How did church-state relations in Mexico improve after World War II?

Following World War II, church-state relations in Mexico gradually improved as the government adopted a less hostile stance toward the Roman Catholic Church, largely because the vast majority of the Mexican population identified as Catholic.1

Key developments in this improvement included:

• Government Cooperation: In the 1970s, the state provided assistance for the construction of the New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to replace the original, structurally unsafe building.1
• Diplomatic Normalization: In 1992, Mexico and the Holy See officially resumed diplomatic relations.1
• Legislative Reform: The government repealed various anticlerical laws that had remained on the books, including those that proscribed the Jesuits and denied priests the right to vote.1
• Political Shift: During the administration of President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, the state moved away from the rigid anticlericalism that had characterized the post-revolutionary era, signaling a significant departure from earlier policies.21

These changes allowed the church to gain greater freedom and take a more active role in advocating for social justice and the rights of the poor and Indigenous peoples.1