Pope Francis and Peronism?

[McCall1981]

I was recently reading some comments by an Argentinian Catholic from Buenos Aires about Pope Francis. The discussion was about Pope Francis’ relationship to Liberation Theology. This person has been involved with some of the Priests working in the slums in Buenos Aires and was quite knowledgable about Cardinal Bergoglio, the Church in Argentina, etc.

He said that in his opinion Cardinal Bergoglio was definitely not a Liberation Theologian, and that in fact, he worked against the Liberation Theologians in Argentina. Rather, this person said Cardinal Bergoglio is “something very dificult to understand for an anglo-saxon mind because he (Bergoglio) is a Peronist, and Peronismo was the way to be anti-marxist in Argentina from 1945 to 1973.” He explained a little that “Peronism” has to do with populism and that Cardinal Bergoglio was definitely an old school Peronist (in his opinion).

I know only the basics of Juan Peron as a political figure in Argentina, and know nothing about what “Peronism” means in the context of Catholicism. Does anyone who’s more knowledgable of the Argentinian/Latin American Church happen to know what Peronsim means in a Catholic context, and what this description refers to?

(For the record, I’m not trying to assert that Pope Francis is, or isn’t, a “Peronist”, I just want to know what the description means)

 

[Aelred_Minor]

Peron seems to have been something of a dictator and to have been anti-clerical and aligned with Hitler and Mussolini to some degree, so I tend to doubt Pope Francis would want to be associated with him.

Perhaps the label “Peronist” is used in Argentina for anyone who is not a Marxist or a bully Capitalist, but instead cares about the poor as real people?

I’ve read that Pope Francis was a supporter of a Chesterton society in Buenos Aires and owns several books by Chesterton, by the way.

 

[McCall1981]

Peron seems to have been something of a dictator and to have been anti-clerical and aligned with Hitler and Mussolini to some degree, so I tend to doubt Pope Francis would want to be associated with him.

Perhaps the label “Peronist” is used in Argentina for anyone who is not a Marxist or a bully Capitalist, but instead cares about the poor as real people?

I’ve read that Pope Francis was a supporter of a Chesterton society in Buenos Aires and owns several books by Chesterton, by the way.

Well, from the little Ive been able to find, it seems to be a positive thing, like it means you’re a “man of the people”. From what I gather it seems to have been a right of center movement that resisted marxism, but now there are “Peronistas” on the right and the left. For instance the current Kirchner government calls itself Peronist but its a leftist government and had an antagonistic relationionship with Cardinal Bergoglio. What I read said the he was a Peronista of the right.

It also seems to have some relevence in the Argentinian Church with Peronistas vs Liberation theologians (I think).

Even the news articles I can find on it flat out state that its confusing, so thats why Im asking.

 

[McCall1981]

Peron seems to have been something of a dictator and to have been anti-clerical and aligned with Hitler and Mussolini to some degree, so I tend to doubt Pope Francis would want to be associated with him.

Perhaps the label “Peronist” is used in Argentina for anyone who is not a Marxist or a bully Capitalist, but instead cares about the poor as real people?

I’ve read that Pope Francis was a supporter of a Chesterton society in Buenos Aires and owns several books by Chesterton, by the way.

Well, from the little Ive been able to find, it seems to be a positive thing, like it means you’re a “man of the people”. From what I gather it seems to have been a right of center movement that resisted marxism, but now there are “Peronistas” on the right and the left. For instance the current Kirchner government calls itself Peronist but its a leftist government and had an antagonistic relationionship with Cardinal Bergoglio. What I read said the he was a Peronista of the right.

It also seems to have some relevence in the Argentinian Church which had Peronistas vs Liberation theologians (I think).

Apparently its hard to explain because most of the articles I can find on it flat out say that its confusing, so thats why Im asking. Any Argentinians in this forum?

 

[bcuster]

I think that Pope Francis would be hard to understand in any political terms because he is Catholic. The Catholic Faith transcends political structures. The world had the same problem understanding Jesus.

 

[malphono]

I am limiting myself to one comment and one comment only, that really has nothing to do with the Church per-se: “Peronism” in Argentina seems to me to be somewhat like “Gaullisme” in France. It’s difficult to categorize it as either right or left. Rather, it’s somewhere in the center, but with a clear “us first” thrust. Perhaps Peron was a bit more of a “dictator” than DeGaulle, but even that doesn’t necessarily mean the philosophy itself is bad.

 

[McCall1981]

I think that Pope Francis would be hard to understand in any political terms because he is Catholic. The Catholic Faith transcends political structures. The world had the same problem understanding Jesus.

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that there are Priests in Argentina who would identify themselves as “Peronistas”, as a Catholic, religious identification (as oppossed to saying they are Liberation Theologians, or Traditionalists, etc). So it’s apparently not just a political ideology, but also something of a religious identification within the Church, at least to some extent.

I noticed that the Argentinian media was all over it when Francis was elected, and many of the headlines were things like “A Peronista in the Chair of Peter”, “A Peronista Miracle” etc. I have no idea if Pope Francis would consider himself a Peronista or not. Maybe you have to be Argentinian to understand it

 

[Aelred_Minor]

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that there are Priests in Argentina who would identify themselves as “Peronistas”, as a Catholic, religious identification (as oppossed to saying they are Liberation Theologians, or Traditionalists, etc). So it’s apparently not just a political ideology, but also something of a religious identification within the Church, at least to some extent.

I noticed that the Argentinian media was all over it when Francis was elected, and many of the headlines were things like “A Peronista in the Chair of Peter”, “A Peronista Miracle” etc. I have no idea if Pope Francis would consider himself a Peronista or not. Maybe you have to be Argentinian to understand it

Sometimes we Americans (meaning Americans from the United States of course ) can forget that not all other counties are like ours in lacking mainstream political philosophies that have been explicitly shaped by Catholic social teaching. Not that I’m saying Peronism is an example of that, but from what you say it sounds like it may be.

 

[Cojuanco]

I am limiting myself to one comment and one comment only, that really has nothing to do with the Church per-se: “Peronism” in Argentina seems to me to be somewhat like “Gaullisme” in France. It’s difficult to categorize it as either right or left. Rather, it’s somewhere in the center, but with a clear “us first” thrust. Perhaps Peron was a bit more of a “dictator” than DeGaulle, but even that doesn’t necessarily mean the philosophy itself is bad.

Exactly. It’s a rather populist political ideology, very like Gaullism. I will point out that historically, until relatively late in his presidency, Peron did enjoy the support of the Church. It’s when he took anticlerical measures, namely when he expelled priests from the country for disagreeing with his legalization of divorce and prostitution, that relations took a dive.

When Francis is characterized as a Peronist, it means likely that he has a certain populism to him, but he is not by any means a doctrinal “liberal” (though the accurate term would be “heterodox”, seeing as it is possible to have social-democratic convictions yet still hew to Catholic beliefs on morality). It is meant as analogy.in that he is neither a capital T traditonalist, nor obviously is he a Liberal in the sense of being heterodox in church teaching, but something else, just as Peronism is in the broad definition of the term not in itself strictly a movement of the right or of the left.

 

[McCall1981]

Exactly. It’s a rather populist political ideology, very like Gaullism. I will point out that historically, until relatively late in his presidency, Peron did enjoy the support of the Church. It’s when he took anticlerical measures, namely when he expelled priests from the country for disagreeing with his legalization of divorce and prostitution, that relations took a dive.

When Francis is characterized as a Peronist, it means likely that he has a certain populism to him, but he is not by any means a doctrinal “liberal” (though the accurate term would be “heterodox”, seeing as it is possible to have social-democratic convictions yet still hew to Catholic beliefs on morality). It is meant as analogy.in that he is neither a capital T traditonalist, nor obviously is he a Liberal in the sense of being heterodox in church teaching, but something else, just as Peronism is in the broad definition of the term not in itself strictly a movement of the right or of the left.

Thanks. That makes sense with what I have found too. Seems like Peronism was a way to support social justice etc in Argentina without the Marxist tinge of Liberation Theology. So I see why it is populist, while at the same time it was the way to be anti-marxist. Very interesting.