Venezuelan Catholic Church over the 19th and 20th Centuries

Abstract

The Catholic Church is a binding element for understanding the historical process of Venezuela after the three hundred years of Spanish rule, during which time, and along with the various forms of institutions inherited from the mother country, customs and values were established that contributed to the development of the country. In this essay, we make an assessment of the role of the Catholic Church during the independence process, of its conflicts with the new republic during the second half of the nineteenth century, and the gradual recovery of its social presence during the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez. Then, with the onset of representative democracy, the Church’s relation with the political power becomes regularized within a legal framework that allows it to continue in the exercise of his pastoral duties in a climate of respect and collaboration, but with a critical sense to the great problems of society.

Keywords

• Catholic Church
• Venezuela
• 19th and 20th centuries