Catholicism and society in Neuquén (1977-1983). The “Marchs of Faith” and the democratization process

Abstract

During the last military dictatorship, the Neuquén diocese had a trajectory that differentiated it from the rest of its peers since some of its members confronted military power through concrete actions such as denouncing human rights violations, organizing reprisals and their families, and the protection of Chilean refugees. In this local framework, the holding of the so-called “faith marches” every Christmas was one of the central instances of pastoral action with young people. This work reconstructs the organization of these marches and analyzes their role in the formation of young Catholics in a situation characterized, among other features, by the closure of channels of expression and participation and the existence of an authoritarian educational system. It is argued that this pastoral instance functioned as a “democratic enclave” in which some young Catholics went through a process of political resocialization that generated militant subjects dedicated to social transformation and made it possible for many of the participants to become “career militants,” who, subsequently, deployed their potential in neighborhood, Mapuche, cooperative, party, union, and university organizations.