Philip J. Williams

The Catholic Church and politics in Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Acknowledgements Abbreviations Maps PART 1: INTRODUCTION An Institutional Approach to the Church Historical Models of the Church Structure of the Book PART 2: THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY IN NICARAGUA: ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION Historical Background From Conservative to Reformist Church Conclusions PART 3: ATTEMPTS TO BUILD A GRASSROOTS VHURCH IN NICARAGUA Alternative Pastoral Strategies New Challenges PART 4: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE NICARAGUAN REVOLUTION Differing Responses to the Revolutionary Process The FSLN and the Catholic Church The Hierarchy in Opposition to the Revolution PART 5: THE EVOLUTION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN COSTA RICA Historical Background Mons. Sanabria and the Origins of a Reformist Church PART 6: THE COSTA RICAN HIERARCHY AND TH ERFORMIST PROJECT The Long Period of Silence The Silence is Broken PART 7: EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM THE CHURCH IN COSTA RICA Early Attempts to Transform the Church Working Within the Structures of the Church Itac Conclusions PART 8: CONCLUSIONS Historical Development of the Two Churches Efforts to Transform the Church in Nicaragua and Costa Rica The Impact of National Political Factors Versus External Influences Notes Bibliography Index

The Catholic Hierarchy in the Nicaraguan Revolution

The involvement of Christians in the Nicaraguan Revolution is a clear manifestation of the profound changes taking place within the Nicaraguan Church as a whole. While a clear majority of the clergy took a stand against the injustices of the Somoza regime, a smaller group of priests and religious demonstrated a more profound commitment to radical structural transformation of society. Although their efforts to organize and concientizar 1 rural and urban poor had serious political implications – in fact, many joined the guerrilla as a result of the ‘radicalization of their faith’ – to these priests and religious the political solutions available to counter growing social injustices and government abuses were few: either fight or capitulate. The bishops, on the other hand, were cautious about the pace of change and rejected the violent option, choosing instead an intermediate path. Unfortunately, such an option proved futile in the case of Nicaragua, and finally the bishops justified armed revolution as a viable alternative to systematic repression.

The Catholic Church in the Nicaraguan Revolution

The arrival to power of a revolutionary regime on 19 July 1979 presented the Church with a radically different situation. It seemed that finally, after years of denouncing government abuses and injustices, the Church could finally ‘announce the Kingdom of God’. Amidst the heady euphoria in the wake of the triumph, even the most sceptical clergy had a kind word for the new Junta de Gobierno de Reconstruccion Nacional (JGRN). Progressive clergy were especially elated by what they saw as a historic opportunity to join together both believers and non-believers in a national project of reconstruction. Their optimism was given added impetus by the bishops’ 17 November 1979 pastoral letter. In it, the bishops recognized the historic struggle of the people against the dictatorship and the role of the FSLN within that struggle and during the period of reconstruction. They also reaffirmed the Church’s preferential option for the poor and its commitment to the revolution. While the pastoral did not constitute a blanket endorsement of the new government — it did, in fact, contain a number of conditions — it was clearly favourable towards the revolutionary process.1