Archbishop Rafael Valentín Valdivieso, the Catholic Church, and the Emergence of Chilean Democracy, 1848-1878

• In Event: The ‘Democracy’ of the Caudillos in Latin America, 1810-1880 Part II

Abstract

This paper will examine the role of Archbishop Rafael Valentín Valdivieso in the increasingly contested political arena of mid-nineteenth century Chile. It will serve as a window into the emergence of Chilean democracy at a time when Latin American political life was often dominated by caudillos. Although Valdivieso does not meet the usual definition of caudillo because he does not fit into the typical military-political category, he was an individual with remarkable political influence and an extensive network of loyal followers. Thecuestión del sacristán, his conflict with the civil government in the 1850s, led to the creation of the modern Conservative Party and an important political role for the Catholic Church. The figure of Valdivieso illuminates the ways that caudillos in this period encouraged the development of democratic rhetoric and practices for specific political purposes. This paper will examine his attitudes towards democracy and the ways that he influenced the clergy and faithful to participate in the emerging democratic culture of the mid-nineteenth century

Author

• Lisa M Edwards, Univ. of Massachusetts Lowell