The Sacred Heart, between the Apocalyptic Expectation and the Construction of the Social Reign of Christ (Argentina, 1870-1890)

Abstract

Although in present-day Argentina devotion to the Sacred Heart gained some roots in the 18th century and in the first half of the 19th century, its greatest diffusion was verified from the 1870s onwards. Certain events of high impact worldwide - such as the fall of Rome into the power of the Kingdom of Italy (1870) - and others of a local order - such as the yellow fever epidemic (1871) or the fire of the Colegio del Salvador (1875) - encouraged its development, associated with the idea of that the world was witnessing its last days and a supernatural intervention was imminent that would reestablish Christian society. The article traces testimonies that account for these expectations, as well as the subsequent transformation of the idea of ​​the social reign of Christ in light of a more optimistic reading of the possibilities of Catholics to reverse the process of secularization.