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TWEN fY-SIX
THE BULU 1'llN Of 1HE CATHOLIC LAltivibiNS ABSUUrtUUlN OE OEOKOlA
J<J 1.1 >1, iyvt
Review of Background Casts Different
Light on Colombia 7 Persecution 7 Charges
(1) For more than four centu
ries (long before the existence of
the United States, as such) Colom
bia has been 99 per cent Catholic.
Although, as in any religious group,
all of this number have not been
practicing Catholics, still Catholi
cism has become a part of the way
of life of the Colombians, has plac
ed its mark on their culture, on
their government, on their total
way of thinking and living. Its
people, therefore, resent the fact
that Protestant missionaries regard
Colombia as a backward, pagan
land, and go there to evangelize
them.
(2) Most Protestant proselytiz-
The National Constituent Assem-' ing is aggressive, and vigorously
bty of Colombia—once postponed— anti-Catholic. Presumably, to evan-
may convene soon to decide whe- gelize a Catholic country the sects
ther traditional principles in refer- involved feel they must attack
ence to dissident religious minori- Catholicism rather than present
ties are to be reestablished in Co- positive Protestant teaching,
lombia. (3) Violence which is admitted-
To be considered by the assem- j ly done in some eases to persons
biy are pr oposals for two revisions | and properties of some Protestant
to the constitution which have for | sects—though proven not to be as
many months been the subject of I devastating as some would have it
For the past several years a
number of non-Catholic press or
ganizations most notable of which
has been the News Service of the
Evangelical Confederation of Co
lombia — have printed detailed
charges of persecution of their
churches by Catholics. The fol
lowing article is not meant to be
an attempt at “white-washing” of
regrettable incidents or a defense
of any particular viewpoint or at
titude. Rather, it is meant to be
an offering of information perti
nent to the problem for the bet
ter understanding of the Catho
lic reading public.
lie evangelists and do not so read
ily receive them.
In 1934, at Puerto Tejada, Prov
ince of El Valle, a group of Prot
estants seized a statue of the Bless-
i ed Virgin, plucked out its eyes,
| hanged it to a tree, and set it afire
I There are accounts of a dozen more
| such instances on record.
Such things as this are put into
j print and circulated among the peo-
| pie: “What is confession? Is it the
| trap to catch pigeons, especially if
! the priest is young and hungry. It
i is the sewer of the moral filth of a
whole country and the greatest dis
grace to its recipients.”
The forthcoming proposals of
amendment to the constitution of
I Colombia are seen in a different
I light when considered along with
| the historical background of Prot-
| estantism in Colombia and the find
ings of current investigations oi
persecution charges.
controversy, and which have been
seized upon by some Protestant
publications as being evidence of
“persecution.”
Whether the proposed amend
ments will come to a vote, or how
the votes will be cast, are still mat.
ters that cannot be ascertained at
the present time. However, there
is currently much discussion on
these amendments both in the
United States and in Colombia.
The first of these proposals pro-
—is done by resentful natives or
political groups. Because they are
almost alt Catholic, what they do as
individuals is labeled as “Catho
lic.”
(4) Protestantism is automatical
ly associated with the Liberal par
ty: Catholicism is usually identified
with the Conservative party. Thus,
difference between the two parties
are often called religious when, in
truth, they are political.
(5) Almost always, when there
vides that non-Catholic worship
and activity be confined to churches the death or imprisonment or
building. 'Assembly in the open,! Prosecution of a person, who also
in homes or in other buildings, as j happens to be a Protestant, it is
well as the use of the press or | immediately seized upon as having
radio for anti-Catholic presenta-! been done because the person is a
tions is forbidden to these groups. I Protestant. In almost every in-
The second, while allowing for pri- j stance the reasons are political or
vate schools for non-Catholic are matters of the violation of an
groups, states that “official educa- ! existing law. In most instances,
tion shall be organized and direct-j to °' for whatever reason action has
ed in accordance with the teach- j been taken, there has been provo-
ings of the Roman Catholic re- cation from the “persecuted” side,
ligion." I When some of the incidents of
To get a good picture of the sit- ] provocation are cited, it becomes
uation in Colombia, one must be | clear when sometimes the Colom-
aware of several facts.
bians “persecute" the non-Catho- j
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The Colombian Presidential ejec
tion of November 27, 1949, was pre
faced by great political strife be
tween Conservatives and Liberals.
The Liberal party had been weak
ened when split by several divi
sions within itself. Leader of the
extreme left faction in the Liberal
party was a Bogota lawyer, Jorge
Gaitan, who was being wooed by
Communist interests. A year be
fore the elections Gaitan was mur
dered—some said it was done by
an individual with a private griev
ance, some said by the Communists
themselves to provide a martyr
with which to inspire riots. Never
theless, the riots came. Public
buildings and church buildings
were burned and destroyed and a
great number of prisoners were re)
leased from the jails by the rioting
mobs. When the election was held,
the Liberal candidate withdrew and
Laureano Gomez, Conservative and
sole candidate, was victorious. Go
mez ruthlessly set about to solidify
his own power and put down the
political disturbance. The Liberals,
joined by many of the freed prison
ers, escaped to the “llanos,” the
almost inaccessible eastern plains,
and there followed guerrilla war
fare intermixed with banditry and
violence. Gomez retaliated with
unmerciful efficiency through his
police. There was bloodshed and
destruction on both sides, Liberal
and Conservative—some saw it as
Protestant and Catholic. Some
Catholic churches were burned and
some priests were brutally murder
ed.
During this struggle a few Prot
estant ministers and their, follow
ers joined forces wi,th the outlaw
ed Liberals in the “Uanos.” Prot
estantism then came to assume in
people’s minds a partisan character,
partly because Gomez refused to
compromise the Catholic traditions
of the country and partly because
some Protestant factions gave over
ly eager support to the Liberal
cause. The Liberals were tradition
ally anti-clerical, and so it became
the natural thing to associate anti-
Catholic propaganda with Liberal
propaganda.
By 1953 the guerrilla warfare
had virtually grown into a full scale
civil war. When, on June 13, 1953.
the Gomez regime was overthrown
and the Army took over the reins
of. government temporarily, Protes
tant interests became hopeful. The
leader of the coup and. the new
chief of state, Gen. Gustavo Rojas
Pinilia. announced that he would
preserve the non-political and na
tional character of the Army tradi
tion during his interim rule. In
keeping with this promise, he of
fered pajrdon and safe conduct to
the rebels and immediately the
guerrilla warfare ceased. Leaders
of the Liberal party began to re
turn from exile and gave support
to Rojas Pinilla.
At present, President Rojas Pin-
ilia’s policy of conciliation is re
ceiving the suppoi't of all factions.
But the ousted Gomez, from his
Spanish exile, continues to attack
the present regime and all who
support it, including the clergy
who, as a body, support Rojas Pin-
ilia. There has been a marked de
cline in the occasional outbursts of
religious conflict. The Protestant
charges of persecution continue,
however — occasioned now, not by
the violence caused by factional
ism and guerrilla warfare, but by
their methods of evangelism which
provoke resentment by the people.
Added to this is the general senti
ment of the Colombians, who are
more than 99 per cent Catholic,
that the Protestant missionaries fa
vor the anti-clerical Liberal party,
(Continued on Page 27»
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