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Title: The Colombian President and Pope León XIII. Concordato
Creator: Colombia
Catholic Church
Publication Info: : , 1888.

Summary: The Colombian President, Rafaél Núñez, and Pope León XIII reached an agreement in which the state recognized the Catholic faith as the official religion of Colombia and reiterated its commitment to protect the Catholic Church’s rights in the country. This Concordato stated that Church property was subject to levies as with any other private property except for buildings used for worship services; Catholic orders could freely establish their houses in Colombia. According to the Concordato the roles of the church were three: missions, charity, and education (public education was to follow Catholic precepts). Catholic marriage would be tied to civil laws concerning property under which legitimate children of Catholic unions would inherit. This Concordato also addresses the right of perpetuity of property of the Catholic Church; this was intended to prevent potential state expropriation of land and properties.
Historical Notes: The 1887 Concordato with the Vatican did not change the previous liberal decrees that allowed religious tolerance. However, most of the previous anti-clerical laws were repealed by the government. The state returned part of the expropriated assets to the church and paid compensation for those that could not be returned. The church also regained its control over public education which included a veto power over texts, curricula and teachers’ appointments. The Concordato recognized Catholic marriage as the natural form of marital union in a Catholic society, even though civil marriage and divorce were still legal. Bushnell, David 1993 The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself. Pp. 143-4. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Subject(s): Catholic Church -- Colombia -- 19th century
Church and state -- Colombia -- 19th century
Catholic Church -- Colombia -- Foreign relations
Colombia -- Foreign relations -- Catholic Church
Ecclesiastical law -- Colombia
Added Entries: Catholic Church. Treaties, etc. Colombia, 1888 July 5

Type: Pamphlet
Language: Spanish
Format: JPG
PDF - Color
Donor: Helguera, J. León
Collection: Helguera, J. León Collection
Institution: Vanderbilt University
Accession Number: P01839
Record Number: 360
Islandora ID: islandora:7229