Calles Law

The Calles' Law, or Law for Reforming the Penal Code, was a reform of the penal code in Mexico under the presidency of Plutarco Elias Calles. The code reinforced strong restrictions against clerics and the Catholic Church put forth under Article 130 of the Mexican Constitution of 1917. Article 130 declares that the church and state state are to remain separate. To that end, it requires all "churches and religious groupings" to register with the state and places restrictions on priests and ministers of all religions. Priests and ministers cannot hold public office, canvas on behalf of political parties or candidates, or inherit property from persons other than close blood relatives.

President Calles applied existing laws regarding the sepearation of church and state throughout Mexico and added his own legislation. In June 1926, he signed the "Law for Reforming the Penal Code," which became known unofficially as the "Calles Law." This law provided specific penalties for priests and individuals who violated Article 130 of the 1917 Constitution. For example, wearing clerical garb in public was punishable by a fine of 500 pesos (approximately 250 U.S. dollars at the time); a priest who criticized the government could be imprisoned for five years. [Tuck, Jim [http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/jtuck/jtcristero1.html THE CRISTERO REBELLION - PART 1] Mexico Connect 1996] Some states enacted further measures in the name of church and state separation. Chihuahua, for example, enacted a law permitting only a single priest to serve the entire Catholic congregation of the state. [ [http://countrystudies.us/mexico/61.htm Mexico, Religion U.S. Library of Congress] ] Calles appropriated church property, expelled all foreign priests, and closed monasteries, convents, and religious schools. [Warnock, John W. [http://books.google.com/books?id=ubxBPdk79WkC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=cristero+war+priests+killed&source=web&ots=xwnUTes6v1&sig=ubrKIonOQ3KyuzbZ0oANhr3mfww#PPA27,M1 The Other Mexico: The North American Triangle Completed] p. 27 (1995 Black Rose Books Ltd) ISBN 1551640287]

One result of Calles Law was the Cristero War, an uprising led by clerics against the Mexican government. Between 1926 and 1934, at least 40 priests were killed during the war. [Van Hove, Brian [http://www.ewtn.com/library/HOMELIBR/FR94204.TXT Blood-Drenched Altars] Faith & Reason 1994] Whereas Mexico had some 4,500 Catholic priests prior to the Cristero War, by 1934 only 334 Catholic priests were licensed by the government to serve Mexico's 15 million people. [Scheina, Robert L. [http://books.google.com/books?id=8aWQ_7oKJfkC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=cristero+war+priests+killed&source=web&ots=YNDpLM2ukb&sig=YWccvtnJKnSpaI15bTHCOX3zoyc#PPA33,M1 Latin America's Wars: The Age of the Caudillo, 1791-1899] p. 33 (2003 Brassey's) ISBN 1574884522] [Van Hove, Brian [http://www.ewtn.com/library/HOMELIBR/FR94204.TXT Blood-Drenched Altars] Faith & Reason 1994] By 1935, 17 states were left with no priest at all. [Ruiz, Ramón Eduardo [http://books.google.com/books?id=AfdjWl1xKpwC&pg=PA392&dq=Tom%C3%A1s+Garrido+Canabal&as_brr=3&sig=HkfPtdqMt3qrdcMuprgfjnfnq60 Triumphs and Tragedy: A History of the Mexican People] p.393 (1993 W. W. Norton & Company) ISBN 0393310663]

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