CHILE: WORSENING CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS

Created: 8/25/1976

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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Worsening Church-Stato Halations ;

Recent criticism of the government by the Catholic Churchtep backward in church-state relations and may encourage other crltlea of tha junta's policies to step up their attacks. An open church-state split will probably be averted, but the Catholic hierarchy is likely to be moreon such issues as human rights and theplight of the poor in Chile..i

The church has blamed the government for thedemonstrations at the airport when three prominent Chilean bishops returned from aconference in Ecuadoreek ago. President Pinochet denied allegations that security agenta orchestrated the anticlerical violence, but HH^^HrfAjTfJJTfJflTffl1 confirat government involvermnt. The cnurcn^TaceeiTDy excommunicating security personnel accused of roughing up the bishops.

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f ardening attitude on the part of the church

wasn .the later issuanceharp at-itack on the government for the summary expulsion of two prominent civil rights attorneys on Augustn an unusually forthright statement, the church censured the government for practices thatmoral problem" on which the church couldt charged that the junta's refusal to define the grounds for the lawyers' expulsion was "unacceptable and closes the road to all.'The church's position will very likely encourage more open expressions of antigovernmant sentiment from other quarters, particularly christian Democratic, followers of former president Prul. i

'! '. The incidents will give exiles and foreign critics new Issues to combine with frosh reports of

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and disappearances of parsons In chllo. Kith convincing evidence of government intimidation Of ite domeatic opponents, the UN human rlghtewill probably find renewed justlfleation for pressing its mandate to investigate the Chileen aituation.

i'K President Pinochet has reacted by personally denying that reletions with the church have been iaoaired. uncheon meeting he arranged with the Cardinal and other bishops took place inlimate

cf frankness and cordiality"

P^PJfffffJ Despite these discltiners, the aovw^iSent; hasoanned any radio or televlaionhe lulslon of the two lawyers or the airport incident.

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Original document.

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