Cristero uprisings

Mexican history

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

The Cristero Rebellion, also known as the Cristero War, was a major uprising in Mexico from 1926 to 1929. It was a response to the anticlerical policies of President Plutarco Elías Calles, who sought to reduce the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexican society.12

Calles enforced strict laws that limited the clergy and prohibited church schools, leading to widespread discontent among religious Mexicans. In defense of their faith, many peasants rose up against the government, engaging in armed conflict. The rebellion saw attacks on government buildings and assassinations of officials, met with government reprisals including the execution of clergy and the massacre of rebels and their sympathizers.123

Despite the government's hostility, the rebellion was ultimately suppressed. However, tensions between church and state continued for decades, with periods of renewed persecution and eventual improvement in relations following World War II.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Juan Rulfo
…part (1926–29) of the violent Cristero rebellion in western Mexico. His family of prosperous landowners lost a considerable fortune. When they moved to Mexico City, Rulfo worked for a rubber company and as a film scriptwriter. Many of the short stories that were later published in El llano en llamas…
Read More
…part (1926–29) of the violent Cristero rebellion in western Mexico. His family of prosperous landowners lost a considerable fortune. When they moved to Mexico City, Rulfo worked for a rubber company and as a film scriptwriter. Many of the short stories that were later published in El llano en llamas…
Read More

Mexico
The northern dynasty: Obregón and Calles
…western Mexico known as the Cristeros. Mediation of the church-state controversy was unofficially accomplished by Dwight W. Morrow, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, whose sympathetic and skillful diplomacy also eased tensions between the two countries.
Read More
…western Mexico known as the Cristeros. Mediation of the church-state controversy was unofficially accomplished by Dwight W. Morrow, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, whose sympathetic and skillful diplomacy also eased tensions between the two countries.
Read More