Catholic persecution in Republic Spain

[Bitter Ashes]

Let's play the "what if?" game...

Would the Catholics have sided with, or at least stayed neutral in the Spanish Civil war if the Republic had made more of an attempt to reign in the anti-Catholic sentiments and actions? Might have such a swing been significant enough to turn the tide of the war, or would it have merely accelerated the breaks within the popular front that lead to its collapse?

I suppose it begs the bigger question of when it's acceptable to ally with an enemy (the clergy in this case, not thier marks) at all, ever.

[Glenn Beck]

The Catholic Church was among the largest owners of land in Spain and controlled the educational system for some time. Catholicism was not simply just a social or cultural identity held by individuals but rather a major institutional power. It played an entirely reactionary role in Spanish society that realistically could not have been broken without a degree of repression and "Red Terror".

However, I've always thought there were many excesses in fighting the church and much of the voluntaristic violence against churches, clergy, and believers was completely irresponsible. It is difficult to find the correct balance between repressing reactionary institutions and winning hearts and minds, but I feel that to a large extent many factions in the Republican camp did not stop and think about how to undercut the Nationalist appeal to many peasants and some workers through Catholicism and traditionalism.

[Nwoye]

no. the "anti-catholic sentiment among the loyalist/anarchist working class was a result of hundreds of years of oppression at the hands of the catholic church. The clergy was essentially another organ of government at that time - like the police or military or courts - and as such it was used as a means of perpetuating upper class control of the Spanish state. The "anti-catholic sentiment" was totally justified, and while i don't support the killing of clergymen, it was in most cases an understandable response to years of oppression and injustice.

[Nwoye]

However, I've always thought there were many excesses in fighting the church and much of the voluntaristic violence against churches, clergy, and believers was completely irresponsible. It is difficult to find the correct balance between repressing reactionary institutions and winning hearts and minds, but I feel that to a large extent many factions in the Republican camp did not stop and think about how to undercut the Nationalist appeal to many peasants and some workers through Catholicism and traditionalism.
I don't support the killing of clergymen (or anyone really), but I can't really criticize the actions of the "reds". As you noted the catholic church had long been an agent of active oppression, and during the war Spanish Bishops were literally blessing the purging of atheism in rebel-conquered spain (which amounted to killing anyone not explicitly pro-fascist). Also the violence against the clergy occurred mostly against specific churches or institutions known to be agents of the fascists or the bourgeoisie - the ones who led mission collections and did service work and treated all parishioners the same regardless of income were spared violence.

[spiltteeth]

Regardless of religion fascist is fascist, if the churches were siding with fascist agenda's I cannot condone killing them, but certainly removing them from a position of power or authority is reasonable. Look at Nicaragua, the church played a vital revolutionary role, and in Latin America generally, the roles are reversed because of the way the church functions in that society, it's the state killing the priests!

[Holden Caulfield]

On a local level a notable minority of low level religious men did join the republican side.

And even high up right-wing Church figures opposed the fascist elements in the Nationalist camp. I can't remember the name of him but one stood up on a fascist/nationalist platform and slated the fascists and sections of the military, only being spared from being killed by Franco's wife.

It isn't black and white, its pretty interesting actually.

[Raúl Duke]

On a local level a notable minority of low level religious men did join the republican side.

And even high up right-wing Church figures opposed the fascist elements in the Nationalist camp. I can't remember the name of him but one stood up on a fascist/nationalist platform and slated the fascists and sections of the military, only being spared from being killed by Franco's wife.

It isn't black and white, its pretty interesting actually.

I find this to be the most likely scenario of what occurred. It ain't all black and white; such it will probably be with all revolutions.


Would the Catholics have sided with, or at least stayed neutral in the Spanish Civil war if the Republic had made more of an attempt to reign in the anti-Catholic sentiments and actions?Perhaps the Republican government (doubtful of the Anarchists doing this) would have made an attempt to reign in those sentiments but as mentioned early the Catholic Church was a reactionary institutional power in society; so those anti-catholic sentiments/actions would probably still have carried out probably out of revenge/class spite. These actions weren't carried out by the government anyway in the first place, but by people on the ground.

We usually tend to think those anti-clergy actions were carried out by some hard-core ultra-leftists but I bet these actions were carried about or supported by much of the common-people especially after years of oppresion which the Catholic Church allowed and/or benefited from.


certainly removing them from a position of power or authority is reasonable.I don't think that would have been seen as enough, at least by the people at them time.

Also you can't exactly take priests off the priest-hood....although you can always close their churches.