The Constitutional Changes in Church-State Relations in Mexico since the Middle of the 19th Century
The Constitutional Changes in Church-State Relations in Mexico since the Middle of the 19th Century

Summary/Abstract: This article tackles the issue of relations between the Catholic Church and the Mexican state since the mid-19th century until the present. The changes transpiring in the model of these relations are analyzed based on three watershed moments and the key constitutional solutions adopted: 1857 (the first laic constitution of Mexico which, along with the Reform Laws, secularized the system of the state); 1917 (the anticlerical constitution negating the existence of the Church and creating obstacles for its activities); 1991-1992 (the modification of anti-ecclesiastical regulations and the recognition of the legal personality of Churches). Alongside the analysis of the formal and legal changes in the model of the state-church relations, the article presents the selected stages of evolution of relations between the secular and ecclesiastic authorities in the indicated period, outlining the background of these changes and indicating the reasons for them.

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