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Martyrs or rebels?: Rome conference debates 100-year legacy of Cristero movement

October 8, 2026 · 1 min read

A conference in Rome reflected on the legacy of Mexico’s Cristero movement, marking the 100th anniversary of the Catholic uprising against the country’s secular government.

The “Viva Cristo Rey! Centenary of the Cristero Epic” began Oct. 7 at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and continues through Oct. 9. The Cristero War began in 1926, and scholars examined its martyrs' legacy and church-state relations across Latin America.

Among those present were the Mexican ambassador to the Holy See, Alberto Medardo Barranco Chavarría; Rodrigo Guerra Lopez, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America; and Italian Catholic politician and intellectual Rocco Buttiglione.

La Cristiada: A just war? The Cristero War in Mexico lasted from 1926-1929, during which armed Catholics, known as the Cristeros, resisted the government’s fierce anticlerical laws. According to estimates from the Mexican Bishops’ Conference , more than 200,000 people were killed for defending the faith against persecution, producing martyrs such as St. José Sánchez del Río and Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro.

Reproductions of posters from the Cristero War are part of the exhibition…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Martin Horváth

It's nice that they mention Saint José Sánchez del Río, I always liked that boy. We once had his picture on display at our church and my husband asked me if such a young boy would really be against guns. It's a shame that they don't talk much about that war in our country, even though we have our own experiences with persecution here.

Dominika Horváthová

You're right, that boy is a really strong example. Here in Prešov, we had a similar exhibition about martyrs a few years ago, and I stood there by his photo for about ten minutes. My husband would probably be surprised if he knew what it was like in Mexico - at least it wasn't an open war here, but the persecution was quite severe. Have you read anything about Father Pro? I find this one just as inspiring.

Thomas Hall

That boy José Sánchez del Río always stuck with me too, the way the article mentions him standing up at fourteen. I remember reading how he drew a cross in the dirt with his own blood right before they shot him. Hard to picture that kind of fight happening just a hundred years ago, and still so few people around here ever talk about it.