From "blessing" to "banning" : an analysis of the reasons behind change in the Paraguayan episcopacy between 1958 and 1973 : from legitimisation to delegitimisation of the Stroessner regime

Abstract

Abstract From Blessing to Banning - An analysis of the reasons behind change in the Paraguayan episcopacy between 1958 and 1973, from legitimisation to delegitimisation of the Stroessner regime. This dissertation focuses upon a political change in the Paraguayan Catholic church in the period 1958 - 1973. Simplifying bit, the change could be described as one from church legitimisation to church delegitimisation of the authoritarian Stroessner regime. My dissertation describes the change process and analyses why it took place. The period 1958 - 1973 has been chosen due to an overarching interest in contrasts and differences in the way Christian churches deal with authoritarian regimes. The chosen span of Paraguayan church history discloses one such contrast, between an early legitimising Episcopal inclination and a late delegitimising inclination. Focus is upon the Paraguayan episcopacy, represented by the archbishop of Asuncion and the Paraguayan Bishops´ Conference. (CEP) As the official representatives of the Paraguayan Catholic church they are seen to represent the church change that is analysed. In my presentation of empirical findings, the period 1958 - 1973 has been divided into three sub-periods: 1) 1958 - 1959, 2) 1960 - 1967, 3) 1968 - 1973. For each sub-period I describe the legitimising/delegitimising acts and statements of the bishops in relation to three undemocratic aspects of the Stroessner regime. These three aspects are: 1) Regime repression against dissenters, 2) The use of anti-Communist rhetoric to legitimise regime repression and human rights abuses, 3) the concentration of power within the executive branch of government. This part of the empirical presentation demonstrates that a change took place in the episcopate; from an inclination to legitimise to an inclination to delegitimise each of the three undemocratic aspects. The empirical presentation further illuminates how the bishops changed in their use of four important religious symbols. These four are: 1) The archbishop s Christmas speech, 2) The Caacupé procession, 3) The excommunication of regime representatives responsible for repression against official church representatives, 4) The archbishop taking seat (or not) in the State Council. This part of the empirical presentation demonstrates that a change from an inclination to legitimise to an inclination to delegitimise the Stroessner regime occurred in the Episcopal use of religious symbols. The analysis of why these changes occurred takes two different theoretical perspectives as its point of departure: 1) Based upon an analogy from an argument about the potential autonomy of the state from Rueschemeyer, Huber Stephens and Stephens, I ask whether the autonomy of the Paraguayan Catholic church - due to its position in an international system of Catholic churches , gave rise to democracy-related changes in the Paraguayan episcopate between 1958 and 1973. 2) Based upon an argument from Daudelin and Hewitt about Latin American Catholicism, I ask whether Paraguayan bishops rather changed due to prior changes in Paraguayan society. In my analysis of the Paraguayan, Episcopal change process, these competing perspectives are labelled, respectively, 1) a focus upon externally driven changes and 2) a focus upon internally driven changes . This discussion leads to the conclusion that perspective one, a focus upon externally driven changes , is supported by my empirical findings. The Second Vatican Council (1962 - 1965) and the Medellín Conference (1968) are central to this conclusion. The analysis also seeks to assess which intentional mechanisms drove the bishops to change politically after the Second Vatican Council and the Medellín Conference. The explanatory power of three such intentional mechanisms is assessed. These are: 1) an ambition to maintain Catholic mass appeal and influence , 2) obedience to the Pope/the Vatican , 3) fashion logic . I conclude that neither any ambition to maintain mass appeal and influence nor papal obedience can explain the nature of the change. A logic of fashion logic can, however, explain important aspects of the change