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The Story, Martyrs, and Lessons of the Cristero War
Catholic World Report ^ | 6/1/12 | CWR Staff

Posted on 06/02/2012 12:07:55 PM PDT by marshmallow

An interview with Ruben Quezada about the Cristiada and the bloody Cristero War (1926-29)

Ruben Quezada is the author of For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada—The Cristero War and Mexico's Struggle for Religious Freedom. He is Director for the Catholic Resource Center and St. Joseph Communications, Inc. in Southern California. He is a recognized expert on “The Persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico in the 1920s” and has traveled internationally as a bilingual speaker giving lectures on this subject for many years to all age groups. He spoke with Catholic World Report about the history of the Cristiada and the Cristero War, depicted in the movie, “For Greater Glory”, which opens in theaters today in the United States.

CWR: For those who are not familiar with the story of the Cristiada: what are the key historical facts about the Cristero War? What led to it? Why were Catholics targeted?

Ruben Quezada: When Plutarco Calles took over as president of Mexico, he did not want the church to be part of any moral teachings to its citizens. He did not want God to be a part of anyone’s life.

After the Mexican Revolution the two presidents that followed (Venustiano Carranza and Alvaro Obregon) abused their power to wage their personal attacks against the Catholic Church as well. There were similar persecution incidents and abuses towards the clergy and Catholics alike, and we have a few Mexican Martyrs from those persecutions who were not part of the Cristero War.

When President Calles came into power, he wanted to bring Mexico’s population to belong to a Socialist state. He would insist that the Church was poisoning the minds of the people and that its teachings were a threat to the Revolutionary mentality which it stood for.

Calles wanted to ensure......

(Excerpt) Read more at catholicworldreport.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; History; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 06/02/2012 12:07:59 PM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

>>There is a very powerful quote from the film that I believe everyone must memorize it. Fr. Vega quotes: “We must not allow for the Godless to take away our faith.”

Amen to that! It can happen here if we don’t start pushing back. They win by pushing God out of the public eye, making Him irrelevant, and by secularizing Christianity.


2 posted on 06/02/2012 12:25:03 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: marshmallow

These Socialist were following the lead of Dear Leader Benito over in Italy.


3 posted on 06/02/2012 12:29:09 PM PDT by joelt
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To: marshmallow
Calles got away with it and died old and in luxury.

He is still a hero to the Hispanic Left.

4 posted on 06/02/2012 12:30:18 PM PDT by Happy Rain ("Light in the loafers Obama" not that there is anything wrong with that!!!)
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To: joelt

Other way around, actually. Mexico’s was the first state revolution of the twentieth century and arguably the longest-lasting. Mexico’s history of revolution had long influenced their European brethren. Benito, himself, was named by his socialist father after the Mexican revolutionary leader, Benito Juarez.


5 posted on 06/02/2012 1:02:33 PM PDT by tanuki (Left-wing Revolution: show biz for boring people.)
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To: marshmallow

Viva Christo Rey!


6 posted on 06/02/2012 2:13:30 PM PDT by Mad Dawg (Depone serpentem et ab venemo gradere.)
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To: marshmallow
I have seen disinformation about the Calles Persecution that this was done in the interest of justice.

This disinformation neglects to tell of the countless people killed and how the Catholic Church was persecuted.

For example, during the 1920s and 1930s, Catholic priests were assigned populations of 100,000 Mexican Catholics to provide for -- for each Catholic priest.

The YouTube page with the trailer for For Greater Glory is one such place where disinformation is found...

7 posted on 06/02/2012 3:12:36 PM PDT by topher (Traditional values -- especially family values -- which have been proven over time.)
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To: marshmallow
The Story, Martyrs, and Lessons of the Cristero War
When the Catholic Faith Was Outlawed

Viva Cristo Rey!For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristeros (EWTN program on YouTube)
New Trailer for Cristeros Film
The Undercover Priest, Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro
The Martyrdom of Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J.
A Patron Saint for the Falsely Accused [Father Miguel Augustin Pro, S.J.]
Mexican "Cristeros" Martyrs Beatified
Blessed Miguel Pro:Heroic Mexican Martyr["VIVA CRISTO REY!"]
Father Miguel Pro: Heroic Mexican Martyr
Blessed Miguel Pro [last dying words:"Viva El Cristo Rey"("Long Live Christ The King")]

8 posted on 06/02/2012 7:46:26 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: joelt

I think you are wrong. Many Catholics died in this conflict. They tried to outlaw the Catholic Church.

Viva Cristo Rey!


9 posted on 06/02/2012 7:47:56 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: joelt
Please read up (all FR threads) on what really happened there.

The Story, Martyrs, and Lessons of the Cristero War
When the Catholic Faith Was Outlawed

Viva Cristo Rey!For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristeros (EWTN program on YouTube)
New Trailer for Cristeros Film
The Undercover Priest, Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro
The Martyrdom of Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J.
A Patron Saint for the Falsely Accused [Father Miguel Augustin Pro, S.J.]
Mexican "Cristeros" Martyrs Beatified
Blessed Miguel Pro:Heroic Mexican Martyr["VIVA CRISTO REY!"]
Father Miguel Pro: Heroic Mexican Martyr
Blessed Miguel Pro [last dying words:"Viva El Cristo Rey"("Long Live Christ The King")]

10 posted on 06/02/2012 7:49:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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