Mexico liberation from Vatican rule
The concept of Mexico "liberating" itself from Vatican rule is more accurately understood as a long-standing process of state secularization and separation from the Catholic Church, not a formal "liberation" from the Vatican as a political entity.
Key milestones in this process include:
1824: Mexico's Constitution established the Patronato Nacional, asserting state control over church appointments and finances, challenging the Vatican’s traditional authority.
1859: President Benito Juárez enacted the Laws of Reform, which confiscated church properties, banned religious orders, and formally separated church and state—marking a decisive break from ecclesiastical influence.
1867: Following the fall of Emperor Maximilian, who had been backed by the Church, Mexico severed diplomatic relations with the Vatican, solidifying its secular stance.
1917 Constitution: Further entrenched anti-clericalism, prohibiting the Church from owning property, operating schools, or engaging in political activity.
1926–1929: The Cristero War erupted as a violent uprising by Catholics against these restrictions, but ended with the Arreglos (agreement), allowing limited religious practice while maintaining state control.
1992: After over a century of estrangement, Mexico and the Vatican re-established formal diplomatic relations, signaling a new era of cooperation, though the state remains secular.
Pope Francis has acknowledged past wrongs, including actions that harmed Christian sentiment in Mexico, and has urged reconciliation. However, the state-church separation remains intact, and Mexico continues to uphold laicism—a principle of strict secular governance.
Thus, Mexico’s "liberation" was not from the Vatican’s spiritual authority, but from the political and institutional dominance of the Catholic Church, a process completed through constitutional reforms and state-led secularization.