Church v. Dictatorships

In Cuba's Sierra Maestra mountains last week, a Roman Catholic priest lived with and ministered to the band of rebels led by Fidel Castro. In Colombia a cardinal of the church heard the warm praise extended by a people who regard him as a ranking hero of the revolution that tossed out Dictator Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. From Cuba to Argentina, the church is taking a critical look at its old role as friend of the top dog and is often charting a new, antidictatorial course.

In official church doctrine the change is rooted in the Rerum novarum encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, who in 1891 urged fairer treatment of such working masses as largely inhabit Latin America. In vigorous execution in Latin America, the policy is only about two years old and is rooted in the Vatican's conviction that dictatorships and poverty breed Communism. "Experience has taught,'' says a high Vatican spokesman, "that a system of freedom is in the end best for church interests. Any privilege that may be gained through a dictatorship is soon more than offset by hatred against the church."

Peron's Lesson. The bitter object lesson that brought this awakening was Argentine Dictator Juan Domingo Peron. Supported by the church at first, he later grew furious at Catholic meddling in political affairs. The strongman slapped taxes on Catholic property, tossed priests out of the country and set his bullyboys to burning churches. In today's Argentina priests who fought Peron are now the dominant force in the church.

Church leaders in Colombia showed striking courage during the final year of Dictator Rojas Pinilla. Pastoral letters issued by Crisanto Cardinal Luque last year, one of them condemning Rojas' "Third Force'' political movement, were the first serious whacks at the strongman's prestige. During the brief spate of violence the churches sheltered rebels, and when it was all over jubilant monks streamed out making victory signs to the cheering crowds. Luque has since warned the military junta that replaced Rojas that it must turn over power in free elections or lose church support.

A Better World. Though some Vatican leaders still call the Latin American clergy as a whole the church's "biggest single blot," the new ways are spreading. In Havana, Manuel Cardinal Arteaga has avoided taking sides, but Archbishop Enrique Perez Serantes of Santiago specifically condemned government violence in a pastoral letter last month. Most of the priests in Oriente province openly sympathize with Rebel Leader Castro. In Venezuela the leading Catholic prelate, Caracas Archbishop Rafael Arias, dared to condemn the stern dictatorship of Marcos Peron Jimonez for the inequitable distribution of the country's great wealth.

Much of the new political approach originates from a Jesuit priest close to the Vatican--grey, ascetic Father Riccardo Lombardi, who heads a new organization called Per un Mondo Migliore (For a Better World). To the "Better World" school in the Alban Hills near Rome, priests come from all over Latin America to hear fervent weeks of lecturing on the new policies. Moreover, Father Lombardi recently traveled to Mexico, gave a special course to 100 bishops, including Cardinal Luque. gathered from all Latin America. His student-priests can use the church organization as an ear to the ground that no secret police force can match. When chances of success are reasonably safe, they speak out. In 93% Catholic Latin America, it is a plan of action that should make the sturdiest strongman shiver.

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