Republic in North America, south of the United States. Early explorers found among the natives traditions, apparently Christian, which are believed by some to indicate that at least one missionary, of unknown origin, had preached in Mexico in the 11th century or earlier. Beginning in the 16th century the Spanish explorers and conquerors brought many prieats and friars, and a Bull issued by Pope Paul III in 1537 declared, against the common opinion, that the Indians were rational beings, recognizing them as capable of receiving the Christian Faith and its sacraments, and as having equal rights with white men. The visions appearing in 1531 to Juan Diego, an Indian neophyte, were a stimulus to the conversion of his people and are still commemorated at the shrine of Guadalupe. Many churches, hospitals, asylums, monasteries, and schools were built, and long remained, under the patronage and partly under the control of the Spanish Crown. There were various kinds of schools; Bishop Zumarraga, the first Bishop of Mexico, who bore also the title Protector of the Indians, established eight or nine schools for Indian girls, and in 1530-1534 he had twelve women teachers brought to them from Europe. The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico was opened in 1553, and continued work until the middle of the 19th century. The first seven dioceses were suffragan to the Archdiocese of Seville, Spain, until 1545; in that year the Diocese of Mexico was made an archdiocese with authority over the other six and those subsequently formed, including, in 1581, the Diocese of Manila in the Philippines. The independence of Mexico was proclaimed in 1810 by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and was established by the revolution in which he and another priest, Jose Morelos y Pavon, were the earliest leaders. The Constitution of 1857, and laws passed during the next few years decreed the separation of Church and State and placed severe restrictions on the Church. They suppressed all religious orders and congregations, confiscated a large amount of Church property, including charitable institutions, forbade religious demonstrations in any place outside the church buildings which were reserved for such use by the government, and prohibited religious instruction in federal, state, and municipal schools. For long periods these laws were not enforced, but they were eventually revived. The Constitution of 1917 gives to federal and state authorities power to regulate religious worship in many ways; to limit the number of priests and their activities; to limit and specify the hours for religious services; priests are not allowed to vote; they must register as required by the government; foreigners are not to be permitted to administer; religious periodicals are not allowed to publish information or comment on political affairs; no church may own or administer real property; places of public worship are the property of the nation as represented by the federal government; and no trial by jury shall be granted for infraction of these provisions. These and similar laws were put strictly in force, 1927, and Catholic priests and laymen, women especiaIly, were subjected to barbarous persecution. In July 1929, largely through the efforts of the American Ambassador, Dwight W. Morrow, this persecution came to an end. An agreement was reached between the President, Emilio Portes Gil, and the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Leopold Ruiz y Flores, allowing the Catholic hierarchy to designate the priests who are to register, permitting religious instruction in the churches, acknowledging the right of Mexican prelates to apply for modifications of the Constitution.

Archdioceses, past and present, include

Acapulco, Guerrero
Antequera, Oaxaca
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
Durango, Durango
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Hermosillo, Sonora
Jalapa, Veracruz
LeÃ³n, Guanajuato
Mexico, Federal District
Monterrey, Nuevo LeÃ³n
Morelia, MichoacÃ¡n
Puebla de los Angeles, Puebla
San Luis PotosÃ, San LuÃs PotosÃ
Tijuana, Baja California Norte
Tlalnepantla, Mexico
YucatÃ¡n, YucatÃ¡n

Dioceses, past and present, include:

Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
Apatzingan, MichoacÃ¡n
AutlÃ¡n, Jalisco
Campeche, Campeche
Carolense, YucatÃ¡n
Celaya, Guanajuato
Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Guerrero
Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero
Ciudad GuzmÃ¡n, Jalisco
Ciudad JuÃ¡rez, Chihuahua
Ciudad LÃ¡zaro CÃ¡rdenas, MichoacÃ¡n
Ciudad ObregÃ³n, Sonora
Ciudad Valles, San LuÃs PotosÃ
Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas
Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz
Colima, Colima
CÃ³rdoba, Veracruz
Cuernavaca, Morelos
CuliacÃ¡n, Sinaloa
Huajuapan de LeÃ³n, Oaxaca
Huejutla, Hidalgo
Irapuato
La Paz en la Baja California Sur
Linares, Nuevo LeÃ³n
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matehuala, San LuÃs PotosÃ
MazatlÃ¡n, Sinaloa
Mexicali, Baja California Norte
NetzahualcÃ³yotl
Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Orizaba
Papantla, Puebla
Parral, Chihuahua
Piedras Negras, Coahuila
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Saltillo, Coahuila
San CristÃ³bal de Las Casas, Chiapas
San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco
Tabasco, Tabasco
TacÃ¡mbaro, MichoacÃ¡n
Tampico, Tamaulipas
Tapachula, Chiapas
Tarahumara, Chihuahua
TehuacÃ¡n, Puebla
Tehuantepec, Oaxaca
Tepic, Nayarit
Texcoco, Mexico
Tlapa
Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala
Toluca, Mexico
TorreÃ³n, Coahuila
Tula, Hidalgo
Tulancingo, Hidalgo
Tuxpan, Veracruz
Tuxtepec, Oaxaca
Valle de Chalco
Veracruz, Veracruz
Zacatecas, Zacatecas
Zamora, MichoacÃ¡n

Other ecclesiastical divisions include,

America Latina e Messico, Faithful of the Oriental Rite (Armenian) (Apostolic Exarchate)
CancÃºn-Chetumal, Quintana Roo (Territorial Prelature)
El Salto, Durango (Territorial Prelature)
Huautla, Oaxaca (Territorial Prelature)
JesÃºs MarÃa del Nayar, Nayarit (Territorial Prelature)
Mixes, Oaxaca (Territorial Prelature)

Bible Dictionaries Mexico

1910 New Catholic Dictionary

Bible Dictionaries
Mexico