.rorewhichtheChurchshouldnottake position;ratherthenbeingthedeadofa vital a .G;l, ;*.rn constituted authorities and the agents of International Manist subversio", th: g{;i oicoa andof thecr*,o. Not to makedistinctions' to keepequaldistance between theaggressor andthevictimthat defends himsel{is equivalent tomakini uatnnitioiin -Thetr auo, of the aggressor, in thiscasethe Tupamaro andcommunistsubversion ir nouingilo:: praiseworthy than conhibuting to understanding between uruguayans. Butcantrue*a"rlLaing bepromoted when one compares thenoblestuggleof thosethat.wish to ilreJe - has to becorrected T-u*guuy that-presentingdefects that is organicand cr"irii*, *ith theaggression Tu.! of thosethatwish to desrroy it in order_to implant.,, *tl-cntirti* *ti-.o*t yr Bishopsto theHeadquarters ;iilr bommunistparrya wayto encourage ,or)t"l*;',|}H:$t ",, Evenin theroughest stages of q. road,thecoadjutorArchbishop of Montevideo, asa faithtulfellow-traveler of Marxlsm,finds;;t .-oiiiiur helpingtneinowof violence. " 3. Canelones 1486:a badlytofAnislory on the20sof April, thePressoffice of the in whichit relatesa forcefulentrycarriedout in ttr. combinedForcesissueda pressrelease rn at ri lslz,where theydetainfour suspects that'afterinterrogation, "t theyrecognize-as belonging to a groupgatheredtogether orderto commitqiJne' Thesuspects aectiea tr,"i trr"yi?a gottento knoweachother in andmetin canelones 1486,whereon occasions theypassed ttrenight. In thisplacetheymetthepriest ArnaldoSpadaccino. Thisbuildingwas.the propertyof thecuria of Montevideo, andtheSecretariate of .,pax Romana" for LatinAmerica(anInternational Ecclrri"*i.-o.ganization thatacquired an orientationthatwas-clearly leftis0hadworkedthere.TheSecretariate hadbeenrnovedto Lima in December of l97l,.the of thepraceremaining with thecuria. leys Moreover, at thattimethecommuno-progr"sriuirt magazine visperahadits facilities there'a magazine thatconfessed to bea serviceforratrn Americaof theInternational Movenenl of catholicstudents- MIEC( a student branchor.,i* Romana,,). Accordingto anEcclesiastical spokesman ,-ratieiipaaacc'ino wentto theplaceof ,,pax Romana"at therequestof thecuria, witl a-setitt*it-rn"i naturally understood thataforcefutentrywascarrieaoutiheie. oi trre,u-" wasin our hands,whenwe o""*i;;;" laydirectorof presentbeforeotherfamiliesthat hadsuferyd the-yme dal-or daysbefore-we wouldsayfrom the other side - a similar pain. (. . .)Thereis yothing scaidalous in theseattitudesthat doubtless- I hopeit isn'inecess"ry- would stillie ,ecirrrng if it werenecessary (Inftrmacionesno.5, Jure 23, lgTi). The vicar General,angrily,confirmsthe line of the Archdioceseof comparing,at the

ttrecommunists dead *rrilr *"nontingtheror..,oitt elaw,withthe ilil,t#:i3ffi1;oncePts, 97

theCatholicleft, JosdLuis RodrfguezBossi,secretary of theDepartmentof Laymenof the cEU andrepresentative of the PontificalCommission"Justiceandpeacein el ConoSur, wasarrested there. Thepressreleaseof the FE.cc. indicatesmoreoverthatprinted , subversivematerialwas foundin theprintingworksthat functionedin theplace. Among the materialapprehended was no' 34of theMan<istmagazineLuchaPopular,foi whichthe collabo ratorof Marcha,H1ctor Rodrfguez, andtheseminarist,Martln Poncede Le6n,througha pressreleasein the nameof the politicalleadership of (Gruposde Acci6n unificadora,ioundingorganizationand glu {re memberof theFren!9Amplio) acceptedthe responsibility. TheCuriaof Montevideodeniedthe [nling of P. Spadaccino, at the time pastoralVicar of theArchdiocese, with the denouncedsubversivJactivities (cfr. UltimaHoraApril2l and23, 1972;El Dia April 24,1972;El Popular Api122,1972;MarchaApril 28, lgT2iAhoraMay 3, 1972;Azuly BlancoMay 3, 1972;Vida paitoral30(19i2) p. 93). Uruguayan Catholicsremainedonceagainimmerseiin perplexityandindignation.Some seriousdoubts,aggravated by the contextorJt tne previous of i. Spadaccino, the orientation of Vispera,etc., continuedfloatingin theair: "ondurt - then,thebuildingwereecclesiastical organizations or thosetied to the Curiq wasit habituallyfrequented by the Tupamaros, who got ti know eachother,organizedandtook refuge there? - didn't themembersof the Secretariate "Pax Romana"haveknowledgeof this,didn,t theVfsperateam,that had to go therefor the edition of the magazine,or alsothe Cwia, ownerof thebuildingandkeeperof the keys,at leastafterDecember,lgTL? After differentsteps,the laymenRodriguezBossiandP. Spadaccino weresetfree. The Priest,beginningth.en,decreased the toneof his declarations and,somemonthslater,discretely movedto developinghis activitiesin a secondary parish of the capitol(continuing,despite -presblteros). everything, asa memberof the MesaNacionald! 4. Mons.Parteli:the awarenessof the injusticeof tle; systemgrows While Commrurismwas attackingthe countryin variousways,provoking a bloody agitationanda socialdisturbance without precedents, the Coadjutoiar"nUishopof Montevideo, inltea! of fulfilling his dutiesasPastoradopts,in oneof his numerousinterviewsgranted to Marcha,a language chargedwith criteriologicalpresuppositions of a Man<istflavour. Askedaboutthe fundamentalcausesof the sir*-::tionofthe counbry,he states: Their causesstart upfrom one,fundamental,commonto all (the iatin American countries): their situationof dependence (. . .) Becaweof thetogic if therystem,the distance between someand theothers(rich andpoor peoples),ir eachtimegreater. Thisdistance is repeated withinthe interior of eachcountry. Itis naturalthat no one resignshimself live to in slavery,especiallywhen onebeginsto becomeawareof hisown dignity. fny * what is happening in the measurein which the awarenessof tle injustice of ihe system that sustains suchdiscriminations grows,thewill to correctit alsogro*i, or thewilt toihong"ir. The presentcrisisis that: a will to changeand a resistenieto thechange(MarchaMay s, 1972;

: ti

emphasis ours). Seeherean unjustandunilateralsimplificationthat,on thelips of a CatholicBishop, amazes:Always the sameold story,presentingthe subversionas u nut o.l andspontaneous act andhiding from the eyesof the faithful the Communistworld conspiracy. rtt4ytt of the imminentrebellionpropagatedby the Marxistsandturnedred-hot uy tnl rup.*aro action,even on thisoccasion, continuedbeingseconded like this by BishopsteajingttreCEU.

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5' Mons' Mendiharat: The peoplehavelessfreedom,and at timesprisons and torturâ&#x201A;Źs. . . Evenin the first half of 1972therewereotherecclesiastical displaysfavoringtheManxist movementthat wastrying to control the counfy. Datedthe 28n 9{April, BishopMons.Mendiharatandthe Priestsof the Dioceseof Salto, issueda statementread in the churchesandtranscribedby the pressir G;;itol andby the organofthe Episcopate.We exfractsomeparagraphs: ll/e notice,andwe confessit sadly,that thrbughoutthe history of our Countrywewere not alwoyson the side of thepoor and pppressed:of ,n, workers,o1iti emptiyees,of thepeons, of the unemployed,of the itliterateiin qword, of tie onesthatfo,ri tlte i^ir^, majority of the uruguayanpeople. ( . .) Thepeople sufers eaih tine more: more unemployment, lower salaries (' ' '), lessfreedom; and, at times,prisgn_s and tortures. (. . .) JesusClrist is thegreat Liberator. Together with thepoor and the onesthat struggie against injustice, he keeps working for liberation,which is thesameassalvation,of i*sr;y and oialt *e world,of each oneof usand of all men(Vida Pastoral.3O(1972) pp.e+-Se;Pirspectiva" a, oraUgo 62 (1972) pp.6l-62; Ahora May 3, |972;emphasis orus). Given that in certainEcclesiasticalsectorsit wasadmittedthat the Tupamaros struggled againstinjustice, theseaffrrmations,in the way in which they are stated, incline oneto interpret themasif our Lord Jesuscluist wasfightingalongwith the guenillas! The leftist dailyAhora publishedthe saidstatementasa whole,underthe title: Dioceseof Saltoreaffirms its positionat the sideof the poor and the oppressed. Demagogic lanaguage, with which the continuatorof BP Color tuggtststhat the ecclesiastics that do not adoptpositions similarto the oneof the Bishopof Salto(who a few monthslaterwould leavethe country. . .) would be on the sideof the "rich oppressors." Bishopof Saltohasthe..merit,ofputting in a -The moredirect languagewhat the cEU waspreaching with someconcealment.

6. ExplosiveEpiscopaldocument The increaseof criminal activity-thatthe Tupamarosdecreedin their strategy to breakthe resistence of the Uruguayans, createda difficult situationfor the supportersoitrp social revolutionin our Country:popularindignationfavoredthe categorical reactionof the FF.CC., capableof definitivelydismantlingthe artificial plan of the gu.oittu minority. Themajorityof 99

til rj|

:fi

theUruguayans vibratedin unisonwith the emphaticdefenseof the Country,in a stateof war againstaninternalenemywho wasmerelyan instrumentof an extemalone. Nevertheless, an unharmonious voice- andhow powerful!- rangout: the voiceof the Episcopate. Preciselyat that moment,the Permanent Councilof theEpiscopalConference, making useof theprestigetied to the sacredinvestiture,took an attitudeConducive to discouragingthe combativeness of theanti-Comrnunists urd introducingdivisionandperplexityamongitre Catholics.TheEpiscopalleadersvisitedthe President tlr" Republicandexplainedtheir "f l2e, theypublished assessment of the nationalsituationto him; then,on June a declaration signedby Mons.Parteli,Mons.BaccinoandMons.Rubio,at thattime president,Vice-president andSecretary of theCEU respectively. Thebenefitof this declarationfor the subversionin generalandthe Tupamarosin particularcanbemeasured by the headlines- someon the first page,of the leftist, Marxistand newspapers andmagazines: ExplosiveDocumentof the Uruguayan lo{nmuno-progressivist EpiscopalCouncil/ Tortures: Bishopsask for Bordaberry(UltimaHora);Confessions extractedunderterrQr,do not give certaintyof truth (Ahora);Bishopssfeak out against tortureand violence(Marcha);Uruguayan Bishopsagainsttorture (peripectivesoyOfilogol. Thedocument,readin almostall the churchesanawiaely divulged Uytfre pr"rr, hasa curiousinitial topic: (e the Bishopsof the PermanentCouncil o\tn, C-EU,icrompanied by otherBishops, whodaysagofound themselves broughttogetheiby chancein Montevideo,have thoughtaboutthedfficult momentthat the countryi"prrlrn"rs and the answerthat the Church oughtto give. This paragrap! l.tt one seesignsthat perhapstho leadersof the CEU may not have obtained theunshakeable unanimityof the Episcopite,or perhapsthey did not havethe hopeof havingit. Really,Mons.Corso,Mons.BalaguerandseemingllMons.Multin madeone sense theirdisagreement with the document.a aWerecordhere the explicationsthat P. Pablo very closeto the Episcopal Q4bezies, leaders, gives:A lastelementcharacterized severalof ihe steps:the needthat qlt that wasdone countedon themostnumeroussupport possible preciselyso that it could not from the Bishops, beconsidered an isolatedinitiatlve of thoserecognizedrs more progrelsivist The situation (...)requireda estrongt pronouncementfrom thi Church ("In order-toreadthe Declaration,, in Perspectivas deDidlogo 64 (1972)pp. I 16-l l7). Curiousconfession:so the documentmight be "strong"it could not appearasan initiative of theprogressivists... Whatshowshow muchth.se w.re separated from the Catholicpublic! Whentheywantto dragthe faithful behindthemselves,theyneedthe cooperationof the least committedmihes.. . Whenceis seenthatthe majorityof the Catholicsis very reluctantwith relationto theirphilo-Man<istPastors;andthatthe npiscopate'sinfluen . o"r, the faithful is greaterwhentheyseein their Bishopsecclesiastics who ,t l..s progressivist. P. Dabezies evensaysthatof all theBishopsof the country,inly two believedthemselves obligedto establishdistancewith respectto the dectiratton: Mons. Cirso and Mons. Balaguer. Therest,eitherparticipatedmoreor lessdirectlyin theprocessof gestationand concretioi of thedocument, or theyapprovedit, oncedrafted(id. P. t tO;.Nevirtheless,a readerof La

100

In item no. 2 of the declaration,we read:Thisis not the momentfora diagnosis of the problemsthat afect our country,butyesto recall that, the dfficutt situationthat it is experiencingis the inexorableconsequence o/stagnation, dependenceand despair. The crisis (. . .) leadsto worty andprotestof atl thosethat feel unjustly treated,left behind,abandoned and withoutany horizonin sight And furtheron: It is in this context that the actionof armed groups' on the margin of the/aw, bursts into the country. We think, then,thatthe illegitimate resistenceto change,theslcepticism with respectto thefuture,and the seriousness of the injustices,appear as someof the motivationsof thosewho beganthe subversiveaction in the countrT(itemno. 3). With a really unheardof insistence,themembersof the PermanentCouncilof theCEU reiteratein their vision of realitythe chorusfavoringthe cruel Tupamaroshow,to whichwe refer so manytimesin thesepages. a) Sayingnot to pretendto makediagnoses,they diagnose,nevertheless, andwithout nuanceof any kind, a socialeconomicpictureof desperate crisis. Thereis no discernment of any goodaspectsof the UruguayansocialsEucture,only a black picture, without datesor concrete references. b) In this pictureof diffrcultieg,morbidlyexaggerated, the rebellionof the unjustly treated,Ieft behind,abandoned,appedrs asan inexorableconsequence. c) According to the Prelates,the resistenceof the proprietorsto acceptingstructural changes,infuriatesthe guenillaswho, in the middleof the generalprotests,opt for violence (itemsno. 2 andno. 3). d) In agreementwith this vision,our Countrywasnot beingthe objectof Communist ragesand its effects,and the strugglebetweenauthenticand anti-CommunistUruguayof one hand,and the red secton the other,would not correspondto reality. On the part of the guenilla therewould be indignationin the presence of the institutionalizedinjusticeand onlyat times materialistic and atheistic implications,although thisis not the explicit purposeof manyof their followers(itemno.4). With this, the leadersof the representative organizationof the NationalEpiscopate emptiedthe struggleof its tnre dochinal content,putting themselves,in the nameof a pretended pacification,in an "equidistant" position betweenthe aggressorsof the Uruguayansocietyand the defendersof it. The Catholicswerenot then,in the presenceof the ideologicalwarmovedby the enemyof the Churchand of ChristianCivilization and, as a cotuequence,theydid not have the duty of supportingthe authoritiesin the fightt againstthe Manrist subversion!For the Bishopswhat wascondemnable in the Tupamaroactionwereonly illegal actsof violence, censurable in themselves, but, in thepresence of a socio-economic situationthattheyqualifiedas desperate, "understandable." And aboutthe actionof the CombinedForces?The Bishops,havinghonoredthe guenilla showin this way andimpoverished the highestreasonsof the fight againsttheenemies Mafiana,Sr. PedroC. Roca,afftrmsthatthenew Auxiliary Bishopof Minas,Mons.Mullin, was alsonot in agreementwith it(La MafianaSeptember23,lg72).

l0l

;i:#':1f,:i:'::::.Ti:l:::::l:L,h1

tle st\temisht.adopt arransements ofsafety (item

t::,:y,::!::::.!,!: *lustices. Buttheyadded immediatel i,frr,iit"#;:;#::ey;, t n subversive ctthtto*oirro ^^):..:a: ^ ^ --- ^ nofp activities, are receiving(itemno. 9).

.nnl

i,,ii' ii,, ;;;:;;i;i:#, nnked or

rhetonicnote-on thecircumstantial repressive PrsDsrv(' T::,1" ryi in th.,1"rnofortr,. nght (items no. e,l0andn), ilfi:'".i"t*lyj T::?.._:*:n*rd m oved hv Cnrnrntt.ion o^^i-^r +L^ 4,-- rt?,Y^?.rt^tnflism,againstthe-fu ndam.niuttylegitimateandpraisewo-hr;i:;;;#i", :fT *::: li:,:fl:'

;Hiffiffi;i;iffiliih,

actionof theCombined Forces.t

:::^.:yr,:::,*-trent.

pAwidespread consequences in thecountry.TheMarxist

headlines ioit onthen'rtpa"*J;l*s;J;"re forits neff::^:'^:1*:j:*i1.0.*eatrtrvas arso

:lT:::t'"::*:Ti:"d1,: ,!::S;,y:lg::l"f;,".1t

theobj;,t;i;;ffi;;,,f;;;,

ilthe urc DgIIate senate

on o. pr"**,pristaJuan christian oelo'crat pablo L w rerra L e t r a t (vida \r tQ(

emphasis outst(Itimo iiroJune 16,re72;perspectivas de

','::r,::12],1?l?g

bt,itogo aqigtzi ip. ]:J-.t:* I t8-120i.

n" ""J:.j:::fl.:::::,Tj:gq,T:t1:"lal

declaration.of Junel2oasanatternative purto

c;;;;ffiffi;;

errJ(,J

whjch p. i;i.",ttor,r,.anti-communist ,r rePr repression :i3iT,ff:T:::"lf:,11?"p:-TTj:",i, diminished andtheleftist programof structuralreforms desiredby eeclpciqctinof

orrnn^-f

*L^

the cEU advanced.

7t The Presidentresponds:others are the causes of Jhesedition

theblowgivgn t9theAnnedForces

andtothegovernment itself of an open rett91. prrrlJ#lJr;;#;#ffiiffi;" rn this r"ttriuru ffii:::r:*:1.y::y: }i:lf-ig:lltFl,

theepiscopar diagnosir,iuout thecauses of theviolence ::r,j:::::T.lTio..:enlwit{r country, showing thatthis'latt.roi* t4t-inroouct of a comrnunist aggression tied HfT*t:*the with theexterior. 8. The noisychorusof the leftists All leftismsetup in the church orcleshSteda noisy displayof supportfor the episcopal declaration, tendingto give-theimpressionthat it in the catholic ranks. In this way' the documentof the Bishopswasreadtrr. "nloy.JL*riroity ioirrr"ing sundayin almostall the churches of theCapitol. 5weunderstand Yellt this yes,that-itformspart of the missionof the church to look after thevalidityof thenatural right, from which no tturlo t;tfir excluded,not eventhe greatestof thedelinquents. TheseditiousTupamarosthemselves mustalsobeprotectedagainstinjuriesto the natural right,asfor examplearbitraryinterrogations accompanied by stupidviolence.

t02

Thd MesaNacionalde los Presblteros, seminaristsof all Uruguay,the Pastoral Coordinatingorganof SpecializedMovementsof the Churchof Montevideoandthegrass-roots ChristianCommunities,publicly expressed their adhesionto the episcopaldocument.The Marxistdailiesand all the "committed"pressnaturallymadeechoto thesedisplaysof solidarity with thedevastating Pastors(cft. AhoraJune16,20,21,22 and27,1972;Utima Hora Jvne16, 17,and22, 1972;Marcha June23, 1972;Perspectivas de Didlogo 64(1972)pp. 115-ll7).

9. Lively reactionamongthe faithful and an unexpectedintervention The very unusualepiscopaldocumentthat we havejust analyzed,suitablefor underminingthe supportof the Catholicsfor the growinganti-Communistactionof the FF.CC., provokedlively reactionsam.ongthe faithfirl,reflectedin the pressthroughhugeheadlines, editorialsand lettersfrom readers. In this climateof unrest a lamentableinterventionof the Osserttatore Romano,published in its Castilianeditionof September10,madethe questionevenworse. Underthe title "The Churchin the presenceof the current,prqplems of Uruguay,"the Romannewspaper tanscribes the wholetext of the "explosivedeclaration"of the PermanentCouncilof the CEU, without makingthe slightestreferenceto the reactionthat it awakenedamongthe faithful, nor to the answerof the Chief of State,nor either to the distancetakenby threeBishopsrelativeto the document. The attitudeof the unofficial organof the Holy Seeprovokedsurprisein the Nation, especiallyin Catholicenvirons. This snrpriseincreasedin the presenceof the solidaritythatthe UruguayanCommunistParty'sdaily newspaper in turn showedto the abovementionedVatican organ(cfr. La MaftanaSeptember23,26, and28, 1972;El Popular September 27,1972. Perhapsperceivingthe weaknessof their positions,andseeingthe lively reactionof the faithful, ecclesiastical spokesmensaidthatthe Bishopswould respondto the President,but in private,in orderto avoid contoversy(Utima Hora June16, 1972)

10. Teach,SeiloresBishops,the Catholictruth Amongthe most expressivedisplaysof the unrestreigrungin the Catholicflock is the lucid andincisivemanifestosignedby hundredsof faithful supportingthe Presidentof the Republicandthe Armed and Police Forces,and expressingtheir categoricaldisagreement with the declarationof the l2s of Juneandwith the generalorientationof the progressivist in Prelates the lastyears. After describingpanoramicallynumerousecclesiastical attitudesanddocuments favoring in one way or anotherthe Communistadvance,the signatoriesindicatedthat In this form, uponhaving separatedfrom the SupremeMinistry of the RomanPontiff, theseBishops haveplacedthemselves in a position thatpreventsCatholicsfromfollowingthem. And theyconclude:It will be useless tofight the violentsubversionf rapid andefectiue measuresare not talcento eradicatethe manufacturersof the mentalityof subversiveviolence within the educationalrystem,the unions,the Churchetc. 103

You cannottave final victory in

lr*t:il*'rfi:H,",f,a.tionat

the psyeho-political war if onedoes

not alsofight colmunism wants toenstave (LaMafiaiaAugust 6,is72,

Thebravepronouncements of thetwo Priests,P. EdisonNoguezandp. Antoniop6ezwe in thesameline. The latter,p. entonio p6ez,_parisfr priur, of SanJuanBautista (Department of caneloneO- relelbers the episcopat supportfor the FrenteAmplio andthe scandalous "impartiality"of the Prelatesutt*r.n trre combinedForcesandthe subversion,asking if the neutralitybetweencrimeand thepractice ofjustice i, rut tE/ pals June 29, rg1z). FatherNoguez,addressing the threeairnop"*t oiere ,ignatoriesof the unhappy declaration of Junel2s,.has.th.tJtignin.ant words: iiiri nxnops orthodoxfaith and cathoric truth' Thisisyour missionin the ciurch. For sometiie now the truths of rheFaith are not 'heard'exceptonly as a point of referenceori-ustiJicationfor aflirnations of a practical, temporalandpolitical order of sich nature ihatLny Cn irtio, is infuy right to call theminto ,;:{;:;:f of therequirement

ri;:#',

of norarityaid-conscierir, ,u"i to rejectthem(Et

-ll' During the guerrilla boom time ecctesiastical magazines preachviolencewith impunity Formulatingasalwaystheepiscopaltheses mostcrudely,the religiousmagazines, in 1972,continuedtheir preachmentoia raiica .o,npioiir"i.*."n catholics and Mancists, 'a'rivingat timesto extending it evento theneraoiviJencu. oo thepart of parteliand Mons. theBishopsthatfollow him, no rectification ot tnr*;; ;Anst thesepublicationsappeared that, on theconhary,hadwide andfreecirculation in,"figio,rritl"r. In ordernotto overbtudenthe reader*ith qu;;;ionr *, providesomeexarnplesin a note at thefoot of thepage'6we fimit o'rselves trereto notini thedigressionsof suchpublications in

6vidaPastoral,unoffrcial orsangf tle conference, reproduces thearticle..A ^EpisccJpal christianity for thetimeof revolutio-ni'by p. s;g*ild;ilea. pri"rt, Ttris bytheBishops to preacha reheatfor theclergy(cft.Er^poi,Non"rnuerg, iiuit"a subsequently r9z3),sawhis thecountryprohibitedby theauiloritiesdueto his subversive ideas,asit appeared :i[ffi:'o seeheresomeof hisconcepts, transcribed by theEpiscopal magazine: Thespiritual i attitude of thechristiancommittecl to therevolutioiaryclnnges,even in theoneswho followa dialecticof theclassstruggle,is theoneof insisrns rni thessllsu,intoreconciliation (. . .), The testimonythatthe chrlstian givesoyits Kingdom, and the announcement thathe malces of it throughtheapostolarqis alwayssubversiv o/ony "stattts quo,, personal or social (. . .). "

I'l

I',r:'

rl;11l

Thecharityof the committedLatin American mwt arm itsetfwith efliciencyandsociopolitical effort' Efort.fo: suppressing the causes ana tlte cinditions of povertyand oppression, to sidewith thepoor in the t*i"t ngtt. Efiiciency in choosing,for loveand desireof service, themeansmosttechnicatlyconducive" -emphasis tt, t inryor*otion of the unjustsociety(vida Pastorat Zg(t972)pp. I 4, i S *a ig; foi ours)

r04

field. We wouldleavetheambitof this work if we wereto analyzethe thesocio-political the abundantmaterialof a theological,liturgical,moralandpastoralnature,where,nevertheless, doctrinalerrorsandthe affrrmationscontraryto the perennialMagisteriumof the Churchswalrn' a symptomof a muchmorevastreligiouscrisis. If the matterwasnot so serious,it would be superfluousto highlight,onceagain,the habitualconnectionbetweenthe progressivistpositionsin the variousfields:whoeveris progressivistin the liturgical,pastoralandmoralfield, almostalwaysadoptsthe sameline in the socio-politicalfield andvice-versa.It is thatmanyof themhavea cosmovisioninspiredby principlesthat areprofoundlyegalitarianandthat determinean uniformorientation metapirysical of the mostvariedproblems. in thepresence

committedwith the Tupamaroguerrilla 12. Ecclesiastics The investigationcarefullycaniedout by the FF.CC.broughtthe scandalof the complicityof eccleiiasticalsectorswith the seditiousviolencemoreto the light of day. Whatfor certainty. manyCatholicswasvehementsuspicio4;rbecame of the episcopal the last consequences that extracted The.,committed"Priestsand'laypan just asan orientationandwerecompletelylinkedto the Tupamaroguerrillaweremany, of beinga a matter If it was Amplio. Frente to the relation in importantnumberhadalreadydone ftom1972, "feilow-traveler,"why not go all the way? We will give heresomeexamples publishedby the daily press In a Tupamarocell, recently(iscoveredin Mercedes,Beatriz ThalmarMarabot Falcioni and Goraalo FernandoCalvete Ruizappearedamongothers (. . .) thesame(. . .) are amongthemembersof the Youth PastoralCouncilof Mercedesbetween1971'1972andthe ttrond of themrepresentsthiscouncil in the so-calledConseioPastoral de Coniunto(El Diario March15,1972). - tn Melo, togetherwith anotherl8 Tupamaros,the SpanishPriestCarlosFem6ndez of Commando"Este," locatedin 33, wascaptured. Ord6nez,a memberof a column,dependent P. - The ParishPriestof SantoDomingoin RiveraChico (Dioceseof Tacuaremb6), de Didlogo publishesan interviewwith P. For its part,the JesuitmagazinePerspectivas DanielGilbert,who, in 1968,wasat the point of beingexpelledfrom the country,andin 1971 hadto abandonUruguay,ashe himselfdeclares,forinternalreasonof my Congregation.- . The FrenchDominican who had worked lately as a metallurgicalworker sayswith a from concreteattitudesin certainloftiness:TheGospelappearseachtimemoreilt inseparable changeand in the presenceof revolution. The thepresenceof injusticrt,brfort necessary daiiy sufferingof manymilitants who are not resignedto the exactionsof the system,the .t"rpii of the oneswho sacrifice their life in the fight, or who endure monthsand yearsof arbitrarT prison,or concentrationcamps,obligesUruguayanChristiansto a new reading of the Gospel(. . .). / would soythat the mostimportantrealizationof the UruguayanChurchk de Didlogo 6l (1972)p. the trying io live day by dry a pre-revolutionarysituation.(Perspectivas ours). 30; emphasis

r05

s6lonGuillermoverissimo,alias"Juan,"a memberof thepoliticalsectorof theTupamaros, carriedout tasksof highlightingroutes,police headquu.t.tlandof theplacesfor the signingup of policecivil servants.He ut.d hit officein thep"rirh;; holdmeetingswith fugitivesof the PenaldePuntaCanetas(La MafianaJune20,lg72r. - on lu{ t of the sameyear padreManuelDibar,alias the.angstwasreportedof "Pablo"'- oneof the mostdistdguished priestsortr,l oior.r, of salto - ascoordinatorof the Tupamaro political.sectoranda compilerorseaitiouspr*tulnuti on (La Mafiina July l, lg72). A ParishPriestcommentsin this manneron hrsimprisonment: Recentlytheannouncement of another-Tupamari prresthasappearedin thedaily newspapers: Manuel-Dibar,of the Dioceseof saito, righihand otniifip uindiharat, director of the "newPastora!,"direcior of the cathitc aoiyEt p*blo. Hispoliticat activitieswere knowby all, given that he wasting and guiding o'titioixt political club. I supposethat his Bishopwasignorantgf linking n neiuurriii, org;i*ion . . . (La Mafianalury 4, rg72). !* - At the beginning of July 30 Tupamarosin Trlinta y Treswere detained, amongthem threefugitivesof the Penalde Puntacarretasand theItalianpriestpier Luigi M'rgioni - alias "Pedro,"- AssistantPastorof the Parishof san losg ofieto, who kept subversivecontactsand collaborated in the falsificationof documents(za Mailanaluly 6, lg72). - Statementno.344of the Combined Forcesspeaksof tfr" pro..r, of DeaconJuan GustavoDlazzamuz,gubjectto punishmentunderarticres 137(,.conspiracy,,) and r50 ,("association to commiLcrime') of tfrr ordinary penatCoae(La Maftana July22, tg72). - on August9s the letterof P. JosgMarfaBidegainMendiharat,who confessed himself to berepentant for havingparticipatedin Tupam*o u.iiiitirs, waspublished (La Maflana andEl DiarioAugust9,1972). - At theendof September, the JesuitP. Romkrn .Lezana,cosultantto the Movimiento castoresdeEmairs,wasdetained.Accordingto trrr-rr"tr.."t of the FF.cc., saidpriesthanded ' overtheretreathousethat wasunderhis responsibilityto serveaslodging andmeetingplacefor guenillasinvestigated by the Police, For hidingtr,r zut rtorn thepubl-iclfii.i"lr, he wasplaced at thedispositionof the Military Justice. TheProvin:ld of Jesusin uniguay,p. carlos M. Mehanrs,senta note "|$:-company e-stablishing solidaritywith him. wnii. ging to jusd$th; conductof his subordinare, the FatherProvincialimplicitly recognizedtrrl up'proi;6r"* of the accusations that weighed againsthim' In effect,Fatheruetranr saysthat *y p.rron canmake,.spiritualexercises,, in said house:Prior discrimina.tioylor investigatio^ ori iot rnade,nor is thepolitical prosecutionof anycandidatesought. And he addsthai the Priest-"rt [""p the secretsentusted to him . . . Fromthecontextoneseesthat the FatherProvincial doesnot referto the sealof confession(La MaftanaSeptember 26 and27, r972i ultimaar- iretr*L* 2g, rg72). tl.**

Suchcases andmanyothers(wedo notpretend to exhaust thesubject)allowedseeing onlyapartof the6aBT like giant a icebetg *horc iip u.rrty risesoutof thewater. leality, Noneof thesePriests committedwith theiup**o guenillasuffered,asfar aswe know, theleastcanonical sanction.Theirnalnescontinued in the"Guideof thecatholicchurchin 106

Uruguay,"an official publicationof the EpiscopalConfernece, that appeared at theendof 1973. Thereappear,with all the honorsandresponsibilities, the FathersSoi6nVerissimo(parishpriest of SantoDomingo,RiveraChico);CarlosFem6ndezOrd6fiez(ParishPriestof SanJosdObrero, Melo);ManuelDibar(Bishopricof Salto);PierLuigi Murgioni(Assitantpastorof SanJosd Obrero,Treintay Tres);JosdM. Bidegain(Cathedral,Mercedes)andRom6nLezamaS. J. (Soriano1342). 13. The s3mystery'of Mons. Mendiharat Mons.MarceloMendiharatis the Uruguayan"Don Helder." With his extremist radicalismhe makesevenPrelateslike Mons.Partelior Mons.Rubio appearasmoderates since, althoughdoctrinallyonedoesnot perceiveanydifferences,in their concieteattitudesthe Bishop of Salto"got his handsdirtier," accordingto the celebratedphraseof EmmanuelMounier. We havealreadyrelatedhow in his DiocesePriestsimplicated in the subversionwere actingwith completeimpunity, priestsliked the sadlyfamousF. Zaffaroni and p. Dibar, the "right hand"of the Bishop. ,1r Whatis more,no onedoesnot know that Mons.Mendiharat(the "brotherMarcelo"ashe likesto be called)exiledhimselfat the endof 1972. Nevertheless, despitethat the questionmay haveeventuallybeenposedin the Councilof Statenearlyat the level of nationalsEcqrity(cfr. Ii. O. Consejode Estado,NovemberI l, 1975),an impene$ablemysterysgrroundsall this subject. What seriousreasonscould the worried Prelatehavehad for so extrernean attifude,withoui precedentin the religious history of the country? And what turchangeable obstaclescould preventhim from steppingonceagainon Uruguayansoil and returning to live togetherwith his perplexed flock? It is saidthat he enteredinto conflict with the police starting from the momentin which it wasknownthat the Bishopprobablyplaceda certainamowrtof doilarsat the dispositionof ttre seditiousforces. It anyevent,prior to, whenthe FF.CC.weretighteningthe circiearoundthe coastalTuparismo,the local Presbyterywasconvokedto deliberateaboutthe collectiveattitude it wouldassumein the eventof thedetentionof the Bishop(cfr. Azuty BlancoAugust15,l9Z3). Strangeprecautions. . . It standsout aswell that Tupamaroswould haveobtainedrefugein outbuildingsof the Dioceseandthat in "tatuceras"discoveredin the vicinity of "El Espinillar"werefoundfoods packedwith the nameof "CaritasIntemational,"an organizationthat - as is known- helpsthe "mostneedy"throughdiocesanagencies. Couldit havebeenbecauseof his effectiveparticipationin thesedeedsthat Mons. Mendiharatwent away? To wheredid the revolutionaryPrelatetake his engagementwith ecclesiastical andtemporaldestnrction? No explicationhascomeforth from religiousspheres.The EpiscopalConference, for example,so lavishin annotutcements and"reflections"aboutquestionsof the leastimportance, coexiststranquillywith the aberrantsituation,keepingthe most impenetrablesilence. The Uruguayanpeoplewonderwhy the UruguayanBishopsdo not setup a canonical investigationthat,clariffing the events,might permitthe reinstatingof the absentBishopto his

t07

episcopal duties,or, in theoppositecase,thesoliciting of his renunciation throughthe appropriate channels, for the goodof the church *J Foitr," country. In this way theywould maketheenormousconfusionin which this situatio; i;;;r thepeopleentrustedto them to cease. A dailynewspaper I from the capitolcommentsin this respect:If thepastor abandonedhis fock' it is appropriateto askwhy a ,ibrtitutr ni^ ji not named. TheHoly see,for the best To, qttentionof theparishionersof the iurisdictioi ii'io^, o newfficiatfor that vacantseat. It makpsonewonderaboutthi poisible.rroronToi "ulni iniariry . . . (Elrals reuru ary t2,1976). Add to this that the attitudeof theothet"girhd-ir ,, not only silence.The secretariate of thecEU reportsaboutits activitiesto Bishop Men;;ilil sending him drafts of documentsfor pastoral 52 (1975)p. hisevaluation(Vida :'eD. Lik;; through the unofficial organof the 'Fpiscopate, like theyouthm-agazine tifor^oriirurr r"grrric tapes,the directivesof their . absentPastorhavebeenmadelo t urh th. parishionen;f th. Dioceseof salto (cfr. vida ' Pastoral44,46urd 52;Ittformacionesoctober tg, tgli-nd october rs, r9i5l. For thepicture lo becomplete, the coadjutorArchbishopexpressed his solidarifywith Mons.Mendiharat, gladlyaccepting the invitationof his deir br-2thr"to ,rptucehim in thepilgrimageof the coastal Northin Novemberof 1975. The Bishopof salto ** irr*mrl for this displayoffraternal afection(Inftrmaciones Octobertg, lgZS) 14. Catholicscontinueshowingtheir disagreement thepresenceof the aberrantsituationthat wg '1 . havebeendescribing,it was , ln r'gadin thenewspapers lettersftom cathori"r trrui rito*"Jiltrit public indignation frequentto againstthe ' 'scandal presented by the dgyastatingecclesiasticr.w" gio, next extracts from two lettersthat werestarters of this generalizedstateof spirit; the ntri Jitrr.*,sienedby ..A parishpriest,,(who dpesnotgivehis nalne'fearingperhapselclesiastical sanctions),hasproforurdlyexpressive statements:

Againstactionsno argumentsserve:.tleprieyl -t.t who -" hwe atreadyconfessedand who are ", culpableof supportingthe MLN are several(. . ;. TheHierarchymustput an end to g1',1tt{i If theydo not do it, theyare calpablebefore God'thechurchand the Countryl (. . .). with theias,toi"u^rrt of theiermanent councit (the of June 12)theypreiendedto confrontthegovernment? , 'declaration (. . .) witt theypretendthen to saythat thechurch is persecuted? wiil tiry nir. tfri iudacity to pretend and appearas victimsof the FF.AA.?(. . .). I am aparish Priest and the elementalright that att thisbe ended,becauseall this thefaithful,assfslrme. There.aremanythings :'$qandalizes tharmustt, it*ira and corrected: thegestationandffision this pretended confrinliiiiwitn the Governmentthat thethree -of BishopsParteli, Rubiaand Baccinomade,onnit rr,*,oi, unpunished;one cannotsutindlethe urugutyancatholi,csyhom he astcedfo,ot^t7o, niZiir, the catholic daily, that wassotd by M' Partelito theMarxists. . . Thereir, ^ory serious things that must be clairJied(La Mafiana July4, 1972).

li,o.lr

t; ,'ti.;

108

questrons: thinkof theTupamarop-riests? whatdo the Bishops clergt' in thereligious think of theMirxist iniilftation in the - l(hat do the Bishops

';':: communities'

,i:'!i,';:"::tl;t::{:;iil

of thecathotichigh ofpotiticization growingprocess

schools?

and motherclive everydaythat manyfathers so that distress the lcnow Do rhe Bishops catechists *h"' teaihers'professors' t::t:o*plista *ii"t,'r';;;t;;""'t' chitdreni{ senttheir politt''tttngfor thebenefit Marxisu - ryriii'atrcally deform-'.'o1^'i""t - and evenconfessed (La MafianaOctober22'1972)' of their ideologt tir-riirotin, ona ror,tiiiitit"proiess? will not maketheirsthis voiceof How manyreaders,thinking uU*t theirlhildren' the youth! we cannot .u*.t ir,r andprofessorsthat comrpt distressreflectedin the reference,o theselittle ones ,fair reca[ hereonceagainthe divine wordst But he that shall scandalizeoneof to hangedabouthisnech ni^' ,iit o" ass'smiilstoneshourdbe betterfor weie it me, tn berieve that ri the depthof the sea(Mt' 18: 6)' and that heshould bi'iin"ta

l5...Compassionwiththecriminals,qrueltywithhonestcitizens'' Forcesalreadyhadvirtual controlof the Combined |972,the of end the Towards frank defeat' of the situation. ffre guenitla squadswere in men of armshad completeda valiant stage o* roppon, popular enthusiastic with gratitudeof the e,,rt. ."a orit ttrey couli relP the struggleagainsttt " "omm''i* "r;IJ;;l of this most with honorandglory duringthe course rJr.n their'n* of reflsome they country: at the sideof physical f;;triredoriinate r"*il;ry;h"bgird which in war of form recent violenceitself-andUruguaycounted*n.*heroicnamesinitshistory. catholic in contast with theseeventsand it is with But a stainshowedits bracknessmore to Bishops,galed by their elevatedmission u*g"uvan oi',rr. majority the it: sorrowthat we say werenot on the sideof the r.ia"* spiritual be the andtheporice;thevfailed ";;;;*'JCo*t*istLeviathan' Forces "rtnJfrght *"rd:IJ;;;;,";;,h;-G.J any giving theyomitted country; deafopposi,i* fot the action of theselatter' -a dislike their contrary, to see,on the "nJn

;#;;'ilm:ihr.'ffii;';*l"ffi,Jtt":,illi,Headorstatemarqnedatthe anaccusation Ge enunciatioiof whichconstitutes /r rastcentury,hadthis solemnpr,rur"ffi o* co*tty with relationto theguenilla: in arnurtutinJp'!"i" h. politiJs;i is the againstthe to or^ poii,'compassionfor the$iminals blood,it is nicessary orderto avoidspitting Junes,GarcfaMoreno'Ed' n?n::r_:!d;;;*rrt citizens("ptd.eronto cruelty agairut greatest "a.tdo 1975)' M**io, GuaYaquil,

109

,1i

Secondperiod

whenthedefeateltll;rlSit rawsinirsclaws Thedevastating clergy promotesanesthetizing distensionthat is hostileto anti-communism therebycreatingconditionslot u rurList reorganization of the devastatingE..r.ri"or;'jil;r"..edings

in rhis period

Theanti-communist lajority of our 9o*rry havingreacted,the Tupamarosdefeatedin thefieldof armsby the combined Forr., andthe,nou.*.nt, of the left proscribed, communism seesitselfobligedto rehactits claws. TheBishops'fansof the revolt tionaryprocess, alsoreadapted their conductin orderto promote'now' anillusionaryclimate of a relo,ltr." sleepandcreatesconditionsfor the reorganization "i[^ions that t""ari" i"u the counhy to ofthe Mamist forces. of the devastating ecclesiastical procedurefresentsthe following .nr.o*llmetamorphosis - Badwill ofthe Prelates oppositeto the anti-subversive military repression, presenting it subtlynotonly asinhuman,but also excessiveandnowalrefy superseded; glirelr clear'atthesametime' that if the authorili:s makingit fielthe complicityof the progressivistpriests with extent permitted

ffibou,'|]::jf,,||.*"

bvth-e h;, thi;i"til 6" Lil;;,"'puuri. opinion as

- while the diversesectors of thenationallife worked 'communist ideologicalinfilhation, thephilo-rraarixister"i"n, to purgethemselvesof the in the uruguayanecclesiastical structure continuedunpunished.Their condurt notui"pu*!.g,' discrete,'giving the deceptive irnpression of carmin Lonhast with

th; rdJ;i;

";,#t;

priorto rg73.'

- Preachment of a falsesocial abstraction l3utr: Fough a generalreconciliationthat makesan of thewar movedby Intern;tioni comriirniii'against the ch'rch andchristian civilizationandserves,in thepractical order,asan i*ruirnt to suffocateany religiousand civiI manifestati on of categori.a unti-.orn_unism. - Presentation of the uruguayansituationasif the deadTupamaroshowhad beenan explainable rebellionond,undercJttuinpoint, oruir*,;j;;t onecarriedout by idealistswith 'rnistaken methodsdespiteits charactet* * instnrmeni oi'tr* aggression of lntemational Communism beingamplyproved. - while theycreate.an atmosphere ofanesthetizingdistension,the pastors allow new andfluidapostoricorganizations lgroupsofreflectio;;;;^r-roots communities) to be transformed into a refugeof colteiiivisi tendenci.r *Jla"il anaa formingmeansfor new capable ofunleashing

#rrrt$:ffir:r*tr

turure ruuurJu,incidents inni*. a"orable

9 The beginningof the metamorphosis of the revorutionarycrerry . !973 broughtnewcircumstances,Whenthedefeatof the guenilla plansbecame ineversible,theTupamaromovementabruptlybackeddownuntil almostdisappearing completelyfrom the uruguayanscene;the subversionhid whatwas left of its mostferocious claws. TheArmedForcesalsomovedthento dismantlethe Communist conspiracyin the politicalplane' The fight againstthis aspectof thesubversion led the authoritiesto suspend,on June27,theactivitiesof the Parliament,usedby the Communistsandtheir auxiliariesasa caja deresonancia[soundingboard]of their permanentsocialagitation. Withinthesenewcircumstances, andparallelto the-hidingof the Tupamaroclaws,the actionof thedevastating ecclesiastics alsobeganits metamorpnoJis. fne op.n philo-Marxist fight hadbecomecounterproductiveandone seeswell that thiy felt the n..i to rehabilitatetheir strategy'Suchrehabilitationmustbe the objectof our attentivl vigilance, sincewheneverything is saidanddone,the clerical mechanismwasthe onethat sufferedieast i" tft" grneruf dismantlement of the revolutionaryforces. thir way,it alonekept a considerable operative capacityfor newimpulsesin the directionofFthe left. In this periodnow openingup, the leadingPrelatesof the CEU, even thoughtheydid not entirelyabandontheir preachmentof alwaysvagueandalwaysurgentegalitarian reforms,the keynoteof theirexhortationsbeganto centeron a singulurrrconciliation of authenticUruguay withtherepelledleft. on a parallelline, with a minimumof publicity,an attemptwasmade, througha seriesof actsof authority,to strengthen the revolutionaryspirif in the bosim of certainecclesiastical organizations andto suppress the foci of anti-communist resistance in the Catholiccircles. Thecharacteristics of this metamorphosis of the revolutionaryecclesiastical actionwill be accentuated in theyearsfollowing. Evenin this period,Uruguayansdid not hearoqeloneword from the CEU approvingthe dissolutionof the Mamist entities. If therewassomePirelate thatpraisedthe fact individually,he did it so discretely,thal it disappeared in the generalrhi,*" of applausefor the courageous attitudeof theauthoritiescomingfrom the othersectorsof nationallife. l. 'slnformaciones':quincenario"for a servantchurch" In May of 1973a new ecclesiastical publicationwaslaunched:Informaciones, quincenario at theserviceof thepastoratofthe whoreandfora serttantchurchasthe headingsays- underthe directionof thepriestpabloDabezies. . . It is enoughto leaf throughsomenumbersto veri$ how the new fortnightly followsthe progressivist orientation'so-present in previousperiods.'ihe publication,thatls direetedmore particularlyto restrictedambiences, desiredto be a link of unionbetweenthe differentsectorsof thePastoralled by thefuchdioceseof Montevideo. Whatsectorsarethese?Fundamentally, the swarmof "grass-rootcommunities.,, Throughthepagesof this publication,we canacaompany the ebbof the open ll0

the revolutionaryactionof progressivismtowardsthe smallandfluid "grass-rootteams"within for waiting gestated there, Church. The reorganizationandformationof "liberating"forcesis existing structures.already apostolic very The for public action. morepropitiouscircumstances areworkedon startingfrom discretedynamizinggroups,whoseactivity of leftist ideological fermentationis inteni, althoughnot very visibGlor the manon the street. We haveanexamPle confess, of this in MoAC - Movimientoobrero de Acci6ncat6lica structured,asits leaders with the new pastoralsystem.r in accordance In the presenceof thi difficult momentthat the revolutionaryprocesswasexperiencing,the useful what tactic did the brand-newquincenarioadoptto makethe progressivistdocsine and instructionsfor the managementof thr fight reachthe small fermentativenuclei? Not feeling the erivironmentfavoiablefor transparentlyencouragingleftist trends, teating ttuoughthe handling of national subjects,its orientationis more explicit in its way of the intern-ationalreligioirs news,publishedin the sectiondenominated"The hundredfacesof best Church."[n it are transcribedandcommentedon pronouncementsand attitudesof the Cdmara Helder Dom like left," knownleaders- ecclesiasticor lay of the so-called"Catholic attacks andthe red Bishopof Mexico, Mons.MCndezArceo. It is alsofed with pseudo-religious after also, and Bolivia like Brazil, Paraguay, againstthe regimesof an anti-communis!'Orientation 1973,Chile. September ; of rThefortnightlyof Mons.parteli bringsa revealingarticleaboutthe commemoration we lY'hat fiesta: the of e militant explainsthe reasonfor andthe tone an anniversaryof voic. (" '); the celebrateis the birth of thefirst $Isss-root teamof the movemen4twoyearsago teamsare the main thing lor MOAC fnd not the organization as such1.. .); oswe are to the enemiesof absyactions,ie wantedthe massto bea reiitio, of hfe (. : ). Eventsreferred causes tockof li6erty, to labor problems,to thesalarythatfalts short. And alsopointing out the (, , .)i" shoit the situationthat the countryexperiencet!. . .) today,for elample,in our country' theworpersare not allowedto profit nor to appeaseandjoin together,despiteall theadverse propaganda,in order to defendtheir cause. the The article comesiilustratedwith a photographin which appearsomeworkersduring is as .,celebrationof the Eucharist"holding behindthem a posterof the CNT, an organization, otus)'known,contolled by the CommuniG (Informacionesno.l2 October13,1973.emphasis special the following The MOAC (tnut in lg7l support"atfr. FrenteAmplio) established 15,19732The December celebrated intentionfor the InteLationaloay olthe Movement,to be in Chile oughtto worry zs. In this countryrthe LatinAmericanworker classwas Iatestevents making an effort to obt-aina more just society, WhilethinkingaboutChile,we oughtto and rememberay the brotherworlcersof other countriesand continentsthat sufer oppression do^ and frght the in we will havea specialthoughtfor ihoseworkersthat commit themselves not loseheartiespfte tn, alfriunies that thisimplies(Informacionesno.l6, December8, 1973; emphasisours). The sympathytowardsthe Mantist governmentof Allende, clumsily identifiedhelewith ,vorker class"*a quAined as a morejust society,whenwe all know the sufferingsthatit the broughtto the Chileans,especiallythe workers,couldnot be clearer. lll

*t*

when theArmedForcesandPolicemen of chile, iR a clearactionof saluspopuli, overthrewtheMarxistAllende- *tor" mandatewasiready consideredillegitimate generalityof thetoYly, by the 1othepoint thatthe-co"g"rr, ,l; Supremecourt *? the comptroller disasso"i"t"a

gftt#;l:hlff"blic

ttt*selvesF"* ar p*sident - rnformacionescourd not

Thehfeof thechileanpeoplewashard in these profound sociarandeconomiicriir. it, p"th;;;;;;'i', latteryears,stirredup by a very gorrrn*ent of sr.AIIendeaimingto realizea deeptrans(rmationof thet'1rw,^noa *riiioig internarandexternarresistance. what all of uswhowantedthebesifo, oui a*'rn.iproptryeared mighthappenseemsto 'behappening' Thelegatityhasbeenuiotn',oriin1nf,"*oirnt inwhichwewritetheselinesthe situationis confused andno onecanrule out between militaryandpartof thetransandine *tee;;;;bi-w,o/ltoodl confrontations the people..rnr'"iri'oicirre are'tnscirieiln tneframeof the ' crlticalsituationthqtLatinAmericai exper.iences, trurytwited by birthpangsthatin every wayforetelltheirnewbirth. Thepains lhe wil! "' tu obscurethehope, neverbeableto takeawaythecertain,y le qbie,ft, ; r;*, l buttheywitt ofn, nriri ioi ' AsLatin Americans, as (Jruguoyans andasinixttory wefeetasourcthedfficuttperiod thatourchiteanbrothersexpertenie rirrTol o.iii{,s;;trn'b er 16,r9?3;emphasis ours). Theunofficialorganof ttrec'ria of Montevio.oiarnrnt d, almost without.oo..alment, thefactthatthechileanpeoplehadescaped theMancirt.iu*r, displaying thehopethatsucha woulduetimporary. ttl'-t'rr.

;::il.'::te

rh;;;il;;;'il.

arrtinythattheydesire rorou

***

Afterall thathasbeenwitnessed, no ofjoy for the liberation :n: *^ogqexpectexpressions of chile to startfromthet.uJro ofthe cnqani tt rouo*err. on irr. contrary, knownthatthereweresermons it is and.onu.r*ioJri" ff;liiiil "i, schoolscriticizingthech'ean ii.il

2lnrelationto.th9 proportions of themoralandeconomic catastophe in whichthe govemment of Allendehadplturgedchile,th9iFfiiri.it"a, in r9r4,;;-h."rtive rlrnagazine studyin its Lepanto' tritd*ii coulduoiiytr,, t fere unpopulariry of the socialist andconfiscatory reformJortt r"trr. amongthe "*rodous most modest of thi brothernation;as alsotomeasure themultiformviolationof theyr,.i lgrrrr,rro were perpetated in barelythree Marxistgovernment, thattraveledlinle btit; towardsthedictatorship of the iffil$*:

il,

Brazit; t;;:;:;:i;##'{3ri{::;:m, propriedad Argentina; ilir,;i.re,, rrru.,iiof ,,#::yx:n,,!!:::::::y)':.c:!:l:cismo,of \adici6n,Famitia, cruzada orcoromu ii; ciroaor;;":iv;;ffi 'd[:i:.lflr':ltJ;iffi::r::"^ rradition, ili,if;l"r?jJ'Iif{:::!::::::":j}:i:t Familre et Tq.{ t*'"* po*r'Europe withheadquarters iili'lriiPr'opridtd inparis alsopublisrd,ht.,#; fl[,'

u. foundintheseatof theTFp(Josdscoseria *i.r 26i8 7g gs23).

popularandmilitaryuprising(El PafsOctoberl' 1973)'3 2. Mons.Partetiand his Presbyterycouncil nationalsituation

becomeapparenttendentiouslyaboutthe

givento the specific ce of Informacionesreflectsthe orientation while the appearan machine'an Episcopal ecclesiastical activityof the,""onl *d third tiers otit, progressivist the tonic notewill be in the directactionof documentof the dioceseof Montevideoshows-what of the devastatingBishops' the first hierarchicaltier, that is to say,the level .,Elementsfor ch,ristianreflectioni'wasin effect,the most importantecclesiastical a positionby the w-ragrydiffirsed,it constitutesa true taking of of ;;;;;. pronouncemrnt recentevents'a Archdiocesein ttre pie,.n"" of what werethen - beginsthe document- hning Montevideo of councrl Presbytery his and Bishop The of i" ini fiSn,of Faith, and ining receiveda series metto analyzethesituationof the ,offi tovtoce thesereflectionsat theserviceof all aruietiesfrom the community,,ottrrtiriy'iitn 'i I and menof goodwilL *fraternity'' Christians "justice"' frstparagpaphs: the in alieady appear points basic The three justice"Justicethat ,,peace."In the ,o*r.;ith. exposition,o* tttt what it unlerstandsUy all orderthat patrimony' As a conseqttence' obligesanegalitarian distribution of th, common ( engenfu! ' ') violencgJno' 5)'^ doesnot have iusticeas itsfoundation(' ' ') permits formulation

His ambiguous oddpointsof r.n..tion deliverfdirvi*r. Parielfequalityoi atttUeclissesandof tfrut*r"'il-uJi't th""'. of the tt i' tt sense interpreting of violince. The dilemmabefore " "-

tn" avoidance co[ectivismarethe conditionfor justice-a was nothing other than this' which the Tupam** *tt.d to put the Nation l deteriot-"tioo of the country is verified, Accordingto the document,;;;";?;tive moratcrisis, in the incessantlimitation of the shownin theeconomic,social,potitiial ind dignity of the human person,and thegradual freedoms,in thelackof knowledgeoi tnu coiqueredby our erders.AII of r so.arduousry destructionof our standards"f nd; ;;;d. of stagnation' is the inexorablecow,equence of thepastyear *ri"oyirg it _ the Bishops dependence artificial crisisinto subversion,asthe causativefactor of the ;::":::!ffJl-"1;st n'whinersof internationalleftism"to jperspectivasde Didlgoalsojoined the retinueof the experience'inthe editoriat"chile: bloodand weep.overthe end til;dnophic..6t[irru,. of makinga socialistsocietyis the will td rub "f enthroned.The viorence is It tears,,: "r;';*;fi; out bloodandJire(no.78 (1973)p' 218)' have a greaterimportancethan aThose..elementsof reflectiotl" or "modelsof refleotion" 'teams of reflection" andthe "grassmuch in the what it seemsat first glance.They areaiscussea more explicit by "pastoral agents,"!r3r aceuirea r"a. u..n having where, communities,, roots .pircopal responsibility imposes,therebycontributing critical meaning,one without the veils it ut communo-progressivism. to theformation*Jrupport of the squadsof ll3

whichourbountrywasthrown,is scandalously silencedonceagainin ecclesiastical documents. An omissionaggravated by the circumstance of not eventheminimumpraisebeingallocatedto theanti-subversive actionof the FF.cc. on trt. rlntt-y, the - military andpolicebehavioris presented in a veiledway asa focusof deterioration. J' As it couldnot fail to be,in orderto finish with this stateof thingstheycall the ildeterioration" of thecountry,the Bishopsdemandthe alwaysundefined andurgentprofound transformattons of t!1 structuresinforcL (no. Z). when theleftistrevoh.ltionaries wereremovedfrom the public scene,the Archdiocese of Montevideo continuedhammeringthg key of his a.**Jr in searchof, ashis vicar Generalwas saying,commonconcreteobjectiies,s a.The tonicnoteof future yearsappears:the great.jreconclsr encounter, Thefavoritetheme(so useful to the leftists) of the following yeaxsw4s insertedin the declaration: During this lastyear, the situationhascontinued to worsen,despitethefact that tkepopularowqreness gr^ew about th" ;t;dftr;great encounterin order to beable ryassively to carryforwardtheprofound transformatiowthat thi countryrequires(no.7). (. . .) we do not seeanotherwayoutfor this crtstsbut the all uruguayans that g) tive thLt country(no. -union_of In thesemoments many suller for the sake of beingfaithfut to God in their brothers. we accotnpany all of them.ffictionatetyand in solidarityf"o. gl. If onehasin mind that it was Mandsm andits lines that were being repelled successfully by the CombinedForces,andthat the document "*ili*y alludesshortly beforeto a deterioratiore of thepolitico-civictifi (timrtar;;;ii;;;;q etc.),onedoesnot know whatto thinkof thisexpression: the situatlon io, continuedto worsen,Really,for the leftist revolutionaries thathadattackedthe countrythingscouldnot be worse. was this whatMons. Partelilamented? on theotherhand,the documentcomparesthts dgteriorationofthe situationto the aspiration to an encounterthatheimaginesseeingin the..popular awareness.Encoturterbetween whom? Betweenthe onesthat are sep-arated, *. i*ueitUiio* then,the division that has rln Juneof

1.972,ont{epdio progmmo.Disparen sobreel visitante,,,a reporterasked ' Mons'PoncedeLe6n: Whatdiferenies and aflinities existbetweenChristians and Marxists? Marxistsargue:Let's not discissGod andyei trt, ogrrr-in how to achievejustice andpeace hereon earth. I,hat doyou think about thisstatemeit? Thevicar answered:(. . .) The final enddifferentiatesthe road tnTl and differentiates thevision

oftheroad.These twoortinrf uirionsby,h.i,fi,iul#ffi;;;,

nevertheless, meetontheroadfor the constructionof intermroiu[ rtug.; althoughthe vision may continue beingprofoundlydistinct aboutthe finality of trrat sameitage. The differencestherefore,arein thefinal end(' ' ')' lceepnoticing,tie construcinn-]socuty is a taskfor all men. There !!'I canbestagesin said constructionin which oneag"ee,iutty (. . .) (Informacionesno. 5, June , 23, 1973;emphasis ours). Thisis exactlytheMan<istideaof ,lfellow-travelerr'. ..

shakenthebountryin recentyearsis betweenthe Man<istminority andthe majorityof Uruguayans.In this way,this nebulouscall to theencounrerabout theprofouid transformations that thecountryrequires,sympatheticin appearance, by its ambiguousformulationandby the contextin which it appears,bringswith it a call to an a-ideologicalandrelativisticunionin Uruguay.Whatmorecould Communismdesirein orderto preserveits partisansquadsandits capacityto influencethana falsepeacewithout doctrine,haltingthe fight againstil in thistimeof defeat? The ecclesiasticdocumentgoesevenfurther. In effect,the allusionwithout greater explicationsto the manythatsulferfor thesakeof beingfaithful to God in their brotherswu seenin the periodasan insidiousinsinuationthat the anti-subversive repressionof theFF.CC. acquiredtonalitiesof religiouspersecution, whose"victims" werethepiogressivistscommitted with theirdefeated revolutionary brothers(VidaPastoral3T(1973)pp.tSl-tS 5);Ahoraluly 9, 1973 Informacionesno. 6, July 2l , 1973;Marcha h;/ry27, tglg;.-ph*i, ours). *frt

In the samesense,the CEU, that hapthehabit of secondingMons. parteli,on November 25,1973,with regardto the Holy Year,'isstfida documentsignedby Mons. BaccinoandMons. Nuti (Presidentand Secretary,respectivelyiof the mentionedorgani-zation)in which it demands moreexplicitly a nationalreconciliationconceivedin termsfavoring the dlfeated 1eft.6The new tonic,thatwith time could lull to sleepthe vigilanceof a peopleworn out by violenceand prolongedartificial t"*io-* ofthe Tupamaroshow,will alsoin this way be officially setloose by the episcopalorgan(cft. Vidapastoral +O(1973) pp.333-342). b. The episcopal'(strokeon the ruddero[*golpede tim6n,l is now not enough The documentof the CoadjutorArchbishop- recentlycited - had a greatrepercussion in the nationalcomrnunity. Readin the churchesof Montevideo,the documentof Mons.Parteliandhis collaborators broughtaboutlively reactionsamongthe faithful, aboutwhich P. JuanLuis Segundogivesan unexpectedtestimony. lndeed,the "theologianof liberation" in one of his articlesfoiMarcha dealingwith the characterof "revolutionaryferment" that ecclesiasticteachingmust now haveconfessesthat the readingof saidtext, written with the careof not seemingpeiemptoryprovopcd , in the maiority of casesreactionsproper only to a definition of a positton: iheabandonnent by entire groups of the placewhere Sundaymasswas celebrated. This lamentationon thelips of onewho would d9sir9that the ambiguousand "fermenting" text of discontentagainstthe new politico-socialsituationhadmet favorablegroundamongAJ fai*rnrl is symptomatic. 6Thethemeof the "reconciliation"in generalwasproposedby PaulVI - in his address of May 9,1973 the centralthemeof the Holy Year,io be celebratedin 1975. The UruguayanBishopsusedit, nevertheless, for thegoodof the new politics of favoringthe left, that theybeganto follow in this period. I l5

In iontinuationthe aforementioned Priestnotesthatnow it is not feasibleto think against the.testim.ony tltatlhe massof the christianscouldbe sensible to a strol<eof the .o{re1llA 'episcopal rudder(Marchaoctober rr, r973);emphasis ows). To changetheconservativeorientationof ihe laity is, for the followersof the 'ecclesiastical progressivism, a morearduoustaskthanrnuting simpleauthoritarianacts,although theywill usethemalso. Beholdhere,recognizedby the JesuitSegundo,thepersistent obstacleagainstwhichthe philo-Man<ists in the Churchclash:the majority-orthefaithful is unwilling anJ distrustful; if the progressivists appearopenlyandadvance,theywill draglesspeopleeachtime and theywill awakengreaterreactionsthanthe presento-nes.Many stepsbackwardandmetamorphoses will beexplainedasa functionof thesetypesof resistance.v/hat *"'dd i;;;;;"mmand without grass-roots to obey? It wasnecessary, therefore,to reducethecommuno-progressivist scandals.It wasalso necessary to look for subtlermethodsfor actingoverthementalitiesof the Catholiclaity, for the purpose of disarmingits stateof distnrstfulandvigilant spirit in relationto theprogressivist Clergyin general.And for this it wasespeciallynicessaryto manageto silence the voices potentiallyor actuallyconfraryto the ecclesiastical self-distructionandto Communismandalso capable of consolidatingthe conservative yajoritr, therebymakingit evenmoreunwilling. In thatyear,the most importantattitude,destinedto silencethe wrcomfortable opfonents, las thebolt of lighteningthrown by the CoadjutorArchbishopof MontevideoagainstFather Moreno.

3. Eloquentaftitude:the dismissalof p. Moreno In 1973we attend,actually, a despoticattitudeof Mons. Parteli in a deplorable attemptto destroythefoci of resistance of the anti-Mar:<ists. Not beingableto convertthe majorityof the faithfulto his new rwolutionary pastoral,he actedat leastin tt r senseof obaining the *unanimity" of passivityandof silence,while the ser{nonof ,'reconciliation"between the 'Uruguayans d, wasinitiated. In thecourseof thesesadyears,somePriestshadcometo constitutethemselves into 'naturalpointsfor the consolidationof the faithful, disconcertedand dazedbythe attitudesof the majorityof the Bishops 9f 9Y country.Numerouslaymenin searchof protectionandshengthfor theirconsciences startledwith the gloomyspectacleof "the abominationin the Holy place"(tut,. 24,15)thattheywerecontemplatingcameto thesePriestswho loved Catholictadition. Theecclesiastical leaders,woundingthesecentersof gravitationof the dissatisfied faithful,would breakup the imrnensemassof Catholicsthat met around them and in this way smoothout,asmuchaspossible,the pathleadingto the devastating destiny. Theseparation of P. AndrdsMoreno,from the Farishof SantaMagdalenaSofiaBarat (AiresPuros),thathe led for l8 years,*p qr bestknown episodeof intJeranceappliedby the ecclesiastical leadersof MontevideoagainstPriestsfaithful io the traditionaldoctine of the ll6

Church. Modest,joyful, intelligent,observant,lively andperspicacious, P. Morenodiffi.rsedinto his surroundings that anti-CommunistCatholicconvictionand he hadearnedthe affectionof his parishioners; the lack of meansthat wereavailableto him had not beenan obstaclefor his enterprisingspirit: from a simplegaip6n[?Jthathe hadfoundwhenhe arrived,he providedthe parishwith severalimprovements,standingout amongthema schoolanda generalhospital. All this zealandthis work did not keepthe Cuia from destroyinghim. Oneof thelacks allegedby the ecclesiastical authoritywashis failureto attendthe pastoral"meetings."Perhaps it is not recklessto imaginethat the shynessof this parishpriestwasequivalentto a silent accusation, a call to reason.It is easyto imaginethe dramaexperiencedby P. Moreno,feeling himselfisolatedin the midst of brothersthat appeared at meetingswherethe HugoAssmans, the SegundoGalileas,the Methol Fenâ&#x201A;Źsetc.werepontificating. \ a. Mons.Parteli pressesand wants resignation The Archbishoptried to induce[inr to a'Aoluntary" resignation.However,P. Moreno refusedto take this initiative, certainlybpcauseof understandingthat it would prejudicethe souls that hadbeenentrustedto him and that weretnrsting in him, and thejust causethat he was defending,aswell asfor the sakeof a legitimatelove for honor. If he hadtakenthe initiativeof declininghis responsibility,the Curiawould havewashedits handsandhe would havegoneoff asa pusillanimousdefenderof ajust cause,intoducing depressionamongthe faithful. Spontaneousand insistentpetitignsof the parishioners,affirmed andtentativerequests for mediationin the sensethat their ParishPriestwas left at the front of the Churchof Santa MagdalenaSofiadid not shakeMons.Parteli. The Archbishopdeclaredthat he had receivedcomplaintsaboutP. Moreno'spriestly work andfinally resortedto CanonLaw to give airs of seriousnessto his arbifiary attitude. The sanctiontook placeinvoking canon2147. It wassaidthat the allegedpassingremarkwastheone referringto the "hated of the people." On June18,an'tkase" of Mons.Parteliexonerated him. It is not our intention to discussherethe right of a Bishop to arrangethe parochial responsibilities of his diocese.We cite the fact for its charactersymptomaticof the orientationof the archdiocesanecclesiasticalgovernmentandits objectivedeterminationto destroythe possible factorsof anti-communistcrystallization. In addition to assertingthat he had receivedcomplaintsagainstP. Moreno,Mons.Parteli allegedthatparishionersof SantaMagdalenaweregoingover to Protestantism because of the distancethey had with their parishpriest. Really,the argumentborderson the ridiculous,as much for the notoriouspopularfriendlinesswon by the zealousparishpriest, asfor startingfrom areasarduouslypropulsiveof dialoguewith Protestantreligions. Suchareasweretransformed suddenlyinto intransigent"defendersof the Faith' . . . in searchof a pretextto punishthePriest thatdid not adaptto the destnrctivewindsof the left(NuevoAmanecerJune14 and2l,1973). P. Moreno could havethought- and so correctly! - that the beatnent given by his Pastorto revolutionarypriests,manyof themclearlycommittedwith the enemiesof the Church,

tt7

,wasverydifferent. b. Theparishpriestof san

Bautista(canerones)defendspadre Moreno

Anotherpriest'P' Antonio Pdez' ParishPriestof san Bartista(Dpto. outin defenseof Padrevr"*, canelones),came tr,tJugnu reuertorrao'n..p*.ti, puuiistreaby thepress,in

;; ;;;";in,,o,ioy,) li:l$';f ::#l*$l,t::fii:fmjy- in,he -

Thefactsproved- continu., p*irt p;;;; th, of sanBaurisra - thefarsehood accusations adduced of the for thedismissaiofp. Moren". ff. as well thatnopriesthasthe canonical obligationto go.to socto-p'olrtrcat.ii*rt'^Irr* "*"s much Andheendshislettersayin qheyarecaredpastorar. etrwifn^ notbeenria* igrryo nor thegroup (apparent of priests minoritv)thgt-relictrii-tiiio-potitiroiiiiioii rno aretheonesthat makeus outcasts'h hasbeenYou'seflor Bishops, in general fromtheorganic pastorarthatri oi'ioirii-;;;;;rffirrowhi are theonesthathaveexcruded us AmanecerJuly r9, rg73). c' other"pastora'rrr"iur.,

of thecoadjutorArchbishop

In thecourse of l973,thecuria

alsoaskedfor theresignation of padreyemi, padre andPadre Rivero't Jitr.. *r., ro,oointti;t ,,pastoral,, t" *irh ,r,, ili,ff directives ofMons. May27' 1973'anational

tributetookplacefor padreyemi in gmtitudefor his important andextended work. pi*r of d+years;a wasvery .rry.veryraur. lovedin thecapitol. ThePresiden!.of theRepubliiand r.ot i,ritari o-uorr* commission of Honorwhich

j,T[$rmful*';lit%enera,s*d";;i;;orthe.o*-i ffiffFi,l.'ilff,|':fl The

c'ria of Monteviato-** iot present at oppotemnityanddid not evensend telegram or a cardof supportto trteaci?z a zury BlancoApr' 4, rg73). **rt

Duringthe sameyearthe first attemptsto retire Fathelsghirla place'whichwasDrevented from his parish would take mom.ntarilt.o, *, r"..tion o"pJ* of support Perhaps' for the priest. Mons'Parteli,alieadf;;;; uy ttre initualt"tn against resolved FatrrerMoreno,may have to wait sometime tott in ;tarr to dismissrrri, o,rro combative *icorn unistpriest. d, A "brothercommitted,with the subversionis

expelredfrom the country . . .

Meanwhile'the FrenchPriest Louis celestinMarieRouveBenaud, beforebecause detainedtheyear of his links wittrth; i";*"s, wrs expeiledfrom the country by the civir

I l8

by the Curiaof Saltoto direct of 1970,_hired authorities.He had enteredthe countryin January theJuventudAgrariaCat6lica(JAc)(EtPa{sAugustl0'1973). - no word of censureappeared -_ Regardingthis..committed".Priest like-theothers just relatedis authorities.The contrastwith the casesthat we have from the Ecclesiasticar sonowful. f**

then'helpingthewolf' ' ' continued' thePastors transformed, Thenationalcircumstances had (Jesus) thosemurtitudes And-seeing Hownotto recauthemovingphraseoiG corp ert (M' 9' 36)? withouta shepherd on them,becaie'thry*rrt forWq */ ttkcsheip compassion Caitrotics,fatiguedby somanyyearsof violenceand Thegreatmajorityof Uruguayan of the *a t"ogi"g to r*ot ttt" implacableadversary pastoraldirectivesobjectivery*n"o* mayattract-intrt not too distantfuturethecompassionate y, perhaps Rerigionandof the sendtrue "o*t ti"iUft spiritualtormentpass9l'H: yJl hayeto lookof OurDivine i;;t:'iUt tiredof waitingfor pastors,in whoseshadewe mightbeablpiotakerefugeujui.r, rikechildren fai$ iitf{nromise thatthegatesof Hellwill not theirfather.r"r.ur*iir.,';th i"Ut9.r.*91e serenebut firmly' againstthedevastating prevailagainsttheChurch,we must.orlaioo.thefight, pro..tt thatnow adoptsmoresubtleforms'

ll9

i:i.:,gffiffi,:il:jff'-:

behind theeasing ortension, virtuar agreement: rupamar

In theprecedingchapterwe confirmed thetransformation that one beganto observein the revolutionary ecclesiastical comportmentbeginnid;rh rgf3. Inthe yearsafterwards,the conductof thedevastating Bishopsand.Prieis*qiir"a *fficient continuity anddefinitionasfor a recordof thewholeanda morqcomplete analysil. Beforegoingto studythis continuity d;il; its mostnotoriouspublic aspects,we cannot failto devoteone,chapter, aithoughbrie{,to thr;;fi;;tiol ora phenomenon of great lsychologicalinfluencein the nuio*t environment ,rr. defeat of the subversion. Thatobsessing atmosphere of bombt;;rd;, "n.r iup**o kidnapping, frenteamplista agitationandcommuno-progressivist arrogance, ceasedalmostcompletely.From 1974onwards, welived,- to put it like th6_ asif it hadnever,.t*;J. will this new-socialatnosphereor"*.Jt".rrdp-uuuly be attributedonly to the meritorious andheroicactionof o'r ArmedInstitutesi tit*g, part,yes. It doesnot seemcredibleto us,however, tt;tttil;" th, n"* rituution exclusivelyto the nobleanti-subversive fight' Thereis something'.**iu, and artificial in this atmosphere politico-ideological of calmthatwe cannotal to-conn^ rn. artificiality leads us, inevitably, fix ourattentionon the elementstdilrrir.g.rh.;;; to yearsconstitutedthe two main centers ;producing theterriblesocialtensionin wtrictr*. *.r. riuilg, the Tupamaroguenilla andthe revolutionary Ecclesiastical action. 'lrises: will we not be thepresenceoia behind tt, ,r.*, plar of thepromotersof the in commwlo-progressivist subversionandthe nervecentdis-Latpropelled the Tupamaroguerrilla? Indeed'for an attentivepolitical our.*.itttuitr"t r"g*ity almost to r*uggrrution,the eventsleavethe impressionthai an agreement of this kind existsthroughwhich the Tupamaros

to,t.i-uu.r-ri*ur*n.ousry, tri;ff:f:T:f"$Tffiffsiasticiirevolutionarvn'"0 in ""er't

Thisretro-movement leads, whgeverobservesjthe presentpanoramqto havethe feeling thatthethreat repres:lied., * rurh btth: iilffi;iffilthe progressivist clergy, completelv is anddefinitivelyput down. Aftrr tl;;;;i;"Jisnessingexremist tensions, such impression of absolute controlprovokesunconcernanosteepiness tr,h. zoxesofpublic opinionnormally battle-hardened againstthe communirittr.ut. rrr"r -* continuelike this, losinglittle by linle thewill to react' In th3 final unutytir, m. a.r"ut;f ,h" mentarhabitsof vigilance in the anticommunistpublicis manufactured in ihi, *uy. I";,h;;;;rds: the people that the bloody Tupamaro showandtheprogressivistpreaching did ooi *-ug, to conquernor convince_ one thed'anger,

ff#S:X:f:ffi'|,JJ.H*:g

nottoresist. rnthe*"*ti_", li, *o,r*inthe

It is not in vain that the greattheoretician of the art of warfare,clausewitz, wrote the well'knownsentence.that to conquerthe enemy,whatis mostimportant is to remove from thewill to fight. Andthe revolution"ry him for.., ir," 'But co*by know it we'. It is a matterof an hlpothesis. "t ".t.Jo* an hypothesis that-hasthemerit of explainingwhatis uRderstood with difficulty without it. It remain,r,.r. recordedfor discussion*i analysisby our

t20

fellow countrymen.The recenthistoryof the Communistsubversionand its ecclesiastical fellow-travelers, aswell asthe palpablerealityof theselastthreeyears,give it verosimilitude.r

I An articleof Mons.Balaguer,dtt"n

in 1970,castssomelight on situationsof this kind. The Bishopof Tacuaremb6wroteat the timel.Everyonespeaksof revolution;someseeing in it the sure meansfor the comingof goodstheydeslreand the elimination of evils theydetest; otherslookingonly at the violencewith whichsomeconfusethe revolution(, . ,) But we could askourselveswhat is understoodby a revolution,and if this mustnecessarilybe accompaniedby violence?Is it not morefeasiblewithout it? (. . .) Revolutionsare madenecessarywhen evolutionhasbeenstopped,for a moreor lesslong time,or whenit hasbeeniwoluted. Rapid andprofound changeis a compensatorynecessityforthe time lost (. . .) Whenthe evolution towardsthe good is stopped,this lossof time is compensated alwoyswith a revolution,that is ta saywith greater velocity andprofundity in certain subsequentchanges;and as thisstoppingof the marchof everythinghumantowardsthegood isfrequent,revolutionsare something inevitablewithin humanhappening('RevolutionandRevolutions,"in La MafianaNovember 29,

1e70). For Mons.Balaguer,the Revolutiontravelslike a river. Whenit runswithoutobstacles thereis evolution, but when somethingpreventsit from advancing,it exploits violencethat knocksdown the bariers, after which evolutioncontinues.The Bishop of Tacuaremb6doesnot considerthe hlpothesisof the failure of the Revolution.He imaginesit asalwaysvictorious. But, within this doctrineof action,whattakesplacewhenthe Revolutionfails? It is thepresent caseof the revolutionaryprocessin ou Country. In the logic of what Monsef,orstates,the Revolutionwill haveto beginagainslowly tbroughpeacefulmeans,accelerating little by little theevolutionaryway. That is to say,the violentway havingfailed,the Revolutionwill inevitablyseekin a first moment,the "easingof tensions."It doesnot appearto us thatsome ecclesiastic hassaidthat the "easingof tensions"or "reconciliation"is an obligatorystage,in certaincaseslike the present,of thetheoryof revolutionaryactionsetforth by theBishopof Tacuaremb6.Nevertheless, logic indicatesthat it is . . . Why do they silencethis consequence?

t2l

Reconciliation that callsfor the classstruggle

topromote asingurar Hf#il:ffiffiH1#,*i::::,,"Trrr*,J;;;tur ;, t{em rorm or

'', '

,1,,

it,something o7o,'ni,iQir ;;,i;;;-;;;;",{(;."wr"ff;,:,{'#i.' atftrm "rrtnt,,i,t,, m ^ ^ rhr t:,*::Hgt

asmuchto F * ,ffi; llr',i,n.,rtisreferring communisturuguayasto theMancisi minoJtl ol?. sameequarfootirrg,what antiacceptable' is arreadynot Nevertheless, theexpressionr ortrr. **ihuu, a unique function. *no'.ilto:'"T Nowwew'r see

harms,according tothepastorar Indeed, ream. T:?,1;i,!:i,!:i:::f:,:'4:";;; the"Guidetines forirnrrtion".";r,il'$iff;::###;:T:Zr^r:mr,r,

::I:::;;:nf serve attheinterpersonar ,:#:#:;;::;'n:;i:I^*i;;y"iV-*,heorensesrhisinpa*coutd [i$;r,li: rever. Atthegr"A h;;;i'.t;i;:';:rft::l'r;ffiof!*;:;r;, Itiliri,,,,r:.*'r'o";:,":::f riii,t, "*:i::y:r"i'",.9;;"ilreserve(...). 'i'.',,, ordissimutation :WaF" ,po,,,,,u:;';;;of:1:;:::ry':"'r:*{!"1';;i,;;;;;ili;'!*,, ofNorthern lreland, if thc;,rich,rr"y;;;;;;;;;;';:;;:;;#f:;f#;::;i;:r!,

iiil.::::;T:::,::':!,'::;::::';:!;#::i::;d;;;;;;'i,{"}*o,, '

tothe

or)econc*i,ron inhistanguage

,,, Actually,reconc,iatioi is emptiedof contentif it doesnot imprya change(. . t'rausformation .) of structuresthat frevent reconc'iation . , . lf the dominatingoott otoiirtop '1 tooting-o'ir* tn.i, interests,reconc,iation "sstbleforpart of is not them' If the onesdominated aZ,iirpona *rb visualhorizonand commit :rithonselves , norohrvfo, ti, trrr"or" i;;"r;;;;;;;'r"efrization ofparticurarinteresrs of the t22

iil l t i class,butfor the liberationof the completeman and of all men,thereis no reconciliation possible(p. 95; emphasis ours). ;' As is takenfrom the citedtext, the reconciliationconceivedby Mons.Parteliandhis ,l;,1 auxiliarieshastwo movementsthat areclosedlike pliersover the structuresof the country:the proprietors(called"dominatingones"in thetext) will haveto adoptan attitudeof capitulation; andin thesectorthat the documentconsidersthe "onesdominated"the "conscientization" will haveto takeplacethat will leadto workeraggression, fiuit of the politicizationof the demands. Suchan unilateralconception.isstainedby theprincipleof the classstruggleandis inspiredby a "critical" vision properto Mamism. Thedocumentof the Archdioceseof Montevideodoesnot mentionasa requisitefor reconciliationbetweenthe Uruguayans that the Communistsabandontheir destructive,antiChristianandanti-nationalideology. Theydo not call for the Man<istminority torccogmzethe errors themselvesnor to repair the harmprovokedby said error. Behindthe presentallegations,the futue programis alreadybansparent:the antiCommunistsaregoingto be placedagainstthe wall. It will demandthe recognitionof the errors from them andthe reparation of the harm. Havingdemoralizedthosewho standin the way of Mancism,andopenedthe doors,by meansof "reconciliation,"to the refumof theleft, all will be disposedto allow the left to imposeits socio-economic program,without runninginto the barriersthat previouslythe tnre Uruguayknew how to setup againstit. If sucha programcameto be realized,oru Country could wake up, after the pleasant drowsinessprovokedby a mendaciouseasingof tensions,seeingthe communo-progressivist furor reappear,having beenactively fermentedduring theseyearsin the fluid andmysterious "grass-rootcommtrnitiesthat occupypriority attentionin the currentpastoralof the revolutionary clergy. It behoovesto note that the PastoralTeamaffirms expresslythatthe presentguidelinesdestined/orthe reflection of dlferent groupsandpastoral agents- would be complemented with studiesthat would issueforth n Informaciones@,77). We will see,in duetime,thetypeof complementationthat the archdiocesanfortnightly providesfor the "reflection" of the "grasS-ioot communities." 2. Mons. Tonna: drowsinessof the anti-Communistdefenses OtherBishopsbeganthento secondthepolitics of the easingof tensionsthatthe CoadjutorArchbishopwas commandingin Montevideo. Mons. HumbertoTonnq Bishopof Florida,for the commemorations of nativeIndependence on August8,l974,sent a'message to the nationentitled "Letter from a Bishopto his brotherUruguayans.', After genericconsiderationsaboutour problems,which would be turning us ihto a desperatecountry,the Prelateformulatesa call for nationalreconciliation,without worryingto 'Hi$:r',, establishconditionsandbanquilly ignoringthe concretecircumstances of the county: genericwords- andevenmorehis omissions- weresuitableto lull anti-Communist defenses to sleep.(VidaPastoral45 (1974)p.273). Mons.Tonnafollows herethe line of conductobservedby almostthe totalityof the

r23

,:i

Fr'qmhis ex'ile,Mons.Mendiharat

speaksabout..reconciliation,

considered it opportune message toderiver lffi#"?:"*il:llff*?T*:-*l,l* about,,reconciliation,, his io the faithfulof theDii oceseof Salto. . . Hedi

sainr orthe .l'i'[Hflffi;,.uauiil*}"'l:;GXH#:ifr Diocese, ?i*::,**i :l *:1llf:ii.',!'l*n :i#,T#:J,"jff :.'3i*,:fiil1{"t1.:ff 8;tr.tr; celebrating theHoly year.

rndeed, wecontinue T:;:,;:i::;i"x::i#2:;::::::,,j:Tjl:111. tws: seeingwi,h

;;';;;;;:;#:#';*,y:r:i;::::,;';': : l:: :i;:"; ,,';#::, x!:;'r,:' !::!/ r,ltw::n;:":ru1!,i,{*:wi jii,i,fi:i'fw:;;:x'::,{.i::(i; u,not become para,yzed byrear; , ,;ffi:,Tff1:^!:i"ni1';,:,x{#:i:!'!i'i!:i;i"l:, ffi*:i;':il1,T;#.*;*r,*:i'ii.'""'il1'Jl#it;i:?#rffi ij;,l,T,i pasror , supreme ofalrofusar,d;;;;;;;;;?1;;lT;3fiIrtl r,

\i_.u.:q...vovJ cvvr)/nurure, tkat conspire agaiwt peorr, porioni*d

rrr-icitiation

(. , ,); our

ourconfidence in Christ

!:d

e.u.en Y:r:T:;:;X;i:::r^"y:S;y:*lly,s thehatredexisting

omission about thecause oftrredivision

-fi'

,;,,, wnar ffi;'fi;::ff}"* rsknown, forhisdeparrure S";:#r,':::,::: T' Pi"d; fro1ihe..o*q^-For;_ff;.illdffiJ.#ffiilT ' uulnin," wirhout anyauusion :ffi,'ff:.Tj'#:"*.*X1",::::Tonesbuly tothe ir:,,,rePentaglTl^yg?.ir :.,""?; cutpaUte. "{th.e ;;:o.lrcgunrymen,startingfr omwho ,T:i.ftA:..t;"*t"*a:*:,r"fi

,ffi:I$H,f,;.T,'.:mi"::S*:":.::g,i:,1',::;Uilf-HffJ

i.l];ffi ffif;f;;:""**;, ffi illffi#:;,ffi:TffiHH,#,*i# ;H"",

,,thebroadest 4. Amnesty, possible, A yearlater'theBishopof Florida addressed tus(Jruguayan brothersagain, concerning thesesquicentennial-oiti" thistime o..t*tt"r;ffi"";rt nal-Independence. ' --':l'servantchurchgf-t" countty'l His message wasa littlemore trr,rr. fid tom it hasa spegialimportance, /ear tt, previous "*pti.it sinceMons. "i, of a diocese panicularly linkedwith o,rstoty, iu,nfot*ily r"*q in additionto Bishop exercis"i"r-rrr" timethepresijencyof thecEU. ThePrelate returnsto touctrthJrecontiling Let oithe waysetin vogueby the tuchdioces e:trpermitmyserfto iit"' o capitorine ," iii ir"i,' i oraer (Jruguryaw we to exercise thevirtueof magnanimity, propose .tnat tt"at, ot ioria n*rffirrion ino l--s;nd possible,within of the broadest adviiabteti^tu.-' so nir, ,i" r-,iffi""Qt.wgyds "-ourty weUruguayans, havingbeenstaunched, in nationar,o^^*,rior,.mighirrir;;;;';i, birthdayof thecounrry,ou, gammon Mother(vidapastorar50(1975),p.2rg;emphasis ours.).. t24

Moirs.Tonnaasksfor widespreadamnesty,within what is advisable.Howeverhe,lbaws .i, 'and theadvisablelimits somewhatvague. To askfor a measureof repercussions so concrete 'rr ,': I ''r . ,,: ' :l profoundasa widespreadamnesty,invokingonly andin a genericway the virtue of magnanimity,is a seriousimprudence., harmfulto nativeinterests.Did the Presidentof theCEU . , forget that magnanimityis the virtue by which oneactswith grandeurand not an empty sentimentalism or a suicidalingenuity?.Mistakesof this naturein a man so highlyplaced'arc,hot, admissibleandserveto exercisegreatpressurein favor of the non-ideologicalrelaxationof . ,u '',. tensions,favorableto the retumof Man<istforcesto the nationalstage. 5. The Bishopof Mercedestoo: ..Reconciliation, a seriousduty" On August25, Mons.AndrdsRubio (transfenedrecentlyfrom the Capitolto Mercedes) delivereda sennonin his Cathedralalsocommemorative ofthe Sesquicentennial of the Independence. He insists,in his way,on the anaesthesia of reconciliation:Wewantfor everyrirte, without distinction, thefull recognitionof their supremedignity, the greatestrespeitfor,their' inalienablerights not separatedfromunavoidableduties(. . .). I believethat in the presont time of our history, we Christians have the duty of contributingto the commongoodof our Countryby livingforcefully somethingthat is in the heart of the Gospelmessqgeana oyihe savingworkofChrist.'reconciliationt (Vida Pastoral5l(1975)p.280; emphasis fromthe original). Our compatiots intuit that for the CommunistPartyand its auxiliary lines, afterffts: ; , defeatssuffered,the politics of reconciliationis the mostadequateand,we would almostsay,:tlie ; ; , only viableone. .,ri : ;;i,'1 Did not the Bishopsperceivethe same? In the most recentyears,this word, whosemeaningis in itself legitimate,hasbeen transformedintoa..talismanioword,',loadedwithrelativism(cfr.PlinioCorrâ&#x201A;Źadeoliveira" Inadvertentldeological Transshipmentand Dialogue,Ediciones"Cruzadq" BuenosAires, 1966). A psychologicalartifice of an effect analogousto curare that certainnativesput on the point of their arrowsto paralyzethe activitiesof their victims. 6. A collectivePastoralLetter - The destroyerssharing in the reconstruction? In addition to the personaldisplaysof severalhigh-rankingpersons,the entiretyof them joined the voiceof Mons.Parteli. DatedOctober12,l975,the CEU put theweightof its prestigeon the scalesofthe politicsof reconciliation,publishinga collectivePastoralLetterin this respect.The absent Bishopof Salto,Mons.Mendiharat,in a missiveto the Presidentof the episcopalorganwas. surprisedthat his narnewasnot amongthe signerssincehe had senthis approvalini tfulrelyt ''' fashion(VidaPastoral 52(1975)p. 387). All theotherBishops- withoui exception+ stg4edtli, i

the document.

A first text, whosedistributionhadalreadybeeninitiated,raiseda lively reactlonftotir the

t25

li',.' ,nqrreprl ,,

some rhe editorial qllaeraRhs. of vida pastorarsrates that

jq"3#'*li"n;fi j ffi ?#;'J:ff ,n:i;;T:'"'::::::o::^:::l:$:11lrTi #iffi ?r, ;i#ffffi:ff;,"Tffi;trffi; ffi;;ffi,ffi;ffi;; il:"*::,,:1.",::,Y^1._to:lt*d tha

zli-+-it^..i:^-

^r-t

A l.L----r

ffi;"

'Eseevtw rrersureuLU' urs scntral tOgZ$ mat gtVe feleVanCe tO

relevance

ro ile accertanlg wourd read our nation to ruin. obviousrv, it was 1ff":'":.H:iifl:"':ffy:]1l1rt ideasthatresounded because of theirclose lmarrt

4ro

^^-^.:_^i,^n ano"-^Ll^

.rrt. ^!,;;--:

relationwith tn. nutioi'ul"jf,tT,ttlu,

*f#;:"tral sifuation.

Indeed,thedocumentsays:-Izorder to build "':' thenew (Jruguayon thefoundationof an outhent.ic social.peace, it will bi necessary to abandonthephilosophyof hanedand violence,to 'rFgo'gnize 4tithhumili|ythe real errorsand banishthesptirito\uirigri. ,'' . .1. lye believethat in 't'hetimeof reconstruction it is more importantto look towardsthefront than towardsthe rear. , (' ' ') wepermit ourselvesto ^iln aVaternil ,oi to all uruguryans, in orde, that, inspiredin love,on afoundation ofiustice ind evensupersedingit with the virtue of magnanimity' let us.stimulate gn elibcfivenational rectnciliation (. . .) securing,even, all '"' thecasesin which it possible, is ii- accordancewith thegeneratintereit and theproperfor ; 'pportunity't!'reincorporation of the nationat life or-tn. onesthat were arres tedandare in ;a"positiart to bereinstatedto thepeacefuland hard-roikirg rocial life of the country(no.23) 'i,(/i ti daPyt or 52(t97S) pp. 3gZ-: S3; emphasisours). 11 r; Thedocument containsa dangerous tergiversation or evasionof the situation. i once morethe Episcoput".it., scandalous r silenceaboutthe anti-christianideological deLienlof q. red sect premeditated its ,.,,onthusiasm ebout aggrerrion ouerUruguay,as well asits T9 for universal dominion. I The subversiveviolenceunleashedagainstour counby oannotbe, licitly, presentedasa naere localquestion'This is to hide the-truthandto plant --- -a fatal illusion;1il; only favorthe of.C$rtiT Civilization andof our County, ,:,enemies 'i '.' , omitting this fundamentalreality,the text oitt" Bishopsdoesnot appearto considerthat thereconstruction is madein a-countryin which the destructionrealized by communism pe'netatedeveninto the Churchand artfully and meticutouslymadethe most of the weaknesses of our.society, especiallythosetendencies to blindnessin the presence of the forcesof evil. would thePrelates uponmakingtheir veiledrcqu"riro. amnestythatthe agents !1stt of all that destruction werefugitive or anestedMamistsandtheir auxiliarylines? Do they believethatthe

theythree ht;l;enough :;*#*i,:jj.,::3::'l:1.oyl'u decades andthatevenin theseaays

toransfonn designs ofevil

ofpr"r, millions l*'1 T$llld.d{ne "fh;;;;F;:;'' i , manypartsof theworld?Doesnottheattitudeor'Crut"-communism sayanythingto the qrw vr -:r"vr'e, uats'eLrJ ur rndo-chiry ursu-\-runa ::,i:i anC the th.;;;ase feCent CaSeOf of Angola AngOla in Whigh in whichWaS wasCOnt contained :: ]:Tf::: P::g:gt.of Td so treachereus a participationin the optimisticandrJ.ial

i1 , ri ,r surrender? TheBishops

t.ndencyof westernsectorsto

in anoptimismthattheydonotjustify,in

lt:"t:y:^1l9::ut,inspired thereconstruction ritr'til;;;ffiil;i""1'n"*^ ,,,lr jl ^:lt^lg* in ,,,,', '

'l-l2-

--:.^,,

I"fi|ffi Iil ,",i,iliiiil"il;11':fffri1L:

r,r

;+ putsthemobjectivelyin this way, evenin th.r. r...ri y"*r, asfellow- travelersof Mancism

t26

publicly' thatneeds'therealizationof suchpolitics in orderto returnto act manyuruguayansseea path makes In this ,rrutiuiri r*ing of iensions,commonsense effectsareprodueed,it that leadsto a futurethat is not at all ausficious. once their corrosive as History shows'neverwanted will be diffrcult to closethe doorsto th, Murcovitepuppetsthat, while, they would try againto destoy reconciliationr"trr. trrliunra"rr"uy hold power.niteiL thefoundationson which our societyrests' ?. Is the |.liberty of the Church,,threantenedin Uruguay? to defendthe III designated The combinedEpiscopaldocumentalsohasall its Chapter "liberty of the Church." be zealousin sustaining' Recallingtnre principlesthat obviouslyeverycatholic must itsetf, suchas it wasdone, their insertionin trn .ont"111ofou realityandof the document awakensperplexitiesthat arenot small' TheYarisefrom the following: or promotedthe tragic a) During all theseyearsnearlyall the Episcopateienored i*pr"rsive leftist transformationof ecclesiasticalserf-destnrctionof progre*i"irt otigin rna tlir helping Mancistdgsienl' the structur., of tn Cturctt, with itt-.ont.qo.nce of on give any guaranteeof b) Neither the Episcopatenor the documentthat weiommented makethis reality cease,a reality that not only constitutesa measuresa".ign"Jio "frr"tinety threatfor the ctrurch but alsofor the temporalsociety. liberty of the Churchn c) In this chapterin which the Bishopsseemto considerthe mandateieceivedfrom christ to uruguay threatenedthey haveexpressionslike these:The the riberty to do it: liberty that must announcethe Gospei,r"^ the ihurchthe right to enjoy useof itfor thefulfillmentof her be respecteaW oitiiiThe certaintythat the ciurch on[y malces with of alt m?ry' \9 see-therefore completereligiousmission,infator o/*, wholemanind of the church is an obiectof sorrow and displeasurethat at timesthe evangelizationactivity connols(no. 28) (id. ibid. emphasisfrom the original)' suspiciono"a of "iiitilied andof uniustiJied It is clearthat the chtrch assuchcannotbe the object of suspicion readsas "evangelical"preachmentin controls,neverthelesswhat is thereto think aboutwhat one aboul what takesplacein certain the weeklytnyormaiiones forexample? What is thereto say ,.grass-rootcommgnities,,and aboulthe canonicalimpunigin which the communs-progressivist stay? ***

andpartialities*?t ft The episcopaldocumentis written in this way with suchomissions It tendsto proteci,objectiveryspeaking,the germsof leftism is a sourceor gr"uiupprehensions. of the temporalauthority' in the ch'rch againstthe legitimatesuspicionsof the faithful and

t27

8' secretaryof the Nunciatureasks for the liberationof a Communistleader i Theepiscopalconductencouraged thesecretaryof theNunciahre,Mons.Guy sainh Hilaire'to go evenfarther. The vaticai diplomat,in uuoi.n.. with the Ministerof Defense, requested theliberationof the communistieader i"rg irir-rtaassera,sentenceJ to prisonby the Military Justice'As is known,tututt.o was,in the absence of Arismendi, the most important leaderof Communismin the Country, The scruff! attitudeof the Priestalmostprovoked a diplomaticincidentbetweentheHoly soeanduruguay(Et PatsJanuaryzo,igz6j. A"hJ;hi. rater,Mons.Guy sainr-Hilairewas fransferledto Syr-ia. 9. Removingthe wil to fighh the circre aroundmilitant anti-communism

*:::Tj":Ij::::-T,1"Fciently

1[iiq;,;j,,:

r ',

hiddenandrhemoreshocking publicexcesses of

;ilri,;XT,il,'":':ffi ffiH::,'ul,,* wesaw,to a politics i:'"":A:::"*9'"*Y:y,I;i{*ht;;il;;;;:".ffi of theeasin pu"inoiio", tending to lull the anti_ l,l,i?l:jlllj:l:,:.j,:l* T*,s."ftensions.and vv$u'srv-PrvErsDDIvtSfnnOWln

(l urel

Communistmajontyto sleep. T rh.*-^_:.i^.r-:^-":;

."ge Jhis

ruqJurrry majorityu.lq hadusEn beenslgatrly,fetrUctSlft crearry i.lo.tutti

in felatiOn in rerationtO to the theIe: leftisr

wayamons tr,,outionJo.* starting g:.,*o in aspecial withthe ;[.,:li:? ff::$Hr'in 1967.

of reconciliation,'ror'u.rurE, insinuatingru in the ure mlIrClS mindsOI of tne the uUruguayanS thg illUSiOn lle_laneuaee ^i,, ,,i^,,rj :.,^ ;^__: _.:v-..,

i'" ri".pLJr}*i,r,agrowing il[Tl'Y"::*.*',:3*::*r:*;'#il;'ilJffi iflffi:fff;iil;lr:lli:i:1v;:j.'l?}Tplri,",:*. Jil:lffi q"ffi :::;T$lf, :ffi-* ":;"11i::::tg"11dilitfiF;**,.H,r"flo1"illHffi ;:tr" ritl;11ff";1",?ff j".iid;;;;fiffi;dffiffi 11i.,,,,1,:nj:'X,:f:?^*i9:-T::",1 fl ffi':ir"frffi ,'TSJ alerting rli.,,"., ,,

iiirr

apublic opinion already itsownffiripitgrrivism anaco#,rllffi]t#:ffi:"r. {.

someinternationalfactors,independent of the uruguayansituation,concunedto make thestateof mind conduciveto us that the anti-anticommunist andthe easingof tensions preaching of theCEU wasencouraging. one of themwasthe so-calledpoliticsof ddtenteb_etween the greatwesterncapitalist nationsandthe communistworld, in which th..*-wurt Germanctraiceitoi willy Brandt stood outfirst with his oyy1ti.tft,.tryi"ti"iyd. all its strengttr-beginning with the visits of the ex-North PresidentRichardNixonio Pekinguna rraolo* in 1972.Nearbyus, Gral.Lanusseand ".s-merican his diplomacyof the "fall.of ideoiogi.ahni.n,;;;;with tbe govemmentsof Alrendeand Fidplcasro' whichcontibuted u gi.ut deal towardsdisseminating in o'r neighborhoods an open arrnsatmosphere towardsMamism,canbe mentioned. And therewasanotherfact,perhapsmost influentialin the catholic countries.we refer diplomacy of the u"tiog of tensions ,:t'9t.v11it".: with the communist governments. '"'l'rdeed' this diplomaticattitudeof the Hlotys.r.atsra u qu,,tion: if the vatilan hasa diplomatic

t28

openingwith the govenrments dominatedby the materialistandatheisticsect,will it not be opportuneto proposean analogoussofteningtowardsCommunismin the intemalspheresof ths Westemnations? In this way,theseelementsof world-wideeventsaccumulatedto makethe disarmament of our mindsin the presenceof the enemythata shortwhile agospilledblood andspreadtonor in our Countrymoreeffective. it*

In April of 1974,Mons.Casaroli,Secretaryof Councilfor PublicAffairs of the Vatioan, visitedCuba. Sucha tip, becauseof its aspectsof propaganda in favor of the Casto regime, causedenonnousshockin Uruguayand in all Latin America. It was one more link in the chain that constitutedthe Vatican Ostpolitik. On this occasion,the TFP usedthe pressto spreadthe manifestoentitledThe Vaticants politics of the easlngof tensionswith the Communist governments- For the TFP: to ceasethe fight or to resist? The declarationexpressed the perplexityof the anti-CommunistCatholicsin the presenceof sucha politics that setbeforethem a painful choice:to abandonthe fight - what in consciencethey could not do to resist respectfullywithin the frameworkof canonlaws. Adopting the position of resistance,the text clarifiedthat this would be exercisedin the sensein which St. PaulresistedSt. Peter,astho Apostleto the Gentileshimselfrelates(Gal 2,ll-14). What is more,the declarationof theTFP emphasized that thepurelypolitical arenaandstill morethe diplomaticoneareoutsidethesoope of the charismaof Pontifical infallibility that its membersand cooperatorsadhereto wittr venerationandwithout reservationof anykind (Et Pafs Apnl lS,lg74).1 A few weekslater,the TFP publisheda specialnumberof its magazine,Lepanto, containingan exhaustivearticle aboutthe failure of the ChileanMd*ist experience,This study, written in a sereneand respectfulway, showed,amongother tnrths,that the applicationof collectivistsocialismthat devastated our brothercountrycountedon the decisivehelpof Cardinal Silva Henriquezandwith a largepart of the ChileanEpiscopateandClergy(cfr.Chapter9, note 2).

10. Limitation of the anti-Communistactivitiesof the TFP In the climate oeated by the preachmentof "reconciliation" by ArchbishopParteliand the CEU manygroupsandpersonsthat hadfought fervently in the civil planeagainst Communismin prior yeanlnow dissolvedpeacefullyor kept silence. The anti-antiCommunismof Ecclesiasticalorigin producedits effectsin this way. Their consequences were felt evenin high offrcial spheresto sucha point that public opinion was surprisedwiththeunexpectedmeasrrreofthePresidentatthattime,JuanMariaBordaberry rAn analogousmanifestoof resistance to the Vaticanpolitics

of the easingo.ftensions wasalsopublishedby the TFPsandsimilargroupsof Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Spain,Co,ltrlnbia, Bolivia, venezuela"the Unitedstates,Ecuador,France,Germanyandcanada.

t29

r' underwhoseordera stateof domesticwar against Tuparpatoterrorismwasestabrished. . . The of State decretd,

,Q'h'ief

;; Mil'i,igrq,rrre iesuicti"ioiitr,.public .""aili"rthe TFp,basing

ilv"*'*,"v **,o;,;;-;,he ctimate ii H:;'Fi'",x[:ffi.T,1*nt::ilffi:l$ '

Thatis to say,theTupamaro-progressivist aggression defeated for hardlya year,the ' devastating clergyhaaateaoymanaled-to create.i".y.i"r"gicalsituationsuchthata circle of whoever maintairied

anioeotoff"i-re"rirary contury-.rr,.redsect was

, fi!fifrTfft:,lt]

TheTFPthensenta letterof respectfulprotest to thepresidentagainstthe very unusual decree'publishingit afterwardsin the prer.. Thi, perhapsmayhaveinfluencedthe strictness th" applicalions of ofsucha measure,thatwe cannotfail to consideruqiust,to be obviously under tr'"

ffi,il:f$*|ii.:""

o'a"'orsr.BordJfi A; reader wil nnatheretter oftirerFp

ll. The s.reconciliatiou',with padre Sghirla

anti_communism j: scare was what happened ji' *i,r,, w,ith P.ffiH.JsifriHrr,**i::,Tx,1l*l*d Alcides sghirla. Many anti-Man<irt cutr,onrr;;;;;;#'ffiTilrft:frTff1tr ''il Here itoo themeticulous X'iil[l,[.,*:*l,'31:f::,H1:1i.".ue';il1o***o-orogressivistravings. politics ofliquiiation orthJroci ,rr"**il;#;Xn}#ruH:-ff:t tgthecurrent tactic of ideplogicar andmorarluling to sleepmustbeapplied. successive attempts to removeP. thereactionof theparishioners, led toreferto thecasef4dtbj";il-;y in theco*.il oritate. TheArchbishop did notdelay 3t##lH*ff:t* ' I takethelibertyofwriting theselinestoyou to show-you whatlfeel uponreadingtn the 'newspaper El Pa{sfromlastsuirday thechargisthatI inrderstand y-oumakeagainstme,upon referringin thecouncilof stateto 'ithose whi seemdriventa sacrilicep. Alcidessghirla.,, It surprises meto seeyou' alwaysso thoughfutandeiei,iiiara, expressing yourself in e manner asunfounded asexcessive' I assurtyoi esteemed doctor,thatI do not t di tnovocatton â&#x201A;Źxecutioner to sacriricearryone, and lesstlyn tessiprirrr'(npafs February23, 1074).of an Thefollowingyear,despiteMons. ,aocationor-*'.*ecutioner,,, fartgli T, h";Gthe thpdismissal of P' sghirla** u fact,seen by theaian r .i*, actofpersecution and intimidation'Thenewspapers published at tiratti-. Jgrincantletterfromthecarrierof thecI " r.w.o letrers, writrenin respecttul terms,to Mons.

fiTnlililff#"T]*.1:jH:Tilh"r;;-,';;aJ.i;1i".*-"ril;#J,?il,# ::;'trfft':Hil,; iil:*::'li:.*'*m::::ii:::.s::Fi;il;qp*il:;ffi "*:,T"*:r",:*T::-:i_o1se1t

rti*ies;;

5;1;fjj,i:r;i:

'ff;ffi:i;#Jffi:iffi.:i

or thecommuni stparry in *:lg:g..T::: :_,,iG Fud.Syt.rs

/ffit ..r toanswer theretters orthe rFp.(rhe,..Jri*rjiffi;ffilffi:,ffi:f:l? li:"riffil"en appendix). lhis time even to answer the lpffa.o nf +L^ rnn

130

interpretsthefeelingof a greatnumberof Catholics. 1.045.262:which as A few daysagi, the decisionof Mons.Parteli to removeP. Sghirlafrom hisposition particular. parish priest,hockid pubtic opinionin generatandfaithful Catholicsin sorrow. Causes:thiy are so chitdishthat theyshowvisiblyone Destination:silence, loneliness, positionof the reason- mostserious for Parteli - and it isprecisetythe anti-Marxist priest (La MaflanaandEl PalsNovember26,1975). questioned prior to thisCruzqdaCatfilica,in an expressivemanifestoentitled"El PadreSghirla" decision Testigode Cristo,,,had alreadyexteriorizeditsLnergeticrepudiationof Mons.Parteli's to removeP. Sghirlafrom his parish(El PaisNovember14,1975). The TFF, in its magazineLepanto,alsohadoccasionto commenton the lamentable for 1975-76,"Conrpassioh anitudeof Mons.partetiititttr caselcfr.Lepanto,December-January subversion:subversivecompassion?").

l3l

l2under fhe mantleof reconciliation a newrevolutiouaryadvanceis prepared:.,groups ,r fl,lection" of and ,,comuuidades de base,or,.grass-rootscommunitiesD Theanesthesia of the uruguayansocietyandthe creationof an atnospherethatmakesthe :i'deological militancyagainstcoti"rrnism-hard to r*piuin, tave not been,despiteeverything,the r:onlyconstants of the metamorphosed revolutionary I1 thig respect, ' ,t "1i"".circumstances onehearsUruguayans of different - that felt the devastating shudderprior to 1973-;nder in tt. prrr.o., of the newpubricfaceof progressivism: can it be that thesemenwho favoreatrr" of the Marxist causesomuch "iu*ce

[KlT':ffH:::i'#.t_"r'ew

moderate sryte?will theynotbeprrp*ir,!,a*i,,ganapparent

Indeed'the symptomsof this preparationexist. we alreadymentionedthatwithoutany fanfare'therevolutionlT process,iniarge measurs, madeits effortsof ideological-proselytism

HL*}j|X**

thediscrete *i rt*aio controlmeanders ofthesacristies iid apostoric

In fact,while the

;

n:li",l lifeentered intoastage of ideotogical

;il'#;,",*;#trJiffi ::H.,1" ;$:lii*"*Hi,l*::::l:Ti:::igF,:i"nil.ffi r:selerating breath from penehating the ecclesiastical ::l,ly:i::T.I1,111":lT'*r:1.,he

;riii: .'---------"..'

euuuu4ls ure Maf)(l$ mlllfration in its "vrAut6 rv llT,:*::':iT:lg: respective areas of inJluenr

il;ffi;ff#:JfH,:Jfi: ilr,,fltly.',i:i3-::i::inionaitr,oueii;ffi iA;ffi ana c"ntinued intheirmajoriry !vtv,

l,l;ill3l',#?*:t:::1',",1*^,:5j_!t"'sy .r ure Du'r'gser uts mlters. laiv , r--'--- v- "'rrv'rsrw lo this way,

Lttg

occupying

ff ii"rlffr",*, ffi ,:*m:,T"Ti]lT$il?ii,#:trh:Tl'lX":Jffiiffffi apostolic instifutions

that, i i l }tght to bea fermentof gopd,:ue now open,in oneway or another,by religious leaders 'ot^onousto theirhigh mission,to beingu ..trg. rot c6lectivlst .,ial,g"rlt}an hends. it,,

'trnorigin of the expression"comunidadesde base,, or,,grass-rootscommunities, racc0rding to Mons.Balaguer Amongthoseorganizations the liitle "groupsof reflection,,andthe work teams of theold apostolicstrucfures configurednow as"comunidades de base"or o.grass-root communities,, have a specialrole.

3i?llllll',T::1,.":i;:*::.:1"_.:,

theconsti*,lol ofsma'sroups tomaintain hearthy

i"#ilJff'{ffi ",i'*::3;li:::i1'g11r''1"*;ii;'t#trffi ii,:;$i"g;'"31*'f ;;;i"J";Tj";ilJ#trJ,::#

v'!-'rfr1 ;r'w Pr.,urctu ur L4ls case 18mat the prornotion of such small ili,i,ii'r; organisms, when inspire< ,, thO,rleftistClerov hqs lno.lo nf aa+i Li^--^u:-^r

issubjectivist inwhat rerers to l1:,::f::::1.'*gl"ig,:,"r31i-rri"*Jrnioar "oono*Ln,

srs vvv.'rs, Doctine, with i,.,:${o.ralityand rir wrul a a r-qo-not'KnowI-do-not-know_what '.'iliriYnir'fr'"t ;;;; of an initiating,club. We have already had yvu* o9t vur ''rL: by ii,' il'fl_oftity t:'v po^lnt uy their urslI soustltuuon, constirution, they ftoY *are open oprn admirably admirablvto $at, to producing oroducinoan

of revolutionaryanswerin the rrriiio"r andtemporal Fs'eudo,flvslic fields (cfr. chanter 2 Chapter2,T). We ft *: may.occas iooilybe

smal I sr""p;;i tiliij,ra] r"i-i,"l

*:E 9:1,1,.1|'1r

: H""H,i,:::_1,',:T::1^3:l:,",ltrarytherefore tothe.o,rriri'o"-ii"*Jr1n,I'll;ll#l'h, *. l;;l,iLareanalvzingthe generality of the "*"r,

It is interesting,for whoeveris not familiar , ,' * , with the subject,to know what Mons. Ealaluersaysaboutthe "grass-rootcomrnunities" in a Letterto thepresbyteryin Augustof 132

1974. The Prelateexplainsthe needfor suchcommunitiesfor the currentlife of the Church. Accordingto him, they aresubstitutesfor the family associalsupportssincethis probablyhas lost its formativestrength.Continuinghe states:He haschristenedthemnow wtih the nime of "grass-roatcommunitles" de base],an expressioninspiredin the Magist [comunidades terminolory, equivalentto a soviet;but that we do not haveany reasonto reject. A namewas alreadychosenfora creaturewe weremakingsrre wasborn as soonas possible(Vida pastoral 45 (1974)p.276)l

2. Guidelinesfor reflectionfor the'(grass-rootscommunities' [..comunidades de basettl: Informaciones-74 Onecanhavea more palpableideaof the thematicthat is dealt with during the meetings of thesebodiesreadingthe pagesof the fortrrightlyInformaciones,createdin 1923,aswill be recalled,especiallyfor keepingthe "apostolic"movementsup-to-date.The Man<istoid ideologicaltonality of this publicationwasalreadyrecordedpreviously,and is easilyperceptible for whoeverlingersa while on its pages. The fortnightly, of limited circulation,but embracinga public directly influencedby the Archdiocesan orientation,super-abounds in indicationsaboutthe new devastatingecclesiastical style,alwaysleftist, but morediscreteandcautious.It usesalmostalonean indirectresourcefor orientingits readers. While dealingwith subjectsrefening to the nationalpolitics, it is moderate;however,it is not like this when it writes aboutotherthemes. For a superficialobserver,the Archdiocesan organcould in this way seemnot so leftist. But it so happensthat the humanspirit, in problems that havea commonsource,at times functionslike communicating*uter glassis:whenthe liquid is increasedin one of the recipients,the level risesin the othersuntil all are equal. tn this way,lnformacionescastsits Mancist-making venomin parallelthematics(like progrlssivismin liturgical,theological,moral fieldsetc.)or in socio-politicalproblemsof othercountries.The readeris led insensiblyto apply the samecriteria of analysisto nationalproblems. a. Leftism concerningBolivia, Dom Helder, Trnzania and aHemano solt ln accordancewith the tactic recentlydescribed,we can see,for example,in the first 1974 numberof Informaciones(section"The hundredfacesof the Church") amongothernews,the theinterviewof the Auxiliary Bishopof LaPaz,relatingattitudesof the Episipatehostilstothe Bolivian government.Furttreron, therearepraisesto Dom Helder for having 6eenawardedthe "Premio Popularde la Paz", taking advantageof the opportunityto hql bile againstthe Brazilian rConcerningthe "grass-rootcornmunities"seethe excellentstudiesgatheredin the, volumeComunidades de Basey Nuevalglesia (EdicionesAcci6n Cat6lica,-Madrid, l97l); see too the November1969numberof our magazineLepantodedicatedentirelyto the theme,r6Ocult groupsweavesubversionin the Church"[Gruposocultostrarnanla subversionen la lglesia].

133

goverrlmeirt. After attackingthe anti-Communist govemments, it comrnentson an attitudeof the Episcopate of Tanzaniaon the populationproblem,slippingin a sympatheticreferenceto the lSooialistgovemmentof thatcountry:Thebishopsof Tinzania,a country that is gestatinga unprecedented Socialistexperience, under the presidencyof C"tholi. , Julius ,,ri.fOtally " population,. The Nyerere,havemadelonwn a statementaboutthe "YearoTtt t Woridwtde '',insertion refeningto thesocialistexperience of Nyerereis completelysuperfluous.Theyare 'r'd.o4ling , pffi.r subject;but theydo not losethe opportunifuto ir.r.nt a regimequutifi.a Uy rrnillYasYP Maoistin a sympatheticmanner,addingthatthepresidentis Catholic. Will Informaciones desir-e this typeof "catholic"andhis "socialistexperience"for our Country? Even film criticism is usedfor the spreading of the spirit of classstruggle.For example, ,.; cornmenting on "BrotherSun,SisterMoon",a supposed hippiedescriplionof the life of St. Francisof Assisi,it presentsthe fatherof theSaintasa bourgioisiebusy-inbusinesses and "In{. yazy/br goldin contrastwith the miserableoneswithoutanysin otherthan theirpoverty; Franciscoturnsinto a revolutionary;thefi.lm is q message for theyouth (. . .) that understands hisrebelliowness(Francisis a total rebet).. . Qnformaiorw no. 18,Marctr 23,1974;emphasis ours).

Hatredfor the principle of authority in the blasphemous useof the Our Father ;,r;b1 '

Anotherexampleof this useof subterfuges to innoculatethepoisonof the Man<ist gntality under religious appearalceis seenin this interpretation of ;Thy Kingdomcome"from :, ,theOurFather. Thereis a "system,"or it may be a political, social, cuhural, economicorder that is in : oppositionto the divine visionsof the Gospel:it is not, therefore,the "system"proposedby Christ. Whenwepray: "Thy Kingdomcome,"weaskfor tie endof thi world,'thechangi of a systemthat oppresses as. The Christian alsoprays againsthimself when he exencises any tatk of command. \ilhen he is the father of a family, or an employer,a teacher,or when he any other responsibilityover his fellowhumanbeings(Informaciones , exgrcises no.30, August24,1974);emphasis ours). Eventhe very fatherof the family - accordingto the aberrantandpretentiousphraseoughtto havehis conscience healy on accountof exercisinghis nativepower! Doesnl this carry egalitarianismandthe classstruggleto the very heartof the institution of the family? The disowningof the kindnessandnobility intrinsicto the actsof commandingandobiying leadthe quincenario publishedunderthe auspicesof Mons,Partelito denyimplicitly the very natural ordercreatedby God. Let us imaginethen the tlpe of mentalitythat is beingformedunderthis kind of influence

0. "Reconciliationr"the most discreteway for revolutionaryDon-conformity Let us seethe attitudereconmendedby thepublicationwhile.thepolitics of reconciliation

t34

promotedby theCEU last. when the public reactionbroughtabout the Man<istsetbackin the counrry, It'tformaciones writes: we livein non-ionfur^ity. ii*i, violentaction? No' 'l/ew situations,unprecedintedfor ,rri, non-conformirymanifested?By ih, Uruguoyonchurlchconfrontusalso with newanswers.Bordness,astuteness, prudence,reatisn are fiecgssar!: It affirms at oncethat there weremarches and salvation that we arg tiving. Thesecounter-marchescounter-marchesin the History of, broughtaboutthe needto embracethe a quiet'silentmaruler.

HHil:

But on thiswayo\tti irosryouwill bebuitding a realityof

what "reality'will thisbe,co1s5uc1e! sosilently?will it betheunitsfor thefuture attack?It is whatreadingthepagesof theatcnaiocesan'organ suggests (Editorial:..Elcamino deIaCru2,"Informacioiesno. :j, Sepember 7,lgTi;' d' with anti-conmunism,badwil; with communism, sympathyandcorlaboration what awaitsusif theactivistunitst9 whigh Informacionesisdirectedwin thematch? Let usseewhatthefortniehtlyproposes to themfor theiradmiration. whentheArchdiocese of Santiago dechile ro,roa"cthevicarshipof Solidaritya new facadefor thepro-Peace cornmittee.rltra ao*"t trr, ,.questof the chilean government the maneuver of cardinalsilva Henrtquez yas noticed*io fL** by thefortrrightlnwhile ominingto saythatthecauseof theclosing had members of thatcommitteewith communisttenorilm beenG'nug*r, compricityof several <wr^iii)e., no. 59, April ro, 1976). Still on Chile,it transcribes reactions,t Episcopate againstIa Iglesiadelsilencioenchile,thebookof the Omrrr tnrgarrrarrAine chileanrrn- nu, it silences the answer of our sistergroup.Whysuchpartialitres? [nfor.r!?r.i"r;!;. id, aprif 24, tg76). Thescandalous attitudeof theetrnuirt op ;1irg";r whogambled theweightof his responsibility in favorof thecommunisttlraonyunder ihich the untrappy andglorioussouth vietnamese peoplegroanis commented:l:g:"qr"1"ppr"* eby Informaciones. Thetitreof thearticleis The Archbishopof Ho chi Minh Gr*"il"'r'l speaksto the christians of south vietnam/ we acceptthevaiuesof the revorution (no."eolApril 24, rg76)2would Mons. 2we transcribe piecesof the PastoralLetter of Mons. Nguyenvan

Binh, Archbishopof Saigon,reproduced by-Informactono,rnirry iri^ ii", sro*;rer 2, I94s,i ,n, Ba Dinhpark in Hanoi'PresidentHo chi Minhsolemnly ri"a miiiiJlir*ion of independence. on this anniversary' whensouth vietnam is elure-rvriuu""t a, ] want wur't'u to rertecr reflectwtrn with you "Lifeof theFaith',iy about the n1wepochof our ;*r_ ('- .it .t!is. Ile liveourfaith in thesimemirableaaysoTn/iMoy of ourpeople.rvedo not haye any reasonnot to acceptwith joy all thevalues ortnu . in tirioriety tlat wehave triedandtestedin thepast,^oiry, ambition ".votutioo wrthoutsciiles, co*uptioi-aii-rmmorolityw*e liketheidolsof thiscentury'Thiold regine wcalaoctrcidownandtheyhavefa,en. A new societyis tawngform' peoplereiitate therrghtsolian, recognize lr the value and signi/icance the of worh sothaiall together,*, ^oy /or^ i iiit, Vuu*t societyin whichmen 135

Parteliadoptthe samecollaborationistmentalityamongus,if our Countryonedayfell under 'Oomrnunist dominion?Actually,the questionrisesafterthe archdiocesan organinspiredby him rnanifests sympathytowardsthe attitudeof the collaborationist Archbishopof Saigon. , Throughthe courseof threeyears,it is alwaysthe samekeynote:towardsantithereis badwill. TowardsCommunism,thereis collaboration.Dealingwith a Oo,mmunism Marxistregime,there are no massacres to lament,no violationsof humanrights to moan a,bouttnor roconciliationto dpmand.How canonenot usetheharshbut appropriateword F,irarisaism to qualiff suchpolicies? In thesamesense,Informacionesrelateswith detachment a sermonof Mons. Lazlo Lekai,ill-stanedsuccessor of the heroicCardinalMindszentyin thePrimateof Hungary,asking for,solidarity with the Communistgovernmentof Budapest.It refersat oncein a hostileway to govemmentof Paraguaybecause ,lheanti-Communist of a forcefulenty of a Jesuitschoolthat police present Paraguay aslinked to subversion.Two weightsandt'womeasures. .. the *t*

Sigruficantly,the publicationbrings,in this sameedition,a photographof the Bishopsin thefirstmeetingof the CEU from 1976, On thetablearoundwhichthe Prelatesaregathered .Prohibido ,.thepis, veryvisible,a numberof the quincenario(fortnightly),with the title detenerse"["Forbidden to stop"l (Informaciones no. 61, May 8, 1976). In this way the CEU is ,notafraidto appearassupportinga newspaperthat showssuchgoodwill towardsPastors with Communist:egimes,at the sametime thatthepapermanifestsan openantipathy I,iindulgent govemments towards that behavein a mannercontary to Marxism. 3. The hopesthat the CommunistParty hasin the (comunidadesde base" preparationsfor a future revolutionaryevent- alreadyconfirmable The subterranean lonw howto serne,mutually help and love eachother as brothers,living unitedand contidentin thesamehome. Alt thesereflectionsare thefruil of the encounterbetweenthe faith and the events that we are living (. . .). TheChurchis not a secretorganization but an opensociety. Openmeansthat she accepts sincerelyall just values,in ourselvesand in others,becausethe Sprit,Iike thewind, breatluwhereit wishes.It workswherewe do not imagine. Openmeansto bereadyto collaboratesincerelyand humQly, full of love,with all the onesthatare at the serviceof man. It seemsto methat today,in our revolutionary society, ,thoreare many occasionsto live this spirit of collaboration(. . .). Thereare somewho think that the Churchis now in a desperate situatio,4(. . .). Thisfear is not usefulfor thecountryand it is not in accordancewith thespirit offaith (. . .). Let uswork activelyin theserviceof ourpeople. Let us discoverin this way abundant riches of our religionthat beforewe did not perceive(lnformaciones ours). no.60,April 4,1976;emphasis

136

with thedatanotedhere- is confirmedby elementsof the Communistsectitself. - JosdLuis Massera,oneof the highestleadersof the UruguayanCommunistParty, prepared,in September,1975,a secretreportaboutthe possibilitiesof subversionin thecountry. He obtainedfive copies for a meetingwith the membersof the CentralCommitteeof the CommunistParty. After the meeting,the copieswereburned,leavingMasserawith only the original. He hadto makean adaptationfor the membersof the Party. Whenhe wasarrested,,in the middleof December,the combinedForcesseizedthe document. In the part refening to the Chuch, we find a very revealingpassageaboutthe groupsof reflection:Theother aspectis that which hasrelation with our activeparticipation in the socalled "groupsof reflection" that are a seedbedof interesting debates,a real theaterof no small ideologicalbattles. Somethingis growing in thissense,but we believeit is necessary lo generalizethis worlc,and systematizethe experience.It will help to make oar participation in thesegroups better,moretlexibleand moreefficient(El Pafs January24,1976;emphasis ours), - In the sarnesense,a statementof the FF.CC.is also higtrly illustrative. It was deliveredto the public after seizingabundantmaterialin the headquartersof the Communist Party. Hereis confirmeda guidline that the Union of CommunistYouth (UJC) had receivedfor actingwithin the Church. Accordingto this statemen!the UJC considersthereare threegroupsperfectlydefinedin dtrotran lrlrttL. T'h^ ^^----^^-)^ t^ tL^ r^):.:^---, t^-^J^--^ --^t tt- t-.rr,. the Uruguayan Church: TheAt group corresponds to the traditional tendency and is totatly impenetrable.It cannotbe infilnated. TheB group advocatesforthe total institutlonal independenceof the Church,althoughit is profoundly wotied by socialproblems. It beperfectly useablefor the Party with o skittful politic. Finally, the C group naturally inclinesto the idea that thd Churchproduce organisms/o studyall theproblemsthat are in the Communistprogrqm. It is the samesectorthat is conduciveto the groups of reflection and the centersof researchfor social studies. Thesegroupsof reflectioa to whlch elementsof the Party attend, with the aim of infltrating, usethe Bible skillfully (for an ideologicalfransshipmenttowardsMamist ideas). Thesegroups are the samethat havelad Massessaid in the Church of the Capuchins,for someprorninentCommunistsor Tupamaros. . . The statementof the FF.CC.showsthereare still contactsof the UJC with the Parishesof Corddn,PuntaCarretasy Malvln. The UJC evenpromotedthe distribution of the Collective Pastoralof the Episcopatein which is petitionedthe reincoporation to the natiorul ttfe of the onesthat werearrested.. . (El Pa{sFebruary,24,1976);emphasisours). - Anothercheckingof this reality wasmadewith the detentionof a Corirnunistgroup that wasworking in the Zonilla Lyceum. The youngleaderof the cell, the minorJ. E. p. R., declaredthat they wantedto form "Patiotic Youth Fronts"["Frentesde JuventudPati6tica"], with membersfrom other sectorsof the left and from traditional partiesopposedto the govenrment.He statedtoo that in the Parishof PuntaCaretas, within the "groupsof reflbetion,t' he hadalreadymovedforwardwith his organization(ElpofsMarch ll, t976). *

*--*n"'

r37

l ;

Did suchrevelationscauseattitudesof cautiontowards,thistJrpeof organizationon the partof our Pastors?, Very muchthe opposite.The CEU alreadyhad-adoptedLa priority the formationof comunidades iiPn$rtoial de basethatpersonalizeand libirate andit is not clear thatthesaid guidelinemight be reformulatednor that anyprecautionwastakento avoid Marxist fermentation.For his part,Mons.Parteli,in a sermontothe religiouson August lS,lg14,in the Cathedral, affirmed:Our Diocesehasdecidedtyoptedfor the comunidades de base,becauseit understands that thesesmall communities are theinitial nucleiwherethe Churchis incarnated andbecomea sign of thepresenceof Godin theworld (VidaPastoral 4l(1g74)p. 268).3 'I Acoordingto the magazineInformationsCathotiqueInternationalestherewere,in the r'beginning of thepastyear,368 "groupsof reflection"in ilrtontevideo alone. . . (I. C.I. 475 (1975)p. l'8).

ThequincenaioInformaciones,inApril of l976,in a sectiondedicatedto the Youth Pastoral,commentson the "option" of the Archdioceseof Montevideo,reaffirming that the ' las aspriority the ComunidadesEclesialesde Base. It is superfluousto emphasirthut i;,, diqo.ess the analysis doesnothaveeventhe shadowof a warningagainstthe Man<ist ., : - c 1 * ^ + ! ^ - t -of. LInformaciones ;.t --^ ----r

,i ,':l

infiltration in thesegroups,despitethedocuments thathadrecentlybeenpuUlisnea in thepress, refoning to theaforementioned infiltration(lnformaciones no.59,April iO, lgT6,articleilos

juveniles,"p. 10). gfiupos

138

13 Institutionalizedviolencefoughtherefrom the lron

curtain and supportedthere tl]tlt,rllil

lJ.*'.:y$;l*:'"**^::,::Ij:,gT3lil_uBishoryandpriestsmanipurad many timJs: *,rr-*irt*;;;,ffi;ili:"*.,l', tT:,,t",:"3:nllg:"y: ,"gr:ofviolence', u.*s*i;;"ki;;;;;ilffiff;,1"*,

,t ,,i :::'::':1T,:i."J:i:: i" disJonienteiii;il;#lffi#:,ilff'.,i;'* "r\.socia.stru*ues viorence orthe f::,:.T:^"1'l:t" il'y'.:tonar inevitableresponse to the first stage.

gr a.Toltherevglutionarv process promoted,ino*i;i;i T:-:1ry:ilrr9, analvsisof

:::Y^:'3":::.'...'lTl1l_yn:Tn"iie*i1J"i'1!Jl#ili,1#:T il| somewordsabouttheentiretyof theposiiionadopted brtlt; leftistprelates ", *atTJul concerningthis importantquestion. All themorebecause noneofthem,whowerethesubject -r--- of -- thisthemetir, *a ti*i,l again,hasdeemed it timelyto rectiffhisorientation.

stages ofviolence,,,remains '4J lrrs inthisway like.1up# PDJ l":i:_1::.:,-3:.T:g:lg:,T" .u"otuullyto""."aggressions like the one areadl :i."t9:::*T:n'^T.1l,:-,ry:l::'tts' experienced by the countryduring theseyears. For greaterbrevitywe will be schematicin o'r exposition. l. In the non-Communistworld In Uruguay,as in so manyothernon-Communistnations of the world, a socio-economic structureexistswith.essentially legitimateaspectsat the sideof lamentable *a'1**, whosecauses,whatis more,areaitimes, "u*r,with objectivity, Afficult to diagnose 11largern.**r, given the-complexinteractionbetweenpolitica[ financia,'econornicand administative factors that interferein suchsituationspresently. And consequentlnyesthe naditional catholic Magisterium . hasdenouncedsuchsocial injusticesso manytirdeswith deservedenergywhile ouseiing prudenceandthe nuancgsthat these tvpesof problems

fimits ,piil,"rrr"?ry. Tt il, caretully 1iii"g goingb;yooa-tne of thedevastating "ri withror"ffi* clergyin o*to*ry wearepresented ,.o ai#rf"tconduct a. An ambiguity never sufliciently clarified

3:::::::,:::t"::,*1r,::lT

in o'r:9*t"y thatroseup clearlyforthelegitimacy of

-* n'l*::*1g::'::Y.r:"1::,-t-11*::"?t-u;u*r*';d;"#;::'"d# i"*'1':r..1'^Y1".ry,Bishops 9r.f1erig'Jth;iooruti"-a-"JLpi'* inre6s. UA 'T TUJ

L'[,IS

"f them3st distinguished *rrrc"r"i"i'tffififfifi. ffi;" *:lt^*T_,YT l*tbered "irur the ;;u;;"' present Bt'dTiH;,,il,JH,,

', i*'ltfl:*:11Tj"Ri1T:i'1'-19::::: "r,h. Archfishop.of M""i;;i.;rd;;ffi#r,i,",lfliil;,ffii8a,',, Y::,';,ll:.10_1L:ttjl:yev lgtter,yr of sanctioning th" ri;;;ry priests

thatweremderhisl $s :3:91f[r"-lllg jurisdiction, considering it ontheconharypropri fora-clergtthat vibrates*irn#iiir,;i}rn, 139

thepeopleand collaborqtes with its bishops (. . .) (cfr. chapter 2, item 6). What is more,practically in all the devasiatingecclesiastical documentsthe existenceof this "institutionalized"violenceappearsexpresslyorlacitly insinuated,whosesupportwould rnakeexplicablethe resort to armed rebellion against it.

Wealsoconfirmedin this studyto whatpoint the obsessive useof this thematicservedto

;,n:*l.l::13::1g:r"ry;;$;!ffi tffi;ffi:it.".iil'#;Xffi?''il11 arises: ro . uuyswt.

reauiaiotrreherpofthedevastating Bishops *f]ll-:19:,1:y:rli?r lvhere andPriests in Uruguay ..explicable,,, lgad?Wasit onlyto show theguerrillaactionas

or to

thatin somemeasure wouldaccompany, iccording tothem,

:il?::"1":t^,99:l$ej,ustice theTupamaro insurrectional violence?

Thelettersignef by the 95 Uruguayanpriestsvehementlypersuadesone . to think that yes thecommuno-progressivist consideredlt. ooubtsubslsts.

Really,theneartotalityof them violencein thesisasbeingantifpokecondemning alwaysaboutincluding in that."nr*Jall violencein sucha wayas to fltdj]i|1*'o,yilg violence." In its turn, this condemnation cameto iight, :ly:,T Y:ll.-lh{institutional

whentheTupamaroabusesof powerandcrimesscandalized ,hormally, by their brutalexcess. ft: PrelatesandPriests,alwaysoonsidered the guerrilla -,^^_^--l_o1t]:1til.. {":ThtTg

astundamental fruit of t\ lossof hopein thepresence of institutional ir{ustices l*i:i:i:n the"dominators" were jltl not disposed to correct, practice, in their theoretical c"os*L became :i h]S'y.ambiguous. Indeed, thbecclesiastical -. proceeding of theselasttenyearsaswell asthe ,, l l l, , ; ielteratef

appreciationon the part of the devastatingBishops*d thr priestsaboutthe 3on3rete institutional suppot"d violencethat resiststhe changesin our Country,persuadeoneto think that ,,:, soo1l.*.th. concrete realitywassetup the *.y it l ;.as considtllg licit, jt censurable only in its excesses, althoughUey aia not formulatethis ; "

b, Ambiguitythat getsworseby the scandarous omission

tlir

Thesupportgivenby this Clergyto the subversiveaggression,analyzed in its nuances, in thil waymoreseriousthanwhat it already,""*"i appears fint glancl. Whatis more,as it remainedabundantlydoiumented,"t the leftist ecclesiasticsdealtwith violencet-n-o*cotrnty_making an abstactionof the existenceof a world revolutionwith its ttntt: in MoscowandPeking,-th{gromotesmultiplesubversions in differentplacesof the

conspiracy againstthechurchandchristiancivilizatiori. l.communist ' Theydistortedrealityto theabsurdityof makingit seemthatthebrutaltensionsthatwe I tlf:*^tt asbeingexplained fundamentally onlyby dr "theoryof thetwo stages of violence,, stafiingftommerelylocalproblems of ou oountryor,whenmuch,frominternalsocial

in thenationsof our continent.As if iJruguayor Latin Americawerean immense i iTb"l.*ces i':l4td sunounded by we know not what invisiblewall, despitehavinginstalledCub4 asa ,:,',i

140

poisonedsovietnail, betweenthethreeAmericas. c. Politicalinterventionand irresponsibititythat indicatea design At the sametinne,in their evaluationaboutthe institutionalizedviolenceresistingthe changesandexplicativeof the insurrection,theseBishopsand Priestsgaveproofsa step beyond the limits in their functions,and an irresponsibility,so persistent,that [.y * indicativeof a resolution. Actually: a) Upon making the "theory of the two stagesof violence" theirs and applyingit to Uruguay,the devastatingClergycarriedout a very seriousevaluationabout.xftm"fy complex socio-economic realitiesfor which they lack authorityandcompetence. An evaluationof this naturewould requirecertainand abundantdataconsideredby specialistsin their severaland delicateconcreteaspects,whosedeterminationand analysiscan modiff decisivelythe moral qualificationofthe prtblem. How doesonedeterminefor example,without seriousstudiesof any kind andoutsidethe competenceof the temporalauthorities,the existenceof a iertain kind of institutional violence - that by not being modified makesamredrebellion naturalin areaslike agriculture,industry or tradein our Country? b) But theseBishopsand Priestsnot only went beyondthe limit of their functionsin a very seriousmatter for the nationalfuture that involvesdilicate and multiple temporal aspects, but they also carriedtheir devastatingconductto evaluatethe supposed..institutionalviolence,, in an inadmissibleway extendingto all the socio-economicsystem,i*Ur unacceptablevagueness, andtherefore,in a demagogic*tnntt. Theydid not bothei to establishat leastthe definedrnoral consequences of the appallingjudgmentthat they formulated,glving the impressionthat conditionsin Uruguaywere createdto makenatural,at leasti*o-I *uy, th" uiolan., of the "oppressed." c) Making a virtual abstaction of the existenceof any organismcapableof really doing justiceor of correctingby legalmeasures thepossiblesituationolsmrctura injustice,they encouragedin this way in the practicalordera notion that Christianwisdom fraOAreaAyabolishedbeforethe endof the Middle Ages, Accordingto this notion the private grnti..* w* ablesimply to say:"I, with my stength, amjudge of miright. And if someoneenters in contest with me it is a violencethat is doneto me, in th- presenc"6f *hirh I ^at my justice by my own handabstractingfrom the State." "ot " 1 d) And they choseto adopttheir singular"theory of the two stagesof violence,',precisely, at a time when the assaultof the Mancistguenilla broki out in our corirtry. 2. Institutionalviolencepublic and notoriousbehindthe lron curtain In orderto havea moreexactideaof the ideologicalsenseof the positionassumed by the l4l

riir: ri ,

rdsvastating clergy, it is necessary to consideranotherdatumin the question. i*r ,,,'i:r i

1,":lt"

r1r ':l

,rrli4fr0ontrastwith the Vatican.(OstpolitikD 'ln this attitudeadopted-by themin thepresence of the Uruguayanstructures,theyseemto , :ul$u tt*lte1elv to-have*ytfti"g to do with the contrasttheymakewith respectto the so-called qtrr. tlostpolitik"of thevatican in relationto communistgovernments. 'FL^ lLiir.'; ^--:-r^-^^ -f rr Theexistence of the institutionalviolenceimposedby theregimesbehindthe Iron or the Bamboo Curtain,is not only a clamorousfact that leavesthe worst social ii:,r0unain practicedin the Westpale,but it subsistsby requirernent ,,'itljgstioes of the Communistanti-natural itself, ,'dgctrine I t i s thereforeiniusti injusticespectacularlyandbrutally proclaimedasprinciple. Sucha situation,the concretecircumstances andthe realpossibiiitie, of ,ur""r, r----------; ,, o?nuidered earefully, could make way for popular a insurrection that legitimate was in the name ,,,, lr ^f -^-^l:fr, ^-l ^f -i-La:-a-.r--,-Lf-to:f.moralityand of right intolerably tampled on and scorned. It was what made the overthrow of 1,l111r li ,

ilir

the lVfaryisf

reoirne

Allanrlo

in tn!,il-

aaaa-l!^tt-.

t^-ir.!-^r^

Nevertheless thepolitics of rapprochement of theVaticanwith the Communist

believed it timely to rv preach that ur4r Catholics veul\,lrvD might afgUIrL rrrttstll peaceful attitude in their adopt ila lrgat'lt;gf ,,'irt,iâ&#x201A;Źpvernments l'rvewrr

rlt ,:i. Y.

i PteseSce. Thil lastis an objectivgfu.t independently of whatonemigit think aboutthe soundness or theerrorof suchpolitics. There tre anrl r"itl There areewen even,ruifhin wittrin and without Uruguay,eeclesiastics i ,'. that taketheir attitudeof rr, acceptance of the Communist institutional violenceto an unexpected extreme. 1j 1l , lrt^ ----r^,- -,-, i rr ! .r ,;,,

s1w, for example, that the ArchdiocesanquincenarioInformaciones, directed by the

!e ttftltt.Priest t+t: Dil"i.r,'pJ.ra thecollaborutioriri""i'ilri;:;;;;;ffiff;ffi;# 5;,,,

,withtheopprobriousregimeimposedby the red secton southVietram. In thesisternationof Brazil, the Bishopsof the Stateof Parand(SouthRegionalII of the EpiscopalConference of the Bishopsof Brazil) publisheda documentaisosympatheticwith th'e sunendering orientationof the sameArchbishopof Saigon.In it they indicaiethat the Catholics mustnot createobstaclesevento religiouspersecutionandthat they must resignthemselvesto thevariousfypesof violenceimposedby the Communistrevolutionwhich theyseeasan 'instrument of progressandliberationof thepoor . . . (cfr. Plinio Conâ&#x201A;Źade Oliveira,A lgregia qntea escaladada ameagacomunista,p.82 tr). ThesamequincenarioInformaciones,thatisfull of unilateralattacksagainstthe antiCommunistregimesof SouthAmericg havealreadyconfirmed_ presentsseveral Episcopates of the continentconfrontingsuchregimeswith agonyand,at thi sametime, doesnot hideits sympathyfor the successor of CardinalMindszenty,Mons. LazloLekai,who asis known,madeanoathof fidelity to the anti-Christianregimeof Budapest,andadvisedthe faithful to assume an attitudeof collaborationistdialogue(cfr. chapter l2). In this respectwe cannotfail to recallthatthedeposedgloriousCardinalwasan obstacle to thatpoliticsof ecclesiastical collaborationwith theregimeof institutionalizedviolencein Hungaryandthatthe CommunistHungarianGovernment requiredof the Holy Seefirst his departure andthenhis dismissalasArchbishopof Eztergom.The Hungariangovernrnent was

t42

servedin thisby PaulvI, despitethe Rrayllsagainstit by thesamedistinguished cardinal. An analogous attitudototheoT oruo-nr.L;;L.kai was ilr" oriJthe Czechoslovakia Episcopate of ilat in.l97lp"uiiti.a ajoint ao.,*"rrt catho.rics to vote candidates onry for backedby thecotitt*ititurrt ortrrat "alring coun,o, rn oneof themanyfake thesameperiodthebzechoslovakian In Bi;tid il;r. airitn"r"r, cametothepoint erections: a speech of invoking thedivinecharacter in of theauthoritydi;;;;!g prerate, was'pplicabreto the oppressor minoritvof thegloriousczechp.opr,l. (;;;o !o the . u cte deBotofra, Borofia,agosto agostc(I9zl) and KatoticklNgvisr'dypragZ,tr.;;;; 3, Dyr). cardinalwyszynskihimselfwhohasnaa tensions with thecommunistgovernment Polandis admiredin piogressiuirt of rit t.r urruu* or,i', itour*d actsof prudence in thepresence that he adopts of thetyrannytltat zuu;ugates hispeople.*r, wereactsofprudence him' in nota few instances, thatled to betheinstumentfor calmingdown polish the rebelled majority thathad againstthemonstrous Communist system. Thecontrastturnsout in this wayto be honible. BehindtheIron cutain or the gamugo a;"d whereinstitutionarized carriedevento analtheltic delirium'the unjustviorence is ecclesiastfi;; thatthebrutallyoppressed shouldtoleratethe situationtrrignrJiy faitlrful ur.or"rffi;#;. In uruguay,whenthestmctual injustices in thewolstornypotnlses i"-*r reached u ri^il*peak, thegenerallineof conduct theBishopsandof &e clergy trtuirr* of ro[o*.Jtrr.il;; rheirfrurctions, probatorydataandyttr vaue or,nJuiionr without ".ceeding somemea$uewasjust,or at leastexplicable.to .ri iil*a indicatingthattherebelrionin In thepresence of this attitude devastating clelwthe famousapostrophe *VCrit6 seems applicable: of pascal endegAdes"tq. .**--uu SnCn6rr, arld!,,[*Truth oo thi, sideofthe Pyrenees, errorbeyond'J- In tiir-.*r, tuth beyonJth; h"" cutain, errorhere. b. Whatmysteryis hiddenbehind this partiatity? However'adifferencesoflagrantof attitudes on this sideandthatsideof thehon curtain'doesn'tit indicate poriiilr-tlat is takrig iotJor...resiasticar sectorsin our Countryandin other.ouot"i* " oiile world? This partiality doesnttit makethe seemlike a pretext knogkingaown useof the the_oryof thetwo stagesof viotence, somethingin tlewest whosenature fr but that theseecclesiastitt is not delined a.titlio iu" ai", *niliuuilo o tou the rron curtain oneworksfor thesurvivarof som.ething-that thef iesi"e to preserv", Theenigmathathidesttrisaoufteattituieh";; in perplexiryabout takingplacein catholiccircles;thG penetationof thisnewwayofjudgingwhaiis actually ledso sociarrearity,that prieststo Auo, Man<ist T*y Bishopsand aggression. Because it is impossibleto fail to pointit mysterious meridianwithin tneaoctrinetaughtuv",irltrr" iro' curtainwastansformedintop nu,n"io* Bishopsh.t, presenttimes, whichtheantipathies having andaccusatiois are s'rprisingly ;ii"t:T durcified and , "6il;i*rce To whatis all thisowed? t43

iii

To a changein the authenticDoctrineor in thegenuineCatholicspirit? Impossibleby the verydivinityof theChurch! In its turn,like oneof so manygrandiosemanifestations of Her divine origin, herhistory is markedwith theunequaledexampleof legionsof confessors of the Faiththatgavetheir lives disinterestedly in defenseof the immutableintegrityof Catholicfiuths andtheywill not be lackinguntil theendof the centuries.We ourselvesthroughlove for the Churcharedisposed, with thehelpof divinegrace,to shedbloodto the lastdropin orderto supportour Faith. We do not acceptthe accusationof opportunismuponthe mysticalSpouseof Christ! Theexplicationof this strangeconductof manyBishopsandPriests,whateverit maybe, doesnot invalidatethe intrinsicsanctityof the Church.

t44

14The future preparedby the apparentrelaxingof tensions We sawinitiatedin 1973anddefinedin the lastthreeyearsa transformationof the revolutionaryprocess. A transformationthat appearsclearlyasa needto adapttheir methods, dueto the defeatsufferedin the attemptsto destroytraditionalUruguay.

l. In summata - Simultaneouslywith the efficient andmeritoriousaction of the Armed Forcesagainst and terrorist public the subversion,a self-stnrgglebecauseof the courmuno-progressivist aggressionwas verified, that tendsto reducethe healthyfrights of Catholic public opinion in the of the presence of the disastrousregligio-ideologicalcrisisexistingin our Country. The absence if we especially brutal andprovocativeenemyeasilycould disarmthe resistence.This is tnre vigilance. neglectthe necessary Uruguayans - The Bishopscommittedin theprocessmovedto put the keynoteinto a non-ideological reconciliationof Uruguaywith the defeatedleftism,usingthe psychologicaleffectof the apparentlytranquilclimate. - At the sametime, thesedevastatingPrelatescomepresenting,in a relatively explicit way, the anti-Communistrepressionandvigilanceas somethinginhuman,a mereinstnrmentof the defenseof odiousprivilegesor attitudesthat haveovercomeby the dismantlementof the scandaloussubversion.In this way they createan afinosphereof hostillty in relation to personalities and institutionscapableof alertingpublic opinion,which onehies to put to sleep with the falserelaxationof tensions.Whenit is possiblefor them,they go so far asa sanctioning againstthesepersonalitiesand institutions. - While the anesthetizingaction is developedin this way, the revolutionary"pastoral" givespriority to discreteleftist instructiorUdirectedto a restrictedpublic, thtough organsof s:mall diffi.rsion.This effort forms renewedteamsfor the fight, in councils,tearns,parishesandgrassin which the rooi communities,frzzy tithcollectivist andegalitarianpseudo-mysticism, restrainedleft finds a refugeanda platform.

2. The advantagesfor Msmism This methodologyis on the otherhandthe only onecapableof bringingpossiblesuccess to the devastatingecclesiasticalaction in the presentcircumstances.Without it" Communism would be annihilatedfor a long time in or.uCountry. Wittr it, the devastatingPrelatestendto obtainthe following results: ) - influencingpublic opinionin the directionof ideologicalandtemperamental disarmamentin the presenceof Communism,without risking their alreadyworn out prestigetoo much; - savingwhat is possibleof the teamsandof the Man<istmentalityin the country;

l4s

- to makeinexplicable an activeandvigilantanti-communism in the dismantling in this utt tott a-yn*i. pu.t o?th..lp*iry for a nationar eyesof thepublic, ryuy -- andpermittingthe resistence; subterranean advanceorfiosetytism andtrreaissemination tendencies of the andideasfavorableto the imrption;ifut-#revotutionary events. )'

Aboutthismethodology,alreadyused in otherhistoricalperiods,professorplinio depliveira writesin his wett-inown con6a essay"Revolutionandcounter-Revolution,,: TheRevolutionuses,then, itsmetamorphoses not onryto advqnce,ii, otro to carry out thetacticalstepsbackthat hsveirir roTrrquentlynecessaryforit. At times'an alwaysactive ,novement, it his simutate'ibeingdead, And this is oneof its mostinterestingmetamorphoses.In appearance,thesituation of a certain country ispresented as entirelvtranquil' Thecounter-revofutior"i;;;;;;;;t reraxedand is rupedto sreep.But, in 'thedepthsof there.ligious,cultural, socr,al o, ,roniiir'iryr, th, revolutionaryfermentation atwavstreepsgaining qround. And, ,hi;;;.;i'ili"ooiorrnt intervar,an unexpected convulsionexllod2 "; tlon griot* *i prir;;;r*^ (Revoluci1n {reqygntty y contra-Revoruci,n PafiI - cap. IV; corecci6nrruii"ion, ramilia iprofri"a"a, BuenosAires, rg70). 3. We do not havethe right to suffer illusions

Upon studying'as wtls have,the behavior ''itheadvances' of the devastatingecclesiasties, accompanying failures,stepsbackandmetaraorphosis in these last years, ten as well asthe future perspectives of theMarxist aggression, an incontest"Ui.,rAit" arises:*, *riot simply intothepresence brought of circumstir:tia -ir'tut"r, *"r" *"iJ"rior u.r, of imprudence or isolated attitudesof thepart,ofsuchBishops andpti;;. we;; theconrary, facinga systemaric determination' resolutewithin trre'sinuositirtirporrJuy p"p"r*, civil andmilitary reactions. we cannot'then,legitimately,have the'illusion,il with a situationthat will remain staticin thepoint in which toauyit is found. ";;'d;s The factsindicateto us without any doubt bombsof theTuparnTgg''reniua,a revolutio".ry that in 1966,togetherwith the assaultsand il;;;s iesm.tive of our sociery,with basisin newtheologico'moral ideasabouithe socialora.r, t""t shapein the stuct're of the Uruguayan church' Its promotetrJia not dispray "iriur. inrll^t,.rious attitudethatreveareda desire to repairtheevil doneandrectifr the adopted"oi*". ro ora", to justify an opinionpossibly contrarvto thatwhich we setforth here iiwould il;;;rny to bringto public attention abundant,categoricarfactsthat indicat. i" ii. or""r;rilog u..t*riastics: l) a recognitionof how disastousis the routealongwhichtheyhavewantedto guide people; our

,,1 it,towards anopposite destination, orrather, of E:ff"ff;$i*"^:"j.::1]:::.p.1","g vvuDuuriltuluatgq ln

fid.",:1lT:HKa?:i,;: l*..H,f ;:H?jff?:ly":::**111'*;-;;;''il';.,Jf

perennial rv'vruus postulates of unnsuan vvDrltr.reii ur Christianutvtlization, Civilization,that tt can have nothing in common with the construction of the egalitarian and collectivist socierv.rirr.,. ^^-.-i^-societyof the anti-Christian ".r,-rnr.-i-+i^- sectarians.

t46

l*tf

So'if thecountryyieldedto th: mirage of relaxedtensions placedonthestagein orderto lull it to sleep,we will beablet; r; ro*, ,Ion il;; renewed energies, a coarition Man<ism of andthecatholicleft concerningiiurrt"riun J.l*a, ,,human. and the,tefense,, rights'"carefullyw-orked of uy.o,'rroi"nce,manycentristelements *""ra-i"". forgotten thebitter

lffiltff":HfitJe

violence and, togeth* *itrrtitlr],t.,r*on forbeing ofaresorute and

Havingcreatedthat psychologicalclimate in which a[ anti-communistactivity, privateandgovernmental, both *orro seel anachronistic andantipathr,t.,;;jl see,ashaving arisenfrom the boyels-9fthe earth, u r** of leadersandagitatorsunder..propheticoreligious"robes' And if this swann reachestrr. pruo.,"aluccess,the conditions for thedefense societvwill bettt rt weaker

til;;;the

3,lrf;rYffit-

assaurt of theTupamaro guerrlla

we confirm'for example,with sadness, thatthoseanti-communistmovements meritoriousactioneveni.r.* yt*r agg, of so have;rr;;;thrir actionverynoticeably,underthe iIIusionaryinfluences of the.rirutr o'rtrh,redtensions. **rl

The future gres,ervatign of uruguay in the presentmetamorphosis of the revolutionary actiondepends,nol ody on thr ;;uJ;"fii.i.otpiii..-.i:iir*y work for the dismantrernent the conspiratororganizations.It it nr"rtr*y of trraittrisu.tioo be supportedin the ideologicalprane,andespecialtyrn civicocattrotrJ""iLr, [y rlren, bufuiowerful performancedesignedto doctrinal " nrovide trr" gt""t public the iaeoiogical defenses against ecclesiasticself-destnrctionthat t"r the terrible oii"q iir trrr* prg;. M*y uruguayans needfor this action' we write this alreadysensedthe stuJyinorder ti;;;:r,: towardsdefining the wais of this action'wewill tho1in.gtnnapartiirat trtirngi,t

ii ri"i"r"^e ofthechurch threatened andofa christian c.:"t-lydg"itGlitir"t", --c-v-"EDv ' qrs svsu rrture' rlre, oottgatory' obrigatory, with within of the Law and Catholic Morality. theframeworks "ialr.t Before'however,we must confront

a possibleobjection that seemsto answer us necessary because to of itsimportance rot trrrnrt"ir oil;; ffi;ric churci;; ;;* counry.

r47

' '15Responding to an objection:Will sogenerala denunciation of the devastating Pastors not movethe catholics away from the Faith? - The two meridians , ' '.. Seeingin its entiretythe collaborationlentby the majorityof the Hierarchy,andof the Clergythatsupportit, to the attemptsto communizeour Country,themagnitudeof thefact could i rtumout to be disconcerting.It is possibleeventhat,within anti-Comrnunist circles,someone ' ;6igfu1raise an objectionconcerningthe timelinessof thepublicationof this work andof the frankness with which thereligio-ideologicalrealitythat Uruguayexperiences is presented in it. imaginary Our objector would perhaps express perceive, himself in this way: do not "You ii:ri,r r,,, upontakingthis step,that we find ourselvesbeforea very complexreality. "lt is right, in principle,that if,an objectiveideologicalresistar.rce is not raisedagainstthe Clergy,theywill endup takingthe Countryto Communism.But, andthis is what devastating 'youhavenot takeninto account,if Uruguayis convincedthatthis resistence is necessary, the greaterpartof our peoplewill ceasebeingCatholic,becomingatheist,andin this way demolishing oneof the barriersthat separate it from Commrnism,alsoatheist. 'oThatis to say,we find ourselves ', in thepresence of a terriblereality:eitherthereligious barriersthatseparate the corurtryfrom Communismaredestoyedby the actionof themajorityof theelements of the Clergy,or theyaredestroyedby the fight againstthat devastating Clergy.You ' aretransformed with this book into oneof the instruments that leadus to the communization that yourselves wish to avoid. , ,,you ooThe fact that the CombinedForcescannothold backtheprocessof communization, 1i,;;, with armed repression, cqr4plicates the situation evenmore. It would be treatingthe countryasan ,,,;jr.lst ,,,glccuPied nation,andthis is not sustainable for long. Therefore,the sohltionthat oughtto have ,beenchosenwasto avoid an attackso powerful andgeneralizedagainstatl the revolutionary apparatus, limiting oneselfto denounc,ing ,,.pcclesiastical its notoriousexcesses, andneutralizingin thiswayits moreextremeelements.The conditionswould be createdin this way so thatthe process of theliberalizationof the Catholicranl$ might be contolled,andgovernedby the typeof the progressivistClergy. With thislast approachit would be easierto enterinto ,lmoderate understandings. ***

Thequestiondoesnot offer diffrculties. For its adequate solution,it seemsopportuneto dividetheanswerin parts. ,'1.'The relaxationof tensionswith the moderates Thesolutionproposedby the imaginaryobjectoris preciselythe onethat,perhapswith lii ., 'GOrnmunism.

l.[.',

Theword"moderate" is notusedherein thesense of a thoughtfulperson, anadeptof

j,t.,,.,,,,ltolrtions impregnated with prudence,capableof consideringrealityin its nuancesanddiversity. 148

Obviously,"moderate"is employedasa qualifierof an attitudeof spirit or mind that showsitself of errors,avoidingclearand distinctdefinitionsand skillfully conciliatoryin the presence acceptingthe contentof sucherors slowly andby stages. We do notjudge intentions.It seemsto us,however,that the attitudesof the "moderate" morein the present of communo-progressivism P.relates, objectively,aid the supporters who aredecidedlyphilo-Man<ist. circumstances thando the positionstakenby the ecclesiastics performedin the revolutionaryClergyafter The verycautionthat framedthe metamorphosis public opinion of our Country- as for the restof all the 1973alreadysaysso. The majority SouthAmericannations showsitself categoricallyimmuneto the pro-Communisttheseswhen to it clearly. thesearepresented who, envelopingsuchthesesin themists However,the so-called"moderate"ecclesiastics of half-words,are in conditionsto havean influenceeffectively on the greatmajority in a leftist senseandto disconcertor neufializethe potentiallymore anti-Communist sectorswithin this majority. The one who helpedmost to install Communismin Russiawas the wing represented by Kerensky,sincetheexhemistbolsheviks,by themselvesalone,could hardlyhavemanagedto demolishthe previousorderof things. Nearerto us, the "moderate"Frei had a fundamentalrole in order to prepare,with his ChristianDemocraticgovemment,the riseof the MaocistAllendeto power in Chile. Actually, the only way of being moderatein the presenceof Communism,is to be cautiousandfirmly anti-Communist.Any other form of moderationconstitutesa capitulation. Exemplifring concretelywith the presentreligious situation of Uruguay,it is evidentthat or to a P. Dabeziesthanto a Mons. theCatholicmajoritywill listenmuchlessto a P. Spadaccino Parteli. But it will listenevenstill moreeasilyto suchPrelatesasMons. Balaguer,Mons. Gottardior Mons.Mullin thanto a Mons.Parteli.That is to say,in the measurein whichthe graduationof the public commifinentwith the devastatingprocessis less,the easierit will be for an ecclesiasticalpersonalityto makerevolutionarypositionsacceptableto the massof the faithful. To leave,then,the leadershipof Catholicopinion in the handsof the moderately revolutionaryPastorsis equivalentto handingit to the only onescapableof lulling thereactions to sleepandmoving that opinion graduallyto the left. Let us considerthe position of Mons. Balaguer,asa tlpical caseof a moderately revolutionaryBishop,because,althoughit is right that he was not active in the vanguardof the awful progressivistactiorLhe neveradoptedan aninrdeof breaking-offwith the essentialof that action. On the contary, we sawthat severaltimes in thoseyearshe assumedpositionsfavoring, at a well calculateddistance,the conductof the extremists(cfr. Chapter12,note l). We aresurethat the imprudenceof thoughtthat, within a prudenceof language,Mons. we tanscribeat the Balaguerdisplaysin his articlesrn La Maflana,someof whoseparagraphs foot of thepage,will surprisemorethanonereader.r rln the article"The Final Victory," thereis this ptrasedisplayinga strprisingrelativiim: I believethat the bestformofwealeningMamismis not to be opposedso much to the violent . expanseof the same,but to investthe moneysthat are spentin interminablewars likc theoneof Vietnamin relievingall the centersof miseryandpovertyof thefree countries.That after Vietnamthey would follow taking hold of India, etc.,it is right; but whom would that hurt?

t49

2. A pathforeseenby CatholicDoctrine Whatthenis thetrue solutionfor the falsedilemmaproposed by the objector? A road,in fact,exists. It wasforeseenin the doctrine andthe laws of the church for the uruguayancatholicsthatrejectthe infiltration of Mancismin their ranks. In the Historyof the Church,numeroustimes,throughimperatives of conscience, many cathglics'in orderto savethe flock threatened by scandal,isisted within fidelity to theevidently Thedemocraticcountriesor thosethat now wouldnot haveto keepso manypeopleenslaved? Mgns' Balaguer, concerned ", for spiritual thingsdoeshe forgetthat Communismis above ; .. . ideo'logic-o-moral problem before il is an econlmic one? Doeshe forget,for example,that 11,3 , ' in thenorthof Italy, richer, the communistl obtain gr.ut., u numberof votesthan in the poor l" zonesof the south? Doesie forgetthat in Montevid;;thr FrenteAmplio wasproportionally 'r' morefavoredamongthe well-to-io sectorsthanamongthepoor ones?Moreover,doesit seem I to him thatmilliont of b"irrg, canbe handedou", to anti-Christiancommunistslavery, theyarein Indi4 kilometersfrom us"*i.ssly ,' onlybecause anoperrraps becauseMoscowor pekingwould havetroublesubjugatingthem? ' He statesstill: l{hat we democratsmustdo is to leavethe enemies of democracyfree so that theymight point out our erroru,atthoughit may be exaggeratinganillying and meanwhile, acceleratingthe solutions.9liustii (La Mifiana februaryzi, tglz;emphasisours). ThePrelate,so solicitoushete,inthat tibirty be grantedfo, the Communists,he did notjudge a favorablewordto theTFP to be necessary when this entity saw its activitiescurtailedby an ' unjustresolutionof ex-president Bordaberry. In thesamecolumn,writing undertire title "Enemiesof democracy,,, Mons.Balaguerhas statements like this:Democracyts not confusedwith an economicsystem. Any economicsystem ' that-doesnot suppress-the ltbeity of thepeoplecancoexistwith it(. . .). ,t cancoexistwith a collectivistregime' the citizensprefer thit theproductionbe rnihe'handsof thestate (. . .), -if whatis essential,what cannotdie without it periihing, is theliberty of thepeiple (La Mafrana March23,1972;emphasis ours). TheBishopof Tacuaremb6, in additionto disagreeing with Catholicdoctrinegrantingas acceptable thata regimeonly preservesliberty but notiroperty, commitsa falsificatio-norreiif itself' Indeed,useofprivate propertyis a fuirdamental'conditi* ro, g"r*tri*irg the existence of theliberties' Whatwoufdhappentothe citizensreduced to the sizeof antsbeforean allpowerfulStatethat controlledthe economyentirely? WhenAllenderoseto power' {ons. Balaguerstatedthatwemustbepleasedand we must congratulatethemif the Man<ist-Leninist presidentmanagedto give work to the peopleand increase productionin chile (o'Therriumfh of Allende,,,-rn La MonqroNovember22,lgTo). Forthis Bishop,ft::t^t.ol.]vlantist govemmentin Latin funerican hadlittle importance.The subjectionof thefaithful Chileansto the actionof thegreatestenemy of ChristianCivilizationin our days,did not touchthis Pastorof souls. Had he noi admitteatnat Comrnunismmight take India?

150

directivesof the Pastors.It would be enoughto cite the well-knownexampleof objectionable of customsof the Mosaiclaw of St. PaultowardsSt. Peterconcerningthe maintenance resistence just in theChurch beingborn(cfr. Gal.2,l 1-14). will be able,conservingthe peaceof their In thepresentcase,the faithful Uruguayans to thedevastatingPrelatesthat haveabandoned to plow the pathof resistance consciences, charges. functionsinherentto their sacred Sucha solution preservesthe faithful from the moral dramathat meansnot finding an way out oppositeto the-falsedilemmaof eitherceasingthe anti-Mancistfight, adequate complyingsilentlywith the Episcopalorientationthat leadsto communization,or to continue fighting,with the erroneousimpressionof beingin the processof putting oneselfoutsidethe flock of Christ. This resistanceauthorizedby canonlaw, hasnothing in commonwith the revolutionary anddestructiveanswer,and the Catholic,by exercisingit, doesnot damagein any way his adhesionto the Holy Mother the Churchandthe principle of authority. Ratheron the conhary, this resistanceresultsfrom the exerciseof the right that cannotbe renorlrcedthat the Catholic hasto continuebeingfaithftl, sincehe is motivatedpreciselyby the love andobedienceto the traditionalMagisteriumof the Church,from which the Pastorwho favors elror movedaway. The canonicalsolution of resistancewasalreadyposedgenericallyin Uruguay. ln the last years,representativegroupsof faithful, guidedby the argumentsof respectabletheologiansand anddesireto resistthe devastating theiruneasiness expressed canonists,or by the sensusJidei, directivesof the majorityof the nationalEpiscopate. Presently,without having rectified their devastatingcourse,theseUruguayanBishopsand Priestsaretrying to reducethe discontentsto a situationof a Chuch of Silenceanalogousto the onecreatedby the tansandineEpiscopatein Chile (cfr. TheChurch of,silence in Chile - The TFPproclaims the whole truth). Only in our casethey do not do it so much throughthe fear of a canonicalshnctionbut principally by meansof the anaesthetizingpolitics of the relaration of tensions. In the final part of this Sdy, we try to describewith greaterexplicitnessthe rangesof this right to resist,with the intention of making it more easilyuseful for the ordinary faithful. We are stre that the resistance,dealt with in this way, will give greatamplitudeand securityto the anti-Communistposition of the UruguayanCatholic majority, as far as Catholic, augmentingthe effectivenessof the fight againstMasism and its auiliary lines. It opens,then, the road of fidelity andclosesthe one of desperateabandonmentof Religionto the onesthat did not seea way out. 1

3. The two meridians Thereis, finally, a capital aspectof the presentreligious reality to be considered. ) Until now, the true Catholicsin Uruguayhavenot let themselvesbe pulled alongby the scandalof the devastatingPrelatesand Priests,not evenin the momentsthat were singularly between1966and1973. troubledlike the onesexperienced The badBishopsandthe bad Clergyareeachtime moreisolatedand,on the otherhand, l5l

' theCatholicchurches continueequallywell-attended by thefaithfulzurdthe Sacraments equally frequented. : ln thatso generala fidelity of theflock, despitethe infidelity of so manypastors, it is impossible to fail to perceivea specialgracefor this tragicmoment.It is thegraceof seeing with solrowthelamentable situationof a greatpart of the Leadershipandof the Ctrgy, andnot r- accompanying their detournor aband-oning the Faith. ' In themidstof the affliction of all theseyears,theconfirmationof that impressive ' immunityof themajorityof the faithful beforetie scandalof so manyprelatesputs us in the '' presence of oneof themostbeautifultestsof obedience givenby the faithful, with the graceof ,,, theDivineHolySpirit,in thecourseof theHistory of tnJchwch In thelastcentury,an accusation that onecouldcastagainsta Priest,broughtabouta floodof criticismsagainstthe whole Church,producinga crisisof conscience in manyfaithful who,at times,cameto doubtthe Faith culpabiy. Today,we confirm !!at an impressivelylargenumberof Bishopsandpriestsabandonthe fulfillmentof their dgtr andhelpthe enemyof Refgion andCountry,but the ordinarycatholic is .,, far frgmdenyingby thatthe divine characterandthe immaculatesanctityof the Church, , : 1s6ulningon thecontary, faithful to Her in themidstof the sronn. *rl{.

This reminds,uswhathappenedsomeyearsago,behindthe Iron Curtain,in a villageof , clrstant ,, -- . andglorious Ukraine: The faithful met clandestinely wheneverit waspossiblein orderto attendthe Holy ,il , ' of the Mass in a basement, celebrated by the ody friest of the placeandleaderof the 1u"."f1:" Catholiccommunity Oneday,at the time for preachingthe Holy Gospel,the Offrciantsaysin an gnexpected wayto the faithful that he doesnot believein the actsthat he carriesout beforethe altar, that he is convinced thatthe only tnrth is Man<istatheism,andhe goesout from the placeleavingthe aftendance astounded. After a few brief momentsof silence,asmovedby the onesameheroicimpulse,the Catholicswho hadmettherestandup, andthe voicesof all join togethersingingthe Credo,in an emotionalconfession of Faith. In Uruguay,asin othernationsbom from ttretrunk of ChristianCivilization,something similaroccurs. oppositethe peakof infidelity of the Prelatescalledto be spiritualguidesandguardians of theFaith,we must,resolutely,andwith the helpof the divinegtu.r oUtalneaby the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin, marchtowardsthe --- peak r- of-naeUtyto the CatholicTruth :thatwastaughtto us. Therewherethe faithful arebeforedevastating BishopsandPriests,the singingof the Credowithoutrestrictions,the total aftirmationof their adhesionto the authenticMagisteriumof thechurch,will neverbeheldasanactof rebelliousness - How couldit be? Therespectfulresistance to the badPastors,throughlove for the Church,will bea , rtranifestation of obediencecarriedto an extremelimit.

t52

**{t

It seemsto us,then,that in the religiouscrisison which we arefocusedin this way,it is not sensibleto developa suicidalpoliticsof ideologicalreconciliationwith apparentlymore moderaterevolutionaryforms,nor to put the civil authoritiesandour Armed Forcesin the cruel altemativeof havingto treattheir own country,in a possiblefuture,asan occupiednation. The adequatesolutionis to try to keeppublic opinionin an habitualstateof vigilance, sinceCommunismis alwaysalsrt. The tacticsaimedat tranquillizingit, hiding the danger, actuallylull it to sleepand dragit to silence.And duringits sleep,the attackersdestroythe knock downthe sentriesandconquerthe fortress. varioustypesof resistance,

153

CONCLUSION To resist in conformity with Divine and human laws

ilill iiiii'l

Itt,

l6 Concrrision: To resistin conformitywith human and Divineraws An so we arriveat the endof this

sadjoumey throughwhichthe reader accompanied us

il,n:fi!:[ffii,",ffJ::ny*xm.d;;i,'I"";sedwithusd;;,p..tivestha under our eyeseventsandpersonages portrayedbymorethan300 documents passed

l"r'in'* i simieri oustv a.mandin, ves ",i"i.nneourser

;irut*ti,l"l,ini"j

Themoment,then,foi conclusions hascome. Giventhe enormousmultiplicity of information andsituationslinkedtogether in these

i:5;?J:":'1,'Jn::f,fiffi #maysense,he - Howto sumup unaH#*'ffiil#i;ffi;r',#;;ffi ainne withptr.irion theecclesiastical conductnotedhere? - whatanalysis is it possibleto.rnake of it i;th;;ght of cathoricDoctrine? - And finally,whatis the attituderfr" *. uAoprf It is whatwewill developnext. ""gfrii"

';i,', r'1,,

l;riii:il'jiftrulile

conduct ortheBishops andpriests inravor ortheMarxist

The great majority orout Bishops,z supportedby a considerableportion of the '

'AIl the factsand documentspresentedhere arefound accompaniedwith the quotationor documentalproof and, respective at times,ao.u.*turlstimoniar. It may be that' in one or anotherexceptional case,aciled newspaperversion reflectexactlywhatArchbishopp"rtrri may not priestsmentioned par'ticular expressed T9.tilqtrh;;;, occasion'An hlpothetical-variation on that ortrtuiTutur. would in no way arter the general oio"prerates

il ;;il;;;Jil"i,

i'fi $:Tlffi:tl::*ffi:f"t

therevorutionary

2whenwe refer to the devastatingecclesiastical conductye do not includeHis cardinal Barbieri,awayfrom trt" ait""tio'n Eminence at"na;;::. orvont'ria"o for manyyears. we alsoexcludeMons'corso,wrro"r,n" p*lr*ri.ta

.o,*g.ous andmeritorious I anitudes in defense of thechuch -Jcn irti"ir ci"iii-,i"n, which-remuirr.oeruu.d thegratefulmemoryof goodcutttoiict, inderiblyin eventhoughmanyorrris.attitudes,in provoked rlcent yearsi, surprise' an! weretttn iy,o-y.as connadictory in-relation to his previous we believe'meanwhile, conduct. that*.t igt lrr*u.trri".Jt;* habituar -a *Jrrop Providence "l wirt iluminarehim -J-"tr him a;,n;fi, pastorof ,;i, f;hi, thatDivine confronting thegreat enemvof theHotyct ur"h,c;, .,iism "o*ug. *d l:iffi:]" "*.* andits feilowNevertheless' notjust a greatpart,butnearlyall of theHierarchy committed itselfin the t54

Clergyand CatholicInstitutions,madean effort to provide glimpsesof reality to the Tupamaroshow,usingat the sametime the prestigeand influenceof their sacredofficesin order to work activelyin what constitutedthe centralobjectiveof the guerrilla aggression. That is to say,the creationof a temperamentaland ideologicalclimateaimedat breaking the varioustypesof anti-Communistresistanceof the Uruguayanpeopleand producinga coalitionof Catholicsand Communistsrround a program of politico-economic and social reformsof unacceptableMarxist inspiration. This actionwas vety.clearin Ecclesiastical sectorsof the secondEcclesiastical grade and poorly veiledin the Prelates. It consistedin the following: 1. Practically completesilenceaboutthoseimmutableprinciplesof CatholicMoralityin social,political andeconomicquestionswhosepreachmentwould havemadethe convergence of goalsand,therefore,the christiano-Mancist allianceimpossible,namely: - the centralrole of the individualandof the vigorousandindependent family *ity, within a Statethat respectsthe limits imposedon its authorityby naturalanddivine laws; - thejust andharmonicdiversityof classes,asperennialdemandof the naturalorder createdby God,andfactorof progressof the humansociety; - the right of privatepropertyandits socialfunction; devastating process,althoughwith nuancesof diverseintensities:thereis a considerable differencebetweenthosedignitariesthat led the devastating processmoredecidedlyandthose thatmaintainedsolidariry*ith it throughtheir habitualomissionsat4, at times,their explicit agreement with the revolutionarypositions. The Prelatescommittedthemselvesmoredecidedlywho in an habitualway havebehavior similarto that of Mons.Parteli,like Mons.Rubio,Mons.Nuti, the absentMons.Mendiharat, Mons.HerbdSeijas(who - althoughhe maynot haveparticipatedin all the eventsof the last ten yearsasa Bishop- he occupiedfor a long time the high function of National Pastoral Coordinatorin the GeneralSecretariateof the Episcopate,and alwaysactedasa "committedl Priest),Mons.Tonnay Mons.Cdceres, whosesolidaritywith the process,perhapslessactive, wasmanifesteduniformly,whetherby actionor omission. Amongthe PrelateswhosecommitnentwasmoderateareMons. Balaguerand,in a measurelesscategorical,Mons.Mullin andMons.Gottardi,elevatedto the Episcopalthronein 1972andwhoseconductwasmoresilentthanthat of the Bishopof Tacuaremb6andin that sense moreremiss,but at the sametime lessexplicit in his commitnent with the devastatiirg process. We do not enterinto consideringherethenamesof Mons. Viola" Mons.Baccino,Mons. QuagliaandMons.Cabrerawho died duringtheprocess. To the previousis addedthat the UruguayanEpiscopalConferencenormally adoptsp positionidenticalto that of Mons.Parteli,whetherby positionsassumedcollectiveiyor by those expressed by the Permanent Councilof the Episcopate, in its own name,or in representation of all the EpiscopalOrgan. It is alsoworth pointingout thepermanentencouragement that the CEU givesto leftist Priestsandlaymenin their executivestructureandthroughtheir magazineVida Pqstoral. 155

:,.,j^-,^-^,2:-31lt|]1:o]P,,,1tainsttheconcrete useof thosesameCatholicprinciples througha

preachment markedby: ,.,,rlp-astqral

- a condemnation of capitalismwithoutdistinguishingit from its abuses;

4, Fosteringin the faithful people,by the evidentrepercussion of the entiretyof these . attitudesin theuruguayancontext,the following impressions: - thatthe allegationsof the demagogicMan<istswere in essence well-founded; - that,in their entirety,the principleson which the national socio-economic institutions arebasedwerecondemnedby CatholicDoctrine; evils;

- that egalitarianand confiscatorySocialismwould be ableto offer the solution for our

- that the Tupamaroviolence wasan explicablephenomenonand evenjustified in some measure by the institutionalinjustices. 5. Theoreticaland sporadic criticism againstComrnunismonly in its atheisticand dictatorialaspects, andagainstTupamaroterrorismasto its crimes,protlcdng tlt" M;ilsocio'economic endsof both,uponrecognizingthemasgenerically iraiseworfrry-a systematically avoidinganyrestrictionin that sense. 156

6' Promotionof Priestsand laity thataccepted the socio-economic Marxismandcameto share principlesof ;;;y cases,theoretically andpractically,theirmethods. 7' objective help to theMan<ist p-ublications, whetherfor the grantingof friendly interviews'or for the.comprtte-imp*ity.irtrrr pJ.ri, 'and ,s lalty laity lmKed linkedto ec organizations eccresiasticar thatcollaboratea *iir, thern. 8' silencc about therole oflnternational communismin the artificiarandconspiiatorial agitationof politicar,studeni anarurioncharacter;;;* practicedin uruguay,giving the impressionthat sucha"tnonrnutioi, werespontaneous sociar tensions.In the caseof the Archdiocese of Montevideo,trt. J.u*tuting Ecctrsiasiirutuutt oritiesreaciedthepoint of officiallv intheburiJofthe

fSillltouttng

ff;rGilro,

LlberArce,dead in crashes withthe

9' silence about the centralrole of Internationalcomrnunism,inclusive of thetheaterof gil:Tffi#F[:,!j:::nting it * u

'v'nptom orthepopurar ihdis,"ri;;il,h"race or

l0' Assistanceto-the objectives of theMan<istviolenceproposing,in orderto achieve of thesocial

i:ffifftceptance

i.ro*r, *rh;;;;iiogoirr,ing themfrom thedemands ofthe

ll. Creation by this form of: - Confusion,dejection anddisorientationin nationalpubligopinion, measurewasbasingits anti-Man<ist that in large activitie;;;;.-iigi",ri *a moralprinciples; - andan ambiguous andtnacceptablecommonterrain betweenthe immutable.

ffiil':'r;::lH:lil:ffitfli,*fli{:##:iT"""tendingtoravorthedecrin ***

1970_ t97t continuingtheir action,the devastating prelates,in this period markedby the

p;;;.;i.e,l?,."u.a il,Ti,,";:.'ijTjfl$:;,T;Tl'J;;;;;. Marxrs' "fo*,i*""athe 12' official Episcopaldeclaration - ---' -Drvspermitting catholicsto vote for M lrsrl|ulttrg uaulollcs presidentialcandidateb"ragni. Man<ist 13' casual permissionso that Ecclesiastics andlaity

of their

, l

confidencemight bestill ortr,. e[i"p' i;"a * *,q;;",rpositiorr il:f,3Tffi,|TffiTf,Hth';;il;ion o,.

157

14. Scandaloustolerancewith regardto Priestsandlaity closeto theEcclesiastical leadersin orderto makeopenpropaganda in favorof the FrenteAmplio, inclusiveof participating in its demonstrations andtelevisionprograms,writing in its newspapers and handing overplacesfor its actsof politicalpropaganda (schools, parishhalls,etc.). 15. Bad will not concealedfor anyanti-Communist posture,presentingit genericallyas " rmereegoisticdefenseof personalinterestsandof sinful andillegitimateoppositionto the social changes. r' '

16. Promotionof the frenteamplista ideologyandthe classwarfarein general,in publications underEcclesiastical conhol andin apostolic"grass-rootsteams."

17. Effective favoring of thecoalitiondominatedby the Communiststhroughthe granting,despitethe pre-electoralclimate,by highlyplacedBishopsandPriests,of friendly interviews to Man<istor frenteamplista newspapers, in additionto the condescension in the presence of thejubilant usethat suchorgansweremakingof the Episcopaldeclarations. *!ftf

1972 Whenpublic opinion tumultuouslydefeatedthe Marxist coalitionin the electionsof 1971'the Armed Forces,interpreting the national sentiment,enteredinto a stageof vigorousstruggleagainstthe subversion,that in its turn launchedits last and most brutal oscalationof violence. The conduct of the devastatingPrelateswas lent, in as far it could be,to making effectivethe terrible final assaultsof the Tupamaro show,aimed at traumatizingthe Country in such a way that, tired and worn out, it might accept a collectivistregimelater. The Episcopalaction was then the following: - alwayscensurable 18. Underthe pretextof attackingthe possiblerepressiveexcesses evenwhenavoidablewith difficulty in ttrecrashof the anti-subversive fight - hamperedthe actionof theCombinedForces,joining in to thecampaignof nationalandintemationaldiscredit thattheCommunistsprovokedagainstour meritoriousArrred Institutes. At the sametime, the Bishopsabstainedfrom expressingthe encouragement that the; owedto the civil andrnilitary authoritiesandto the entire country in the frght againstthe red aggressioncommandedfrom the Exterior. 19. Useof the Episcopalprestigein theattemptto leadthe Catholics,evenin thepeak of theguenillaaggession,to adopta positionof amoralneuFalitybetweenthe subversionand thefight againstit. 20. Attendanceat the headquarters of theCennalCommitteeof theCommunistPartyin orderto manifbstthe condolences of the CEU for the Communistskilled in confrontationwith thesecurityforces.

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nii

21. Culpablecontemptand silentaccomplicetowardstheverificationthatPriestsof differentdiocesesof that countryhadembraced the Mancistheresy,somehavingparticipated evenit is violentaction. 22. Sotidarityby actionor omissionwith thesituationof Mons.Mendiharat, in the presgnce of which the Episcopatedid not believeitself to be in needof clariffing to thefaithful justly scandalized The Tupamaroshowdeadand the leftist movementsproscribed,the disastrous actionof the devastatingPrelatesdid not cease,but went through a skillful metamorphosis, capableof beingas usefulas the circumstances might permit it to the Marxist cause, restrictedin its meansof action. The Bishopsshowedin this way an inflexibte llne of conductfollowedin the revolutionarycourse.In this new phase,their attitudeshavebeen characterizedby: 23. Demonstrationsof discomfortand ideologicalpersecutionin relationto antiCommunistPriestsandlaymen. 24. Insinuation that themeasures of the authoritiesagainstthe conspiracyof the ecclesiastical progessivistsectorswith the subversionconstituteda religiouspersecution. 25. Useof the explicabledesirefor socialtranquillityof the Uruguayansafterthecrisis of violence,in orderto statean opinion,with stupeffinginsistence,aboutthe relativist reconciliation,includingin it a petitionfor annnesty andfor a virtual reincorporation of the defeatedleft in public activity. \, 26. After the sectarianandconspiratorial characterof the violent aggression practicedby InternationalCommunismagainstUruguayendedup beingabsolutelydemonstrated, episcopat persistencein presenting- in oneway or another- the deadTupamaroshowasa symptomof indignation,perhapsoff-course,but idealistic,againstthe institutionalinjustice;calling tht "i sametime for a nationalagreementaroundneverdefinedstnrcturalreforms. 27. In a line parallelto the lulling to sleepof the anti-Communistvigilance,openingof theapostolicorganizations for the presenationof the egalitarianandcollectivistideasthatmake possiblethe rebirthof the revolutionaryoffensivein the opportunemoment. 2. Analysisin the light of catholic Doctrineand canon Law - _ Confrontingthe notoriousfavoringof the Man<istcauseon the part of so manyBishops andPriests,asit endedup definedin the 27 rcEordeditems, we askthen:How to qualift thisconductfrom the theologico-canonical point of view? We arefaithful sonsof the Holy CatholicApostolicRomanChurch,strictlyadheredto theChairof Peterandarduousdefenders of thehierarchicalprincipleinstitutedbyOur Lord 159

' t ' ; 4 t ; ' : 1 'I : 1ti:jiii;i,,;1

'''lrllllfi

' ,t,

in His Church-.For.this,in ordertorespondto thisdelicatequestionthatwe are ,1,, " :.;, 9:f 9Iist we will limit ourselves to whatcomesunderthejurisdictionof a simple :t'' ,,.;,iri. 99!'ig:9to consider, ,. " ' fbithful placedhefore nlaced the ideas nr nrnneerlinoc nf Flichnno and on'l Priests D-i-.r- objectively ^L:^^j:-,^r-. --J -^--:--fbithful before the ideas proceedings or of Bishops andseriously ,,, i,,... di'sa8reging with Catholic Doctrine: Recording in what terms suchdiscrepancyis placed. r;.1,j1.,,, ,,, : Let Ler us veriff venry ,,' next, then, the tne reality of ot'this this tragic conflict. :,., , i:l,ll,, , , i,l , ' i ' : ; r i l , 1. gr ', ;ir1'1.1t11 ii

majorityof the Bishopsandthe decisivepartof the Uruguayanpriests, ,'r Lt- ^ . - - L ^ . -l.r ^ L ^Thegreat ,;;,;;,.,1 il .; ,, ^^----__ -r,t '' throughout the course ,ti of the rlast. . ten yezus,underthe leadershipof the Coadjutoiarchbishopand ;:. ,' '' ] ' , ' , 1 ,: ' A^n.+^li^ A ,I*i-i^s^r^<r-J^ nr^-^ ^rl r- -r

.::

, dpostolic Adminishator SedePlenaof Montevideo, Mons.CarlosParteli,rlfusedprogressively, i,",,,,, points, essential guides to behave as portion of the of thepeopleof Godentrusteito themin i;,.ttil,,, i,r .in .l,.^:-,l t ' ; , ; l l l rt l -- -^.:--' ------r .. I, respective rheir areas of action and , influence. ;,i; They abandoned iuties of themostfundamental , inherent to their sacred responsibilities, within which is the fightagainsttheadversaries l1;,,.,ki1rd, i.:i . r:'t.iil,, 1.i of i lrli ',it,'l::.' ;,l'., l. ,' theChurch,like Communism.They refusedthefaithful the right aoctrinatorientationto which r, , f:,;i' ;',l' : ,jtheyhada right,andmanytimesin decisivemomentsfor the nationalfuture.3 i,"i'',i h--r!r,-,r r ,r ": But it wasnotI only by the mostseriousomissionthat suchBishopsandPriestsdistanced ,i,,,l, li , from the dutiesof their oftice: theyalsospreadconfusionandmoral relativism '.",':];o, themselves '' among.their flocksandin the entireCountry,attackedby the assaultof the Man<istforces. ,l ::, I j:.i,

,rEXceeolng me llmlts of the tnerr ecclesiasticA eccleslastlcalilrnctionl, tirnctions, they.interve"."g thâ&#x201A;Źy intervenedevaluating , ,ii **ing abusivety abr ttre :,,., ,,,1| ;,Fo::li"! limitsoI their " ,ll,: ;l:lruguayan l ur,uguayan socio-economic socro-( reality present so ii;i;,,il .as to the violent rebellion as being, in ilrl : measure, just or at leastexplicable.Theyevencollaborated so thatthe political,economicand .,

:.',1' : l'r, r.'.I i'j:,

,,,,j

principlesof Communismhad freemovementandacceptancein UruguayanCatholic circles,aswasalreadydescribedanddemonshated. Still more; mnre. rrrhen raqnfinn nf still ...v.yr whenfhe the rvsvrrvr. reactionvr people of thp the srv rran, very vvrJ na, that urer they ywyrw ur,sJ u4q had aluanluuuliu abandonedallq and ganuloutt contibuted to knockingdownimposedthe defeatof the anti-Christiansectarians, andtheArmed lnstitutes

3lt is necessaryto keepin mind that, according to the teachingof the theologians,it is not onlyby separating himselffrom the Pope,the Headof the ChurctUthat a Bishopcanfall into schism;but he canalso fall into it in otherways,like the following: - refusinghis flock the spiritual orientationto which the flock hasa right; - ceasingto comporthimselfasa spiritualleaderin orderto live, for example,asa mere temporalprince; - avoidingthe action of the grcceas far asthis is sacramentaland realizesthe unity of theChurch,for example,cuttinghimselfofffrom the Sacrarnents; - rebellingagainstthe dutiesof his responsibility; - orderingwhat is contraryto the naturalor divine right, in sucha way that, with this, i:l,', he reachesthe point of denyingthe supremeprinciple of unity inttre Churchwho is JesusChrist;

- refusingto observe therniversaloustoms of theChruch,basedontheapostolic tradition, etc.(cfr.Card.Tunecramata, Summan deEcclesia, Tramezinus, Venetiis,1561,lib. II, chapter 102;lib.[V, chapter ll; Card.Cayetafio, Com.alasummaTheolgica,Il-Il, q.39,a. ll; Su6rez DeCaritate,Vivds,Parisiis,1858,pp. 733-737; Congar, Dictionairede Theotgie Catholique, "Schisme", cols.1303tr; Card.Journet, L'Eglisedu VerbeIncarnd,vol.IL Descle6, Brugues, 1962,pp.823tr). 160

BishopsandPriestscaniedthe negationof their sacredmissionsto the extremeof opposing themselves, asfar asthe new circumstances allowedthem,to the work of the preservation of th. c.ountry.Theypresentedthe adeptsof the Marxistsubversionasmereidealistsangeredagainst the injustice. And without doinganythingthatshowedan intentionof rectiffing the.o*J. adopted,the BishopsandPriestsreferredto haveallowed,that in the areasof influencethattheir statein life grantsthem,disagreement in thepresence of the new prevailingsituationto be spread andideologicalsquadsto be formedthat havethe potentialto servea futureCommunistadvance in our Country. 2. This Ecclesiastical comportment, conflictivewith CatholicDochineandwith the ideologico-canonical requirements of the EpiscopalandPriestlymission,took on in this way proportionsso seriousandgeneralized that onecanaffrrmthat: a) The majority of the UruguayanBishopsis making useof the Sacredoffices with which they wereinvestedso asto be convertedinto the mostprestligiousand aggressivepart of the forcesthat seekthe destnrctionof the church andtemporalsooietyin uruguay. b) SuchPrelatespull alongwith themselves, by persuasion, by the fearof thehierarchical authorityon which theylean,or by the impressionthai theycreateof representing a generalflow in the Church'an importantpart of the Clergy,of the Religious,of the institutionsandCatholic works. c) They leada certainnumberof faithfutto embracegrror;theydisconcertanddivide their flocksandsubjectnumerousCatholicsto anxiousquestionsofggnscience,reachingthe point evenof beingthe causefor some- for themoment,thanksto'God,few-. of a sad abandonment of our Religion, Theytendto consolidate, by the repercussion of their conductin the Country,the laical mentalityspreadin particularsectors,andto makeit peneEatedeeplyinto the enors themselves. This saddestreality that would be muchrnoreseriousif the inflexible line of oonductof CatholicpersonalitiesandtheTFP did not exist,showingpublicallyto Uruguaythatthe devastating conductof theseBishopsandPriestsdoesnottorrespondto the tnrepositionof the Church. Happily the archivesof native History provethat the Catholic conscienceknew how to becomeapparent. d) The actionof thosePrelatesandPriests,seriouslyprejudicialto the interestsof the Church,showsitself to be harmftl to the highestinterestsoftfti country. Indeed,this action supportedby badcitizensof everyorderandby agenlsof foreignpo*rir, evenimperialists,Iike SovietRussiaandher Cubansatellite,constitutesu niaa.n aangeifor our Country,thatanyplay of unfavorableeircumstances canfum imminent. 3. It is impossibleto analyzethesefactsin the light of CatholicDoctrinewithout thinkingaboutthe canonicalshapesof schism(cfr. notel), favoringheresyandsuspicionof l6l

qheresy; whennot of heresyproperlyspeaking,at leastin someextremecases.a Seriousproblems, problemsof no smallcomplexity,risein the faceof this. - which of thesecanonicalsituationsis configwedin thediffe; argrr", of the devastating Episcopalandpriestryconductrecountedii tt i, book? T In whatmeasure? ;,, Questionsso tenibly importantthattheycannotcontinuefluctuatingoverour religious life fike cloudsof a stormthat threatensthe spiritualorderand,throughtfr*pijil"l;,0.:;il :: temporalorder. In their turn, theyexceedthelimits of our work. In order to study them,we formulatehere,with respectand confidence, a vehement callto thoseUruguayanecclesiastics that, not committedwith the devastatingprocess,are :awareof the seriousness of the problemand of the dramaticcharacterof the present moment. from your Cathoticfervor that, in this hour, you may not withdraw -We_elpe.:t into a'somf,ortable silencebut that, faitbful to your sacredduties,you -"y towardsthese the positionindicatedby your culture and zeal,comingtoiUe "a"pt orthu Church ,qgestions, andtheCountry. "id

3' Ip defenseof the Church and of the Country: to resistin conformitywith the divine and numanlaws At the marginof the formal conclusionsthat theologiansand canonistscan arrive altis commondoctineamong

in the

theologiansandcanoniststhat the favoringof heresyis configuredin a greatvariety of ways. That is to say,not only throughwords, but also with attitudesor omissionsthat directlyor indirectlyfavorthe spreadof errorsin the matter of Faith. It is particularlyimportantto note herethat the favoring of hetesycanbe shaped not only by someisolatedvery characteristic attitude. It canalsobe shapedby u r.t of attitudesthat, althoughnot lackingambiguities,in the concreteorderhavittre effectof prompting the expansion of errorscontraryto the Faith. The favoringof heresy,by necessityof the penaldispositionsof CanonLaw, have defined effects. Accordingto canon2316,thatperson is suspectoyhrrrty who sponttaneously and conscientiously helpsthepropagation of heresyin arryway. Accordingio the teachingof the canonists, suchsuspicioncanbe slight,vehementandvioient. In the rf-ightr*firion thereis no placefor sanctions,but for explanations,wamingsandformal questionsfThe Jxtreme - like excommunication punishments andthe lossof ecclesiastical position areonly applied whenthesuspicion,perhapsslight at first, becamevehement,reachedviolent and, finally, ceasedbeingsuspicionin orderto be transformedinto certainty 1cfr.Cans.2314-2317.Card.De Lugo,Disputaciones Scholasticaeet Morales,Viv0s,Paris,l8tti, pp. 201 ff; Wenz-Vidal,/ns Canonicum, Romae,_1937, tom. VII, pp. 423ff.;Vermeersch-Creusen, Epitome IurisCanonici, Desclde, 1946,tom.III, pp. 3 l6-3 l7; Sipos,EnchiridionlurisCanonici,'Romae, Herder,1954,p. 609).

t62

analysisof this teniblesituation,thestituationexistsobjectivelywith effectsseriouslyharmfulto the interestsof the Churchandof the Country. For that reason,following CatholicDoctrine,we areunavoidablycompelledto saythat, in the concreteorder of the facts,we do not seehow to fail to declarethat the conductof the 'majority of our Bishopsanda decisivepartof the Clergyin Uruguayredoundin schismand the favoringof heresy. Whatthenis the corect attitudethat we aanandmustadoptasCatholicstowardsthe of suchBishopsandPriests?Let us answerconsideringthe questionundertwo .proceeding 'points of view: a. The interestsof the Church and of Christian Civitizationin our Country: The Catholicsthatperceivedhonestlyandin their entiretythe terribleconsequenoes that, objectively,the presentsituationgivesriseto for the Churchandfor the Country,have,in the presentgonditions,the right - andaccordingto the circumstances the dury- evenbeingsimple faithful,to resistsuchPastorsandthe Clergythat supportthem in their designs. Therefore,we declarehereour firm andirrevocabledeterminationto resist. By resisting,we understand: To declareand to proclaim before the Country and the World, by all the licit means that natural right and positivelaw, be it canonicalorcivil, authorize,in what the conduct of the devastatingLeadercand Priestsconsistsand to clarify what its seriousnessis in view of the harm they causethe Church and Christian Civilization in our Country. And to be opposedconsequently,in all the measurepermitted by morality and by right, to the fact that suchLeadersand Priestsusethe prestigeof the Sacredporitioor whicn they occupyto do the evil relatedin thesepages. ***

The doctrineon the right that goesto eventhe sirnplefaiftful resistingthe decisionsof the ecclesiastical authority,decisionsthat areobjectivelymistaken,dangerourfor theFaithor lanln{ to the integrity of a Nation, hasbeenabundantlystatedby Popes,Fathersof the Church, theologiansandcanonists,someof themcanonizedsaints. It is not the time to extendourselvesin citatlonson the matter. As an illusfiationlet us pauseonly briefly on an episodeof Saqed Scripturethat hassewedasa basisfor numerous doctrinalexplanationsof the most renownedwriters. We refer to the fact told by SairrtPaulof his resistence towardsSaintPeter(Gal. 2, l l-14). The first Popehad adoptedmeasuresin favor of the pennanencewithin the Catholipcult of practicesfrom the ancientSynagogue.SaintPaul,seeing-the damagethat camefrom thiSto-r the nascentChurch,resistedheadoinSaintPeter,who,beficrettreiust objectionsof theApostle of theGentiles,recognizedthat he wasnot right andyieldednobly. The Princeof theApostles , knewin whathe wasinfallible andin whathi wasnot. SaintAugustine,SaintAmbrose,SaintBede,SaintAnselmandmanyotherFathers- as thefamousexegeteComelioa L6pideshows- eonsiderthat the resistenceof SaintPaulto Sairrt

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Peterwaspublicso that in thisway the-publicscandalgiven by saint peter wasremediedby a reprinandthat was-alsopubtic (comeliusa Lapide,cimmentaria in scripturamsacram' Vivds,Parisiis; adGal.,tomusXVI[, lg76). followingway:(' ...) Therebeinga proximatedangerto theFaith, the prelattes ' ' evenpublicly, beargued, by the subiects. In this way,SaintFaul, who wasa subjectof ryust peter, Saint argued ' ''kimpublicly,becauseof an imminentdangerof scaniat in a matterof Faith.And, as the noteof saint-Augustinesa1ts, SaintPeterhimselfgave,nt i*oiiii' to the oneswho : "rnaiginal ::gal)â&#x201A;Źttt,in order that thesewho govern,movingawayfrom-thegood pati somtetime, do not ; refuseas impropera.correctionTaving irrnqri^ their subjecls (ad Gal. z, l4), (summa ','' "o*, Teol6gica II-II, 33,4, 2). ThefamousPrinceof the Theologiansobserves too thatthe episodereferredto contains teachings asmuchfor the Prelatesasfor thesubjects:To thepretatei f*r...rrpre w,ufgivento them)of humility, so th-atthey not refuseto acceptreprimandson the)ariofrn t inferiors or subiects;and to the subiects(it wasgiven to them) ii an exampleof zeal aid trberty,so that they notfear to correct their Prelates,especiallywhen'thecrime waspublic and redoundingin dangerformany(SuperEpistolasS. pauti tectura,ad. Gal.2,li-!4,f""t. nr, no. 77, Maurietti, Taurini-Romae, vol. I, 1953). we find our19lv91in this way beforea questionamplystudiedby catholic Doctrine. we 'go alongthe roadof legitimateresistence priests to the-devastutini Bishops and c with sadness but * completepeace*:: consciences.i b' Our relationsas faithful practicing Catholicswith the devastating ecclesiastical authorities Consideringnow the problemof the resistance in firnctionof our spirituallife as Catholics,the studyof anotherquestionis inevitable: Are we obligatedin sounddoctrineto go to thesepastorsand priests to listen to the teachings of the church from their lips andto ieceivethebacraments from their hands?In this scanonistsand theologiansof the mostseriousandrespected kind,like Wernz-Vidaly Palmieri,statethathe is not a rebelandevenlessa schismaticwho disobeys the holdersof ecclesiastical authoritythat may havebecomesuspicious(wernz-Vi aa, ti Cinonicum,Romae, 1937,tom.vII, p. 439;Palmielj.,Tractatus deRomanopinttfice,Romae,lgli,pp. 194-195). (And the greatDomidg* theologianCardinalCayetano- the famous alr"na", of the pontifical Poyel againlt nascentProtestantism- commentatingon the adgge ubi petrusrni Ecclesia even endedup writing: TheChurch is in the Popewhen thisman behies ^ ropi,-tiot is to scy, as headof the church; but in the casethat hi shouldnot wishto actas the headof the church, neitherthechurch would be in him, nor he in the church). In thesamesensesee:vitoriq obras de Franciscode vitoria,BAc, Madrid, 1g60,pp. 486'487'. sudrez,De Fide,viv0s, parisiis,lg5g, disp.X, sdc.vI, n. r6; cornelio at6pide ad GaL2,l l; Peinado4CorsusBreviorTheologiae Moralis,CoculsqMadrid,tom. II, p.2g7.

r64

to pointout that: respectit is necessary living together,althoughit maybe only in a) In ordertohavl a completeecclesiastical that thereexistin the matrersdifferentfrom the onesdealtwith in this book,it is necessary spiritualrelationsof sheepto pastorandof sonto fathera minimum level of confidence*d ., . mutualharmony. b) Giventhe extentandthe importancethat thesePastorsand Priestsgive to the action(in which theyput their besteffort),we considerthat,in the concreteorderof devastating thefacts,there are not conditionsfor the habitual exerciseof that living together. We do not seehow suchexercisecanfail to bring with it proximaterisks for the faith andgravescandalfor thegood. c) Beinglike this, andexceptbetterjudgment,we affirm that to ceasehabitual of the living togetherwith suchBishopsand Priestsis a right of conscience ecclesiastical piety, and of Catholicsthat judle ilunbearable; or rather,harmfulfor the Faith andlife for the faithful. scandalous We do not believethat thereis anymoralistor canonist- especiallyin the characteristic of the post-councilera-- who might saythat saidhabitualliving togetheris atmosphere in concretecircumstancesas seriousasaxethe presentones. obligatory di On the other hand,the dramaticpresentsituationis only the most recentstageof a largeprocess.It is in the natureof this processthat its peculiaritiesdo not developin an equalway in all the Country. It *iU be mori advancedhere;moredelayedthere. It is aUsotutety whosecommitnent with the processof to considerthe caseof someecclesiastics alsonecessary demolitionexists,but in a circumscribedandmuchmoretenuousdegree.This resultsin the that variousof the concretesituationscreatedby this processcanbe,urder some consequence consideredasnot entirelydefined. aspects, that the faithful may frequentthi Chuches of the Pastors In this way, it is rurderstandable andPrieststhat we denounceandthat othersrefusethis and move awayfrom all habitual evenin what the relationsaysregarding spiritualandreligiousrelationwith suchecclesiastics, life (cfr. La Iglesiadel silencioen Chile,ConclusionII andIII). sacramental

FINAL QUESTION '

The pubtic conductof the devastatingBishopsandPriestsrecapitulated,this conduct analyzedwitfrin the frameworksof CatholicDoctrineand of CanonLaw, and the consequent anitudeof resistanceandthe ceasingof the habitualecclesiasticalliving togetherin relationto remains. suchBishopsandPriestsdetermined,a final question,nevertheless, It iJnatural that many faithful, led by tbeir religious culture andtheir good sense,E&Y haveaskedthemselvesmani times, in the courseof the readingof this work, somethingthat goes beyondthe conclusionsto which theTFP arrivedin the precedingpages. Indeed,they will be manywho, crossingover bya normal movementof the spirit the frst proceedingto fix their attentionon the doctrinalconception levelof the mistakenecclesiastical Whatisthereto think aboutthe whole setof the newmoral thatgaveriseto it, sayto themselves: andlheologicalpresuppositionscontary to the taditionat doctrine of the Chruch,that emarrate

l6s

from thatdpiscopalandsacerdotalcondrct, objectivelyschismaticandfavoring heresy? we donotaspire to begin

herethestuay

ortrris**iliilil;;"iilrrnouirion supports thedevastating that proce-ding.Its development wouldrequirea vorumelike the present 9o-nL1" one'at least'Thespecialists mostprominent in thedominan;;;ililng clergyduringtheselasttenyears-"rt"i theUruguayan trr.yrruu,*ittrn *orr., thatcanbeconsidered attempts as of theological andmoraljustification th;ir;;;ceedings, do ii i" ,uri ,.r^r, becosre thatthey unintelligible for thepublicnoiiniriurJ;th";'.-";sivistrerminology. "-f In theiraccessible this way exposition wouldtrquii. anauthentic transiatiol *d expanded development theirpostulates' of suchis thecase,roi r*urpre, of someworks uuouttt.'n,uiJi*in.n by oneof thenew"theologians of liberation"*itt moreimportance in theuruguayan andevenLatin progressivist american ambiences, theJesuitLuissrgil;. Thereaderwill beableto find a sunmaryof somecentraropinionsof Father s"e*do-;if,penoix +.0

amons others, ofthe *i: l:ryg" istheauthor,

;tr:;;,::" t::::":;::o^l';:Y::::::::,:!i--ii;;;;;;;;;;;::#":;w;f [5*r:m:::,j*:::**

concePtion{(s,:!y:::::iy,:,:,:,*:i,,iiii,t,;';;:l#:;';:ri::i::.

:#i'r;'tr: {f'3,u vo,", *a li';fi:ffr"ffl*:1"."1=i'"'"'"'*fioo'T,oii'i',i,]Hi;?:,Tr:ffifl"Y:r:*:" ..ecclesiastical Uruguay, with , gd later

in sttceecci.rF

mimaa*-L-J

^r!-!

license],,

BuenosAires, #:;1HlX*,::J":r]1,1"^olf g,Edi.ll,i"l."LaAurora,,,of ,lliJ,ll,"SllJl;*"f1";:_r,H*"^r.9",."-1ry;,F;A;"1;ff;l';,f#ll'"fr it j:l*li:,?1r9-.s;;-6iiffiffi:frff :,o*"o'oil[::"**:: :\:Hffi ?;ilj' Superior Evangdrico deEducacion rroroeica, ;fffi:il:}#,'n ri:H:"i|": .;Ifi[T," ,capitol.

isaimed plgs couection atthe,,conroversiar,

;T;:';#:,i'"1T1Hil.1..,, tt''v lilU;l;,**"*:mpny*i:*:,Fi:;;ffi *'.il il];;ff tffi;ffifi f:l ffi[:1l::::*:1,l..':1n{1 .frilr'i,lii,r, oo,, ff*:,'Xj.*; accepted n: ffihH::iL:ilTtlifr

gg of men whnce

foi+h ^,,-L-^

aL^-

i,|!51""rmenwhose-tlithpushes,r'".toputthemse*.'iil}to'Jtffi g. uniaen inaranguage ofdifficurt i:*f"""*: fl:::T*:fi:l$r:i,$h:u,arrj '"?j:::":::,:*l*i:y:o*tr,,n,r"il,J"til;iffi '#:n:ffi ;ififf iiollT:.*:, ffffi ;;ft

:'#*:n:H1:g11fl :Y:9::'.91.1':;l*l'sffi to suggestthe opinion than to explain it

ffffi::-

ar tr ls more

expricitiy and coordinately (Masas y p. Minorias I 16). ;:iiff" Somelucubrationsof the "theologianof liberation" takenfrom both booksandthatwe presentsummarilyin theappendix,will give an iar" to trt readerabouttrr. ir* theological conception setforth by the priestof conductso influentia itt trtr archaioces.oivton .video inthe and

circres of theUrueuaian ecclesiastica rrni" g"*Jrra. Appendix 4). At thesame time,abouttheexistence andexiensionof th9 nel or another serves asatasisto the"way Eology that,in oneway of thir*i;g -re-*ead

progressivist clergyin relationto Man<ism "ith;;llow-taveler,bfth'e youcan ,nori.rpJaiy in this booki upr",z, item2, note5;-chapter2item3notesTandg;-chapteiiit".+notell;_chapter2item6note "t

r66

NeVertheless, we believethatit is not licit for us to closethesepageswithouthaving posedthequestion, *

tl3

DonosoCortdsdedicateda chapterin his famous"Essayon Catholicism,Liberalismand Socialism"aimedat demonstrating that "a greattheologicalquestionalwaysgoeswrappedin everygreatpolitical question.."He wasspeakingby theway of political problemswith a capital *P." The sameSpanishCatholicthinkercites,uponbeginninghis analysis,a socialistlike Proudhon,who has,in his Confessions of a revolutionary,this signficantstatement:"It is a thing that amazesseeinghow in all our political questionswe alwaystrip overthe theological." Expandingon the matter,DonosoCortdsshowsthat in orderto arrive at the political truth it is necessary to know the lawsto which govemments aresubject,andin orderto arriveat the socialtruth you mustgetto know the lawsto which humansocietiesaresubject.However,"the onewho is acquaintedwith God is familiar with theselaws;he who hearswhat God saysabout Himselfandbelievesthe samethathe hearsis familiarwith God. Theologyis the sciencethat hasfor its objectthoseaffirmations.Whenceit followsthat everyassertionrelativeto societyor to govemmentsupposes an assertionrelativeto God:or what is the same,that all politicalor socialtruth is convertednecessarily into a theologicaltruth." Naturally the authorrefershereto systemsof government,not to this or that tansitory govemment.It is superfluousto emphasize too thatwhat is importantis theprincipleinvokedby him of the correlationbetweenpolitico-socialandtheologicaltheses,independently of the conceptionof governmentor specialsocialorganizationthat the au$or hbdperhapsthe intention of defendinB, an6of whatonemight think abouthis opinionof othei matteri. What the famousauthordevelopsbrilliantly and with an abundanceof reasonsis a truth intuitively perceivedby the ordinaryfaithful person,all the more so if he finds himself facinga situationlike the oneexperienced by our Country. Actually: The aggression of the mostgloballyanti-Christiansectthat perhapsthe world hasknown, asthe Communistsectis, appearssuddenlybeforeUruguay. This sectproceedswith a tenible attackandon different fronts. The guenilla stealsmaterialpropertyand socialhanquillity, kidnapsandassassinates, turning up as a threateningsign of the times. The politicizid student andunionagitationdisnrbs the energiesof the nation. The CommunistParty,leadingtheleft in general,aspiresto capitalizeon, throughadvertisingorgarurconholledand influencgdbyit, anda commonpolitical front, the chaoticdisorderin which the cor.rntryis throwingitself.' AlthoughCommunismdid not immediatelypersecuteReligionin our Country,if it triumphedit would imposehereits political,socialandeconomicJystemlittle by littie. Thatis to say,its regimedestructiveof our bestfraditions,annihilatorof the right ofprivate property, 'persecutor of privateinitiative,hostileto the farnily,denierof thejust andharmonicsocial l5;-chapter2 itemT letterd;-chapter2note17;-chapter 7 item2 note1;-chapter 8 item I I note6;- chapter12item2 letterb; - chapter13. t67

'j,i'

.THt:]":i:i,*;:f;ffi:T*p,:ll,i'lr::'":fitni#j.T.teria,istandatheist, wourd bea Inthepresence

In fhe n?acah^^ ^r.ar'! of thisrealitv,* t;;;#;,ifi:HBishops '" , ' ; pountry' ' l'ir' insteadof denouncing :.:it.';

priests

and in our anddgn,ing'tr,, communist attack,abandonthe requirements of

,f,;i; '?iillh"."r'ilffiffilm'*X*f::1r1Tii-the nock enrusted tothem, sow

i.r, tr"'[lT.?il:n',::1"fr l;'i1tl"Jlgifl j,,ffIff *T-_,"," :tri:J#'Jtg.;,#:ffi

,,, ,.,,' ,1,,j;l. i

They r neywrsh wish to imply imolv to ,," tho, rrn,ro- ^^J-:__

to us that,under.r;; *pects, Man<ismis an instrument srn l'hi o"::qi.-.:'; of .;',,",, we m" ri u"*i", ff| ar9thenin1ig1r, ;''.11' thepresenc""i;;;ilfi "ffi;ilssed.,,

r#fiill, *. comporrmeat ofmaninsociery :', ;',r ' 'vr t':' us ""vs'|s ' new '' mn';m wlthoutix;rurur mora,i,y Porisrole a newtheology ,$,{,T:::'trll"fl :i lilt:g s, on thesavilgi,Tr*:r, -iri", &;fr:frffi'o ,.",''''.''fr[f,f

ilfif:,TffJ:i'trtflT*:'tr#*:x*l**m:::i","; gifr'"T*:T"3:,:::'^p{iv nuaitio,ii theorogv "'rrir,

, til;,; *ii",ir*bre cathori. oo"li"l.w Bil;;.ffi;ii:ili"ffiffi1;ai,l1$H1f,fi:i:li[3i:ff;J i,,r1i i, all pttr":r.r i;' ''1' thesedevastating ;;;_,., *a.priests

"''

;" duringthesel0-yearsthe route jn ' communism ";;;;;--y of li.rrrr.. rr ri-"i,nilrilili9,hi"i:;;;..ir*.r, "q.q"*q. oftheeccresiastics

,,'.' fi*x'ldr1"jffil'.'#;*ix":::::*:* ."f

propasanda and because ora :::yl!"arv ;;,fi;T'"H,,ffi:,5';

,iilll,3i,l11l#11il;ff :lf*":-:f"":"91:ffi

'vw ."rc;u'rusrcal conceptton, ledthedevastating ecctesiastics ,;;ilffi#ff#"*ro*'

tr',',l5j*:*:#"*i:{11ho1*.,,anattitudeorcoraboratio fiil:H?l:TrT5"*'1ffi t.,r,.,.n.3:iflHi:iinffi"i:J.0":::"T:lll:1.*::y.:': interrogative: Are wethen inthe fffi:ffi

;:Ht,;;::"H,$tr,f ;'ff:,'i#:. #:ffiTjtf; t1?d[$:ffi:::?il:ff

,,***

' often' duringnightsof meditation aboutthe realitydescribedin these I andcooperatives pages,the members of the urug*yurrrpp;;;;;kJrri#'J"ru", this burning question. A wourdi"u"b""r, aistressinfiiii*.r,

ffi::l[:,1if,,f|i:'that

Thisattentiveanddelayedexamination

notserene andconfiding inthe

'xposâ&#x201A;Źtheproblempublicallyandlt.*11like led us fina[yto a concrusion:it is preferabreto thisril.il; thediscussion uuoutir to beinitiated. Because it is oneof trvothings:either*;;t" , th; of o,.rrn.. a newrerigionor weare '::liot'If it is a matterof a newretigioi,astrr. ftgi. ' suggest' on.these pagesvehementry it is necessary to.denounirii;in trrr .orit *y;;, ""r"[L"ry*d * thesuspicion upp!*, seriousry

ecct esi as,i,.,Lr.o,a ;* i" ffi ft,:,iJ;,H:'ffiil,?ffi :::l: the reass uethe ",i.,",5 168

***

About this gravequestionaswell asaboutthe entiretyof the presentwork, theUruguayan Catholiccongregation of the faithful is certainlyin the right to expectan explanationat the level of the BishopsandPriestscommittedin therevolutionaryprooessthat Communismgaveriseto againstUruguay. In this respect,meanwhile,it mustbe emphasized that problems like the onesposed. hereare of a nature suchthat concernsthe Faith directly, and, in pastoralterms,cannotbe resolvedsimply,on the part of the Leadersand Priestsmentioned,with the laconicand exclusiveuseof the argumentfrom authority. of the Clergy It would be for that reasonvery desirablethat, thosesamerepresentatives vsead-intra of make habituallyso interlocutoryandso ecumenicalad-extraof the Churchdo not an appealanalogousto the one usedby the CtrileanEpiscopaterelative to the respectfulandwelldocumented book of the andineTFP,La lglesiadel Silencioen Chile. An appealalsoemployed a few monthslaterby the Archdiocesan Hierarchyof SanPabloagainstthe elevatedandsolid studyof Prof. Plinio Corr6ade Oliveira"publishedby the BrazilianfiP underthe title ofl Igreja ante a escaladada ameagacomunista:that is to say,avoiding carefully a pronouncement on the merit of the seriousquestionsraisedandto present,asthe only reasoncontrry, the weigbt of ecclesiastical authority.T We shouldlike that the PrelatesandPriestsmentionedherenot show,asin the casesof theTFPsof Chile andof Brazil, a fearfor the doctrinaldiscussionin the light of daywith the onesthat- basedon haditionaldocumentsof the PontificalMagisterium- arefaithful Catholicsthat do not think astheydo. It would in fact be lamentablethat,while we seePaulVI ptbcea kiss on the feetof the hereticalArchbishopMelit6n, herein our countrytherearePrelateswho useagainstthe Catholicsof the UruguayanTFP andthousandsof analogousthinking faithful, the reasonof the king of the forestin the famousfableby Phedro:"Quia nominorLeo - becauseI am thelion. We arevery far from denyingthe valuethat the argumentfrom authorityhasin the Church. But in the presentcaseit becomesindispensable to considerthat: a) If the Prelatesin referencewant to carry forward the ecumenicalmovementin our country,as so manyhaveaffrrmed,it is the rninimumto expectthat they treat us in a manner analogousto how they do it with the oneswho areoutsideof the Church. Otherwise,any measurein orderto movethe Protestants andothersimilar groupsclosertowardsCatholicisrn will endup compromised,siircewhatwill theythink seeingthat,within the Church,the Catholics TThebook of the ChileanTFP hasbeenwidely diffirsedfor somemonths,aswe alrgady said,in Argentina"Ecuador,Colombia"VenezuelqSpainandalsoin ow Countrynaccornphniedr with prologuesandnotesthat showthe analogiesof the religioussituationof thesecountrieswith thatrelatedin the work. In all theseplacesthe Hierarchyhasprefenedto retireto a comfortablesilenceaboutthe seriousquestion. t69

lovingthetruetraditionaremistreated?wiil theynot wonderif whenthey become catholics theywill possiblyreceivea treatmentlike that? All theptopug*aa in favorof ecumenism would servefor nothingif this singularspectacleoccurs. b) catholic doctrinelimits the confinesof carrvins orrrrhe nrin^i-r^ ^r^.-aL^-.:principle of authority even in rrch. we have elrearlv rara-or "-^- ,^],{:1ty]:g.:"1the

;ff-'-:H',:,#'J,1ff,t"P.::fT:i:H,ld";rid;;";;i+i,ili;Ti''li' $llT:,*:lli,fl llT';:::":::H::i:g:nirui":;;";;';'6;'Jn:':::l;'1 :ffi;fffor dangerous ff the l5*:,':::*::"1"-1i:i-'."9;.:*'rdC;#il:"ffi*''li*lli.", Faith,or harmfulfor the integrityoru nution.

Amongotherteachingswe citedthatofSaint rnorn^ whenhe stated:Therebeing proximatedangerfor thefaith, the Prelates mustbe arguedwith by ,n, ,iiiiirr, evenpublicly.

prelates ofthej3vastating andpriests in theconcrete

'oT:i:.:l*::T'"'i:::ty:Tl:t:r,i'i-ar'.*'v,"iJffi ;G;ffiil"il,ffi T:n'i:,, ;'JJffi i"::'li::l li:;i:'j:nr*:ff :::3::r:3ii1r1"'to;J4'6;Jiiifd#ffi i'i"*i"'p'Jili#;r,;;;"d;;J]Ji,f:"ft i], iL"I3i*i'.T:l;"i::::".::f r,'i,8ffi ApostolicandRomanChurch. iLtrl$atholic lJ#ljy,, l::g^li,::*tT"-*":1

' '"

Theecclesiastics that havebeencommittingthemselves in differentdegreesin the revorutionarv.process

f,ffiHj;:the

unreashea uicom-unism in ;c;;d

areinthisway

CatholicUruguayan:<iously waits for whattheywill say. rf*{.

we areyoungpeople. If we face to the responsibility of uncoveringa terriblereality Yp Ii'kethepresentit is becausetheperpetuation of thet"istur.e.oa of the ronzuioi with regard to it hasbeenransformed,aswe have indicated,into a hiddend*g.r, capableof becomingimrninent at anymoment. This profonndlyabnormalreligio-ideologicalsituation in which we are living, is like a tumorthatconsumes the energiesofthe churchLd oiu*go"y. We hopeduntil now that more authoritativevoicesth* o*, detectedit in all its malignity,but now it wasnot possibleto delaylonger, becauseif the evil is not arrestedit will leadus to crisesmuchwo*e than the oneexperienced in theserastyears. one addsto this the idea that Providenceentrusted",htough the naturalorder of things,a specialtaskto all the oneswho resistcommunismin unfiuay. Actually,if ouco'ntry by its sizecannotbecalleda greatpower'throughits geograpniJJ iocationon trr" mostimportant fluvialcourseof southAmericait is a key powerin trrl irradiationof thinking andin the equilibriumof relationsbetweenthe counniesof the continent. In this way,if a politico-religious thut might teaato communizationtook hold of ourcountry,it wouidhavehere. point of:T! diffirsion,rrr:-t,l.gir*tg *ith;;"frstation produced

t70

in thetwo neighboring countries, BrazilandArgentina,it wouldreachall of LatinAmerica. Moreoveronemustkeepin.mind the vulnerabilityto which Chile would be subjectin such circumstances, markedasshewasby the Marxisiexperiencedespiteher glorioushiumphoverit. In this way then,in the defenseof the ConoSur,the role of U-g*y is of transcendental . importance'All which demandsfrom us a greaterdeterminationat otg*i-tion andefliciencyin the ideologicalaction,but it alsoindicatesthe satisfactionandthe confidencein Divine Providencewith which we mustfight for thepreservation of our Countryandthe fulfillment of herhistoricalmission. We urgentlyneedto denouncetheevil evenfrom this fundamentalaspect. Our duty is fulfilled. We hopenow thatthe ecclesiastics andotherCatholicanti-Communistlaymenwho participatedwith honorin morethanoneeventin the ideologicalbattleheredescribed,mayalso comeout into the public light andexpresstheir opinion,especiallyaboutthe conclusionsof our work. We turn finally our gazetowardsThat Womanwho "Alone conqueredthe heresiesin all the Universe"(DivineOffice). It wasthe Most Holy Virgin, asQueera of Victories,to whom the TFP consecrated its magazineLepanto,evokingthe interventionof the celestialadvocatein oneofthe greatbattlesof theOccident,perhapsthe lasthistoricaltriumphof Christianityasa setof nations,before enteringinto its saddecline. Fromthe old tnrnk of that Christianity,underthe maternalprotectionof Mary,rosethe Ibero-American peoples.The centuriesweni by andthe nationsof our Continentwentttuough infancyto adolescence andnow haveenteredinto youth,markedwith the signof the future. Latin America constitutestodaythe greatestconglomerateof Catholicpeoplesin the world. Its geographical, racial,culturalandieligiour t-ity canbe &ansformedioto * incalculablevalue,within the historicalsituationthroughwhich we arepassing.The moral and economicpotentialitiesexistingin this regionof the gloUearemadeto 6avean appointnentwith a grandeurwithout equalin the future of humankind. On theselands,heirsto ancientandgloriousChristianity,Divine Providenceallowsan essentiallyspiritualfight todevelop,perhapsgreaterin its kind thanthe onejoined in Lepanto. Here,the wavesof the egalitarianandanti-ChristianRevolutionthat, startingfrom Moscow,sweepthe contemporaryworld not sparingeventhe sacrosanctand indestnrctible edifice of the Catholic Church,found still afivl that-traditionthat agonizesin othercontinents. Columbiaresistedthe subversionunleashed in a bloodyway in l-9at;thenit wasVenezuela that saidno to the Castroguerrilla;in 1964it was Brazil*ho roseup victoriousagainstthe Communistthreat;laterit wasBolivia"ChileandArgentina.This booksdealswitli theantiCommunistexploit in our Country. But if in the temporalorder,duringthis tenible psychologicalwar, Comrnrurism has , sufferedcategoricaldefeatsin the SouthAmericanfieldsof war,1nthe clashthatthis warlps, ,l beencausingin the spiritualfield, herealsothe standardof the legitimateresistence is raised' victorious. Whenthe Motherof Godappeared in l917 in Fatim4 sheannounced thatRussiawould spreadher enors throughoutthe world andthe greatcatastropheswould happento humanity, 17l

because of its sins. But Shepromised:"In theEnd,My Immaculate Heartwill Triumph." For menof Faith,the tenible situationthroughwhich the Chuch, the MysticaiSpouseof Christ,goes,althoughSheis a reasonfor sorrowandsuffering,Shewill neverbe a motivefor despair. Coveredwith centuriesandwrappedin divinemysteries,the Churchcouldsaywith serenemajesty:"l havealreadyfoughtin otherlands,with adversaries derivedfrom other andI will still confront,until theendof times,problemsandenemiesvery diversefrom PQoples, theonesof today"(cfr.RevolucihnyContra-Revolucihn, Plinio Condade Oliveira. Colecci6n "Tradici6n, Familia"Propiedad," BuenosAires,l9Z0). Thegatesof Hell will not prevail. May Our Lady,Queenof Victories,grantto theselandscalledby numerousRoman FontiffstheContinentof Hope,the glory of contemplating assoonaspossiblethe dawnof a new erain whichthe Church- we arecertain- will emergemoreradiantthaneveroverthe remainsof theerrorsthat vainly wantedto destroyit. Montevideo,October7, 1976 Feastof Our Lady of Victories Translated to EnglishSeptember 15,2008 Feastof Our Lady of Sorrows

t72

I - Letter of the TFP to PresidentJuan MErfa Bor:daberry

i.'Bordaberryon the l0tbof May publishedin the main newspapers of the capitol. This , publicationwasprecededby the followingclarifying note: Now morethanfour monthsago,morepreciselythe 76 of May, lgT4,theExecutive decidedto suspend i'P,pwer thepublicactivitiesof theTFp. Dd.nq this longperiod,oneof an inertiathat weighssoheavilyon youthslike ourselves, ,i, exPected by day,that ney a1!of the Presidentoithe Republicmight revokethat iu t[.e fay l governmental measure, restoringin this way to thepopulationof Montevideoandof the other departments,.the opportunityto witnessour peacefulcampaigns, soappreoiated by the public. havesilencedin the streetsof Uruguaythe braveani dedicatodvoicesthat,representing ,,j Tllgl ii,' ChristianUruguayauthentically,proclaimedwith cheerfulness andpride.thecommondesireof !:tfejectingtheCommunistdanger. Duringthis time, deprivedof the meansof a full-scaledspreadingof our magazine, f1,,, {rlAanto,we preferredto keepquiet, remainingfirm in our hope,andgiving with our entire 'r'g,ampliance to thereferredresolutionthe prooiof our total obedience io ttrJtaw. After four months we are still waiting. Nevertheless, now w.e cannotremainsilent. This ili*,.. beginningto look like a conformitywith accusations that we cannotaccept. ffi'lence:oYjt this wlY-we publishthe letterthat we sentto theillustriousHeadof Stateon May .''^ ^ .In 19w l - t0 of thisyear. It hasall that wQhaveto sayto our compatiotsaboutthis subjec! for thegood ' of thereputationof theTFP andfor the onesthat constituteit. Upon taking this initiative we invite all to unite with us in a prayer to the Most Holy

so,thatShemight level in harmonyandin peacethe waysof the-oneswho haveno other Jitei.l intentionbut to serveHer selflessly. The text of the letter follows:

Montevideo,May 10, 1974 of the ,,$ofiorPresidente :OrientalRepublicof Uruguay lQonJuanMarfaBordaberry rPresente

, Withourmostrespectfulandcordialgreetings werequestpermission to presentto Seflor P'"r.esidente somereflectionssuggested by theResolutionwittr wtrictryouaffectedtheuruguayan

iii opietyfor theDefenseof Tradition,Familyandproperty(TFp). . We do it in thenameof the Society,but beforeenteringinto the subject,we wantto present ourselves to you. 'i We areyoungmen,extemely young,asalmostall of us who aremembersof the TFp, its ,m4jority,aretakinguniversitycourses.

r73

Throughidealism,we devotethesparetime that we have,to contributeto thedefense'of our gloriouscountryagainstthepsychologicalwar unleashedby Russiaandby Cuba with the intentionof suppressing the nationalindependence and subjectingus to an *ii-Cf,rirtian tyranny. We aresurethat,in this historicalmomentin which all thi governments of theworld -- 'tpay,' ' specialattentionto the voiceof theyouth,the SeflorPresidentewill not haveto make * exception,andwill condescend in consideringwith attentionwhat we now setforth: l) We deploreprofoundlySeflorPresidente that your informantsmayhavetold you that the ideologythat we spreadis extremist. We havethe painful sensationof havingbeen condemnedby thoseinformants,without ou having beenheard previously,desf,iteliving in an epochin which dialogueis generallyadmittedasa conditionof ail truly humanconnection.If , we hadbeenheard,we would havepresentedall our publications,askingyour informantsin whichwork, on whatPaBe,in what line,the doctine arguedby themasiinemist is found. And we havethe most absoluteandnanquil certaintythat thoseinformantswould haveto indicate nothing. 2) Indeed,SeflorPresidente,all the doctine containedin thosepublicationsis only the traditional doctrineof the Holy, Catholic,Apostolicand RomanChgrch. Well understood, if your informantsaskedpriestsimbuedwith the progressivist spirit if our docnineis orthodox, theywill saythat it is not. But we havethe proof of the identity of ou docninewith theHoly Church:that proof consistsin that noneof thosepriestsever had, nor will everhavethe co'rage to comeout publicly andin writing, to indicateconcretely,an error in our doctrine. 3) Seenlike this the question,in its trueaspect,dealswiQ tcnowingif: a) the docnine expressedby the TFP is orthodox;b) if the orthodoxdoctrine is extemist] We askyou ardently,SefiorPresidente,that you pardonus if with respectfulcandor, we solicit your attentiontowardsthe very qlcomfortable position that your informantshave you led to takebeforethe Country andbeforeHistory, whenthey suggestedto you that you qualiff as extremistour doctrinethat is so balanced.You, SeflorPresidinte,heai of a laicizedstate,were inducedto takean essentiallyreligiousposition,defendingas extemist, andthereforeantiCatholic,a Catholic trend againstwhich no documentof the Chuch daredthat accusation. We could havesaidthat el SeflorPresidenterepeatsthe Caesaro-Papist interferencesof so badmemory,of the emperorcof Bpantium, whichjudged the StateauthorizeOi" ar.iAt doctrinalproblemsof a religiousorder. 4) As regardsthe affirmation containedin the Resolutionof Sr. presidentethat the way by which we makeour Propagandais extremist,we askauthorizationto considerthat: a) If this is referredto the languageof onr works, an indication of what this laneuasehas that is extremistis owedto us.We aresurethat in a free dialoguewe will rhor" th;t;o"thffi;; beprovenin this respect. b) If it is refenedto otu insignias,an explanationasto in what theyareprovocativeis 174

to us" Thelion is a cornmonsymbolof heraldry, .t'o'1v'gd l'Lionof Judah'"Theredcannotbeconsidered the scripturecallsour Lord Jesuschrist a prohibitedLolor. It wouldbe disconcerting "'''lh'gt thatin themomentwhenthe church suppresses the"Index" of forbiddenbooks,a government establishes an',Index"of forbiddencolors.

c) If it blamesu1for havingcommitted anaggression in a public plaza,we arenotableto why,theinformants '1,.'llrl$erstand oithe senorPresidJit",aia nothiar usueroretakingthose ascertain'we aredisposed i'Qplllstltions. in whatev.rrnorn.nt,to a dialogue in thisrespect, andwe maintain with manriness that nothlng will beproveduguiirtur. " ,i,

- . . 5) An objectionwould still remain. If we understand the Resolutionof el seflor :'''Pr'eqdente well, it would be formulatedin theseterms:our anti-communist campaignirritates ; theCommunists, preventingnationalreconciliation.

presidente

ask

el seflor for pardon,if wemakerespecrful useof rhe P:-t:,?gy-]e,m,ust candor:**i5::::?::::y:,11'_1.*it,vouti,;;;-;h*'h;;;;;;"#ffi ;:;i,iff . r*olpt sjde-n1e, p.rhupr, have assured

il ;;ffil;.,ffi;

3:_tl3y:11 :f

od{ in thiswayis'itl*fr"ined thattheymayhavewanted to

l,*11T,li-u"1tY_::q*. ,,ii:l' i' ilrl',f

rn ract'me uommunistcampaigncontinues. continues. Andto silence And silencethe thecounter-campaign counter_campaign means mer

l"r?::*:l:yy:::Tp."s, __- -_ *:*'urwu

v4urPinBl msels q" Slit campaign meets in ITOnt ln frontOI of ltset. itself.HOW Howdiffgfent different thisi3 thiS 1,1:T,t-t "ltPtt:: ii _;;-; of

il$i*jli"tfi:::,:lq:

ry:9

Y::lj"|}|1]:"1*:,rhe

uruguay raised topowerin orderto ftap ttratanti-communist simprels.e of thearmedforcesis enoughto guarantee the

wedo. notb"r;li. rh","fb;; ; ;;ilr,# ;ff ffi:,T* ,?*:::*::if :Iiy :?.1 u;re*rril..t"oruoonlu.,,a;;,,"f",-;h;i;.-, nJ::::::"t?i:-:tl"T:^f

r srv

vluJ

cerrainly hasanimpo'rt_t roleinrepression, but,despite fl:H;["r,;T:::_?ly?-:._Tr, everything, it is not the only role. All theregimesthat havehied to fight ideaswith forcealonehavefailed. what wasmere forceworth,in theancientworld, dtring thi persecutio^ ortrr. christians? TheResolutionof seflorPresidente aspiresto promotenationalreconciliation,silencing thecampaignsof the TFP. -As the only onesexaminrauy thesecampaignsarethe cornmunists, it seemslogicalto deducethat it is with themthatonr r"*1, to makethat reconciliation. To sacrificethelegitimate^liberty of movement,oim anti-Communist organization,in orderto attractthegoodgracesof the communists,implies to otr urderstanding,makingthe communists,not gentlerandsane,but morearogant andaggressive.If an anti-communist ca{motspreadhis convictionsmoreon the sneetJof U.guuy, thesesteets arehandedoverto communistpropaganda.. The historyof communim, ai-'xerensky to our days, --J provesthat concessions to communismservemerelyto favorits ascension po'wer to .-All theseconsiderations, seflorPiesidente,leadus to requestyou, thatthroughtheforms that in yourwisdomyoujudge mostadequate, thenecessary liberty of actionbe restoredto us..ln orderto exerciseit for the goodof otu country, w9 do not ietition but the guaftmteeof not being theobjectof newgovemmentalmeasures without u.int nrli heard. we couldnot askfor less. It is whatanyhonestcitizenrequestsfor the freeexercisJorurtiuity usefulto tt e commongood. t75

This letter,sefiorPresidente, waswrittenin the exerciseof the mostelementalof rights, which is the oneof "legitimatedefense."Our reputationis beingtrampledon fieely by organsof thepressof our County, without our havinganyblame,andwithout havingat leastthe opportunityof defendingourselvespriblicly. ; We hopethat you, in your senseofjustice andthe kindnessof your Uruguayanheart, . ; understand the distressingsituationin which we find ourselves.A situationso muchmore difficult to endureasthe ardorof youthburnsin us. And in this way we ask Sr. Presidente that, restoringliberty of actionto us,you showasaccepted, explicitly or implicitly, the considerations of this letter. We enclosein this lettera numberof themagazineLepanto,the disseminationof which wasintemrptedby the recentResolution.You will seethat it is abouta reportthat showsthe miseryof Allende'sChile usingvery courteousandelevatedterms.This publicationis being madeby personslike the UruguayanTFP throughoutall America"with the greatestliberly and without provoking incidentsof any kind, on the part of the Communists. OnIy in Uruguayis it that, accordingto the informantsof seflorPresidente,the Communistswould take oversensitivityto the extremeof not toleratinglanguageso cowteous; It remainsfor us merelyto thank el seflorPresidentright now for giving a part of your valuabletime to readthis letter,andfor the benevolence with which you will receivethis request. Pleaseacceptour most sincerewishesthat God will rewardyou, grantingpeace, prosperityand successto yotu govemment,andthe bestgracesto your Personas well asyour family. With our most elevatedconsiderationwe remainmost faithfirlly yotrs, sefiorPresidente. URUGUAYA}I SOCIETYFOR THE DEFENSEOF TRADITION, FAMILY A}.ID PROPERTY

176

liir,'i, i,,

Appendix2 - First letter of the TFP to Mons.Carlosparteli who did

not a reply

ll,ii

Montevideo,Septemb er 7, 1974 MostExcellentandMost Reverend SsnorCoadjutofArchbishopof Montevideo :Mons.Dr. CarlosParteli Presente

We addressYour Excellencyin orderto eommitto your carethe afflictions that weigh ovâ&#x201A;Źrour youthfirl hearts. The hopethat movesus is that You, as Pastor, will know how andwill '' wantto understand us. In a paststill recent,whenour Countrywas , ' , 1 opinioncouldobserve not withoutperplexity- stnrgglingconvulsedby tenible crises,public troiiour Excellencyhied very hardto -r'estricttherepressiveaction . of thepublicpowersagainst your the "tupamaro,iterrorists. iiiii,, Excellency madethe effort thenfoihuman rights. i1:'11.1 iil,

ExecutivePowerof May 7 prohibiteothepuuticactivitie-s oi*rr u*guuyan Societyof the D-efense of Tradition,Family andProperry.This resolutiontrrrp".ially arbihary if onekeepsin nrindthatour activitiqs-alwLrswerecaniedout againstcommunismfor the goodof the Country andwithin the strictestlegality. Regardingthe unfoundednatureof saidresolution,we allow ourselvesto enclosethe copyof theletterwe sentto Sr. presidenteofthe RepublicMay fi,1974. Fou monthshavenow goneby sincethe TFit sawitseif affectedin its so essentialright of freecommunicationof the tr,-,tt,unaof the goodto the public. During thesefour monthswe hadreasonsto hope- gant Your Excellenoy-that; sp;k with filial rispect - that your heart asPastorwould be moved-bl thit unjustmeasure,andwould leadYou to intervenein orderto protectthehumanrights of the TFP. This hopewasespecially stong upon obsendngthe great zealshownby Your Excellencyupondefendinghumanrightswhose holderswere."tupamaros.,, Theentireabstentionof Your Excellencyin theptir.nt casehas beenproducingprofound surprise,andgivesfoundationto a rumorthatis spreadwith insistence in variouscircles. It is affrrmedthat Your Excellencycouldhaverequested the Govemmentfor the adoptionof the measures againstthe TFP. Still more,it is saidthat Your Excellencycould not haveactedon your own initiative,,b}t tt[oush a suggestionfrom Mons. Agostino basaroli, upsetwith our ManifestoPttblished ftj n"wspapeiEt Patsofrhiscity oriapril l5 of this year,in which we ln announced our attifudeof resistence towardsthe Vatican'spoliticsof the rela,rationof tensions with Communistgovemments. As Your Excellencywill know,this high ecclesiastic dignitarynied to refuteus, accordingto the noticethat appeared in E/ Pa{sof May 17,lgll,and which we aruiwered in the statement thatappearedinel Diario of May 20. TheTFP doesnot wish to believesuchrumors,but mentionsthem only in orderto bring t77

to mind how opportuneandurgenta stepwould be from Your Excellency beforethe Govemmentalauthoritiesto gainthe assurance that the humanrights,aeAingwith theTFp, mightalsobealsorespected. This stepwhich we requestfrom Your Excellencythroughthis letter will be so much moreefficient,without anydoubt,asit is saidthatcunently Yoir Excellency maintainsrelations of an increasingcordialitywith the government. Thankingyou-aloncefor the patemalreceptionthat Your Excellency will conferupon this letter,we respectfullyaskfor You valuablebiessingandwe entrust ourselvesto yoru prayers.

In Jesuet Maria

178

$ppsndix 3 - secondletter of the TFP to Mons.carlos parteli who

againdid not repty

,1,1,

ExcellentandMost Reverend $4,ost SefiorCoadjutor Archbishopof Montevideo Mons.Dr. Carlosparteli ,,Presente

ir'

"Thankingyou right now for thepaternalreception your that Excellencywill give to this we respecttullvarli for Your valuableblessing leriter, ;i;il;t;;il;';;;;* prayers.,, with thesewordswe concludedour previous trtt r iluw" sentto your Excellencyon September 7 of this year. It is nearlythreemonthsnow, andwe have waitedin.vainfor the..paternalreception,, that

il#ceptionwas theicyanddisdaintur ,j;it., fi*":.]if$l.j:.T:y_"j111ago,rec.t";: oftheprstor, ofthespiritual j:, rilln:e Father, ro**Jr-rur"r.,ll'll,ffioTli%illrtTffil*.

iiti.,'i weightof anarbitrary ':

actwitir whichthePublicp"*"i'a.prived usofprecious liberties. Permit Y"y Excellency tul thatyour silence prrrrnt is Y: d to * * ,o,o.thingstill lg

arather shourd remain dearto fiti, f:::*i',fl;H:T.*l,.!:f_;r,h#;;i?;*ir,at the i;''i,' voice ofhisanti-Comm\rqist sons, when he*^ n ,,r*deaftothevoiceo;ilI8.#il*ff-, communists thait tt t ..pingth: chriril jopulation ; ' glttrose under terro& andthatwere to demolish the

family and other institutions of *":::::*:gp-ossible inspiration exist amons us....!Behord lii", that here-so;tffi;ffi;;ftffiffi$i#;l'ric catholic insniration iii.,.,,"."*",,**:t:^tiT-T^tgrr, r;*r * r""*i"rat tofindthestilrmore remote "* didnottragicalry ofanexplanation Possibilities that *ai.r titrtffi#;ffiTfi1oftp, have imaginedthatperhapsthe previousletter, s3nt

bl usby expressmail no. 036753,with noticeof receptiondatedseptembcrI l,lg74,directly to the crria iruontevideo, might not havereached thehandsof Your Excellency'we *toj:1|i" i" qr.*v m*u* that remaLsto us:r,'ritinga newletterto Your Excellencyand attaching a copyof,thejrevious one. we *oua bevery gratefulif we receivedsomewords of undeistanii[g *Jil."gtrt from you Excellency. If this word is not said,it will appearin the tristory of Uruluay, that thu archiepiscopaldoorsremained closedfor the adversaries orcommunir.:.*lll" tlJy j,ir"y, openedup obligingryto the devastators of whatremainsof ChristianCivilization. ReceiveYour Fxcellencythe renewedexpression of theunfailingrespectwith whjchwe aflirm ourselves your spirit'al sonsin perplexity'anauooow. In Jesuet Maria

179

Appendix4 - Someaspectsof the "new theology"expressedby P. Juan Luis SegundoS. J. Throughoutthe expositionof the thoughtof P. Segundoa notion appearsthat it is necessary to emphasizein relationto the expositionof the Faithto the people:it is now not a manerof simplypreachingit but of "educatingthe Faith." This expressionwhich,.inthe author, becomesvery equivocal,leadsto the impressionthatthepeoplewhoseFaithwill gradually becomeeddcated,musthavel throughdegreesof understanding alonga somewhaienigmatic trajectorythat will leadthemtowardsa deepening by stagesand,finally, to..a new understanding of the evangelicalmessage." This singular"educationof the Faith'will becomenecessary as,accordingto the..new theology,"currentChristianity,suchasexistssociologically,musthavegrown apartfrom the originalChristianityof the Gospel. We Catholicsthen would haveto passthroughthis process"teacherof the Faith" that" naturally,will haveto leadto the new ecclesiastical_tends capableof revising the deformed sociologicalChristianity In orderto understandthe existenceof this deformationsufferedby Christianiry,the Jesuitpriestestablishes two generalassumptions that areto be perfected. l. Pre-Christianstagesof the Faith The notionof what is a Christianbecamevery nebulous,accordingto the conceptionof p. Segundo.The immensemajority of us who belongto the Church,would not havereacheda full maturityasfor beingChristians,but we would have,in differentmodalities,pre-Christian aspects.We would be in this way only in evolutionto beingreally Chridtians,despitethe 20 centuriesof the existenceof the CatholicChtuch. a) In orderto discernwhat would be the pre-Christianstagesof the Faith, the Jesuitpriest raisesan hypothesis:they would correspondrespectivelyto the stages(therewould be 4) accordingto which God would havegoneincreasingly"educating"the Jewishpeopleinthe Faith in a gradualway that would be notedin the Old Testament. b) But thesestagesareonly perceivedif onereadsthe Bible not as it cameto us but in the chronologicalorder in which its differencepartswould havereally beenwritten, accordingto certainpresent-day historicalstudies. This writing would havebeendoneby the priest classesand leadersof Israelasthe religio-politicalconveniences and interestsdiscernedby themwereprescribingit in this w.ay, - for example,the notion of a creatorand tanscendentGod appearsat the beginningof the lloly Scripturesin Genesis,but He would not havebeenin the chosenpeoplefrom the beginningof thevocationfor which God calledit; He would havebeeninterpolatedin the texta posteriori. The PatriarchAbratram,founderof the Israelitepeople,would not be exactlythe fatherof Isaac; bothwould be distinctheroesartificially broughttogetherby the biblical writen throughthat i. fictitiousparentage in orderto favor thereligiousunionof thepeople. Moseswould not have written the booksthat are attributedto him; severalof them would constitutethe fruit of later interventions of the sacerdotalclass,donefor the conveniences of historicalevolution,etc. 180

in all thisthechosenpeoplemighthavecommitredenorsit wouldnot maner, ^*-^^ flnce .,-|lll"luh theinerrancyof the Scripturewould be awardedin a certainmeaning to people that because ': Cbd;'upon choosingit and-continuingincreasingly to educate it made ii c"apable of , finallyand :infalliblyreachingthetruth. ; ,, c) However,thesepre-Christianstagesthat would appearin the Old Testamentwerenot really,lived throughto the endby thegreaterpartof the Catholics:we would havethen ii. residues . , . t . , A f i d rdeformations llrat rr'^'.lJ l-^^--- :- ^l 'anA j e f h m a f i n n o keep ur in th"r. various states pre-Christianity. of iii'llr tha1.wo.1ld For example, the ideathat.themajorityof Catholicshaveof piety,of tire sacramental life,

:ltft$t11odo1r,

of.morality, oftirespiritofthecrusades *i trt.nehragainst the srv

srv

rrEut

4E(lurJt

u!9

bansitorinerr of th. thingsof thisearrh,*yniuy, of R.ligionandof

::,tTf:-:I*:-ly:n::|tr" theChurchHerself,would constitute

a signof deformalionandbackwardness. All of it mustthereforebe theobjectof theologicalrevisionthat will give riseto new stepsin the"education"of our Faith. ('What is a Chi'stian,"First part,pre-dhristian stagesof theFaith). :f*rl

Thereis a second,assumptionthat would permit a betterunderstandingof how that deformation in Christianitycouldhavebeenprodueedandthat we will now slnthesize. 'ii ,. 2' rne mistakeof 20.eenturiesthat madeus believethat the Gospelwas a message for the j maSSgS :'r,r

The changesintroducedin the original Christianitypreachedby Our Lord - always accordingto the idea of P. Segundo- would havebeentrti rtoit of a phenomenal mistakethat theChurchdid not resolveandnow recentlywouldbe in a positiontosolve: the wrong understanding of the commandmentto go andspreadthe Gospelttrough all the world. The Catholicpastoralwould haveunderstoodit in a quantitativeway (massive,simplistic, easy)and notin a qualitativgy"y ( minority, complex,didcult andextaordinary). The church wantedin - thiswayto makefollowersnumericallyandlowered general the level oithe evangelicalmessage to thecommon'massive,sociologicalplaneproperto a c6nservative, routine,us;l ideologyth-a1 madeGodandReligionin aqcordwith Her ownprejudicesandsocialconcepions. a) However,the gospelmessagewasanti-massivearrdaimedto rescuemen settledin the l'world" in a conditionof mass,throughthe"ferment"of a minoritythatwould raisethem graduallytowardsa "liberating" superiorChristiansynthesis,,o*pl.r, extaordinary, andableto gobreakingthe closedandcomfortableplansof thetonservativemajority(..Masses and Minorities,in the divine diarecticof liberation"pp. 7-17 andzs-52). b) with the passage of History his ideaoia niumpharrt andanti-massive minorityto -Chtirtiaor rescuepeoplein the-masswascompletelyobscured"The of the secondgeneration wotlldhavealreadybeendistancedfrom the Gospel,losingthe flavor of the ,o*r., andjudging it with their stereotypical socialschemes.Afterwards,the-raassive conversionof the go;rrJ"i classof theWesternworld transformedthis into a machinefor makingChristians tf,to-"gf,simite

l8r

socialpressure. However,tddaythe possibilityexists- just asthe Jesuit"theologian"explains- of breakingthis sociologicalChristianitythat wasconvertedinto a closedideology. In effect,. technicalprogresswill endup destroyingtheremnantsof this superficialChristian unanimousness of the West,becauseit hasplacedall menin communicationwith themselves, finishingwith the closedambiencesandthe socialpressueof thoseenvirons.Technology introducedpluralismin all the cornersof theworld, a fact that is seenby the new ecclesiastical trendsassomethingbettertharrthe Christianunanimousness existinguntil now, considered superficial("Whatis a Christian,"SecondPart,pp. I l8-122).

3. DialoguebetweenChristianity, Existentialismand Marxism Dueto the massiffingandsociologicaldeformationof Christianityit would have disappeared shortly wittr the emergingof a fundamentalidea: the Gospelbroughta "laical and anti-clerical"revolution,so muchsothat "the religiousworld of the RomanEmpireconsidered Christianityas a latent atheism. Onefact more:(. . .) it was not merely accidentalwhat wasin the WestemChristianwheresuccessivelyappearedlaical humanism,and atheismas a socialand technicallyneutralfact'(ibid. p. 99). Christianity well understoodgivesto the Christiansas absolutemorality the effrcacious love of men. The rites,the sacraments, thepriestsandthe Church,etc.area moreor lessa functionalnecessityso that Christianscanbetterfulfill this absoluterequirementwithin the machineryof the social. Thusin this way, this concepionseesJesusChristas Savior"not becausehe mayhave openedwith his revelationan unheardof pathto arriveat happiness'(.. .)". P. Segundoadds: the samepath is shownto Christiansasto all men. Given to them, with the revelation,this yes,a greaterawarenessand a greatercertaintyof this orientation(. . .)." The original Christianity would know that it was "implicitly the unanimousnucleusof a humanitythat was moving towardsa better,morehumanfuture. It will havea clearermore certainawarenessof this profoundnucleustttanksto revelation,but the Christianknowsthat everythingis not on this path. Thereareotherpathsthat have other functions,all of them important,all of themnecessary. (ibidemp. 104). Accordingto this, Christianitywould then be laical and anti-clericalin the senseof "freeingitself'from an allegedly"enslavingn'conception of the ChurchandHer structures. Following the internal logic of the conceptionthat he outlined, the Jesuitpriestexpressly makeshis own the affrrmationof the FrenchCommunisttheoreticianRogerGaraudy,dccording to whichexistpresentlythree vivid trends of thought: Christianity, Existentialismand Marxism. It would be a matterthen of establishingbetweenthesethreetrends"a living |' dialogue"(ibidem p. 89). a) The "more authenticimage"of Christianity"freed" from its "enslaving"aspects.proper to a conservative, closedandmassiveconceptionof the Churchandof the naturalorder,"he believesto coincidewith the morevaluableacquisitionof existentialistthought"regardingthe

182

;:rfierâ&#x201A;Ź isprofoundry trueintheother three trends ofthouehi;;;ffi;"#;J;ffiT$J

. (ibidemp. I l6; ernphasis ours).

{.*:f

t"l':ry.t fft'u edD 9rthe massivesocialstmcturesthat sustainthe (sociotogical,and Pfonnr Christianity

Fromtherethe Jesuitpriestanalyzesthe different 'ffi:ffi'::if; ?) ii'';ono.oti'*,4.J=ilil;#i*rt'1f, fi' andcapitalist s',f *lt#*llilino,iti.o socialstructures ttratprotauiy. ll i" prish. ,,,1,,:

Helingersespecially

on the "yrr, ,,i"""ca; :, repercussior t1'.i!i* ',*"r1'#:ffi:il#l;""nu rhe subject aro'nd which ,i,iiidiff.orenluelds{esrmlar;aJiFrrfiil;ft the L#llit*r:r"l*"x$:::",

ffiffi ffi

ti.,,H*ll}1',llii3l,::,':*:

nrelnl.histo;;i;;:,sthepersonar conversion orthe *: i,.r;:rrermenting christian min91g, tr*i"""i"iiJ"*.iiffi"JiffJ:ill,il1f,Tr'ii,1j|i"

CY:r:f minoritywithinthechange. il1i"fhat b) Themostadvancedtrend,inihe

Latin Americanplane,would be represented by the positions of P'H'goAssman, i""it"a d;;ffi;;rtino.n*ideo ,.educating,, give to conferences to theclegr aswe sawopportunely(cfr. chap. 7). Heholds fi; th" ideological

uii ortr, Epistres canhave hansmined

:*'"bi#::"*'"T*;*:j:::.1_9?;.,F *he imaee ofa,,historical Jesus

"rtdd;;p"r Christ";; ;; r;-;i"-;il 183

ff;JJ#:il#?h#:H

since tbtherof this Latin Americandoubtaboutthe Gospelis Marx, explainsthe priestSegundo, in his it washe who raisedthe notionof deformationsthat manwould introducesr.lbconsciously conceptionsof realityconstructingfor suchan ideology woul{ havereallybeenin This "impossibility"of knowing whatthe evangelicalmessage the all its liberatingiadicalness,accordingto P. Assmanleadsto a concreteconsequence: and from oneself for liberating Marxistrevolutionis the only onewith eflicientmethods breakingthe presentcapitaliststructuresof oppression.Therefore,in orderto know reallythe ..true,,socialand liberatingcontentof the Gospelit is bestto intrustoneselfwith thatrevolution without investingit with previouscritical positions.In this way committedin the "liberating" revolutionary"praxis" ttri Clristian will be recentlywith the possibilityof finding thetheoretical ..truth" of thl "authentic" and"radical" messageof love for men of the original Christianity. Besides,if the Christianplacespreviousconditionson the socialrevolution,only for beingMarxist,he would be esseritiallyholdingit in checkandallying himselfwith the accordingto this mostadvancednend. oppressors, c) P. Seggndoconsidersthat the "theologian"P. Assmanhassomereasonin his historical review,but thaiit is possiblethattheremaybe a prior "critical" postureof the Christiantoward therevolutionand,althoughhe doesnot preciseit, he concludesin favor of the needfor the critical alliancebetweenChristianityandMancisimasa methodfor treatingthe conductof the masses. of This conclusionwould be basedon everythingalreadyseenand in a consideration "scientific" methoddiscoveredby Mandsmfor propellingthe revolution. - The Jesuitpriest explainsthat whenLenin wantedto apply Mancismin Russia,he perceivedthat the woiker hadtendenciesthat wErefundamentally'rirassive.That is, tendencies ior the leasteffort, for what is easy,simpleand instinctive. And that, therefore,the worker only cameto take an interest through"syndicalist" demandsto betterhis situationand not for a of society. In view of this reality,the Russian Revolutionthat would changethe fotrndations follower of Man<,had to alter the fuirction that his inspirer had given to the CommunistPartyand ooscience" of the handlingof massivebehaviorsin orderto he sawhimselfobligedto developa introducein the worker "from outside"the revolutionarymystiquethat might overcomethe mere popular,massive,simple desireof individual improvements.This led Lenin to prolongthe dictatorshipof the socialistStatemorethan what he had foreseen,sincehe understoodthat he could not leavethe peoplefollowing a free course,until reachingthe final commrnist "paradise" (as is known Communismsaysttrat it will realizeat the end the utopia of a world wiltrout God, ! ' without laws, and without any State). - In its turn - saysP. Segundo- the evangelicalmessagedoesnot give ttre Christiana methodfor handling"scientifically'the massiveconductof men,exceptthat it fits out a qualitativeminority-thatacceptsii in orderto be transformedinto a "critical" and "liberatirtg" f"t-.nt of the masses.The "authentic" Christian would only know more exactlythanother men,that no socialproject is definitive andthat he must be thereforethe "awakener"that impedesthe ideologicalclosed "absolutization"of all socialsystems("MassesandMinorities" 184

. ii : l . : t:l :l:l:

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of h:manevorution, theJesuit priestconcrudes that,,ifthe

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185