GUATEMALA. - I. GEOGRAPHY. - It is the northernmost and most populous state of Central America, bounded by Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.
Of its two oceanic façades, the one on the Pacific is by far the more extensive: both, but especially the one on the Atlantic, correspond to zones that are for the most part low and flat. The interior is an elevated region, cut by deep valleys and dominated by volcanic peaks (Tajumulco, 4210 m.). The hot-humid climate varies with altitude; it is unhealthy along the northern coast, fringed with lagoons.
The population (3.7 million inhabitants, spread over 109,724 sq km) consists 65% of Amerindians and 30% of mestizos. Whites make up barely 10%; Italians about a thousand. Guatemala is an agricultural country: the predominant crops are coffee, sugar cane and bananas. Livestock raising and forestry (mahogany, cedar) are of moderate importance; industry is scant, including extractive industry (salt, gold).
Guatemala is a unitary republic, with an elective unicameral legislature. Guatemala la Nueva (at 1400 m altitude) is its capital (200,000 inhabitants).
Bibliography4 works
Giuseppe Caraci
II. CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS HISTORY
Spanish sovereignty over Guatemala was proclaimed at Almolonga in 1524 by Pedro de Alvarado, one of the lieutenants of Hernán Cortés. The evangelization of the Indian population, for the most part peaceful, of the present State of Guatemala was begun shortly after the conquest, in the years 1523 and 1524, by the Franciscans, the Dominicans and the Mercedarians. Among the warlike Indians of Tuzutlan, Bartolomé de las Casas from 1537 carried out his pacifying mission, on account of which the region received the name of Vera Paz. In
1534 the diocese of Santiago de Guatemala was erected.
The first Franciscan bishop, Marroquín (1534-65), labored strenuously for the conversion of the Indians and was the author of the first catechism in the indigenous language of the country. In this way, toward the end of the 16th century, the conversion of Guatemala was substantially complete. Even today the peaceful Indian farmers form the greater part of the population of Guatemala.
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Giovanni Rommerskirchen
In 1821 independence from Spain was proclaimed and the following year annexation to Iturbide's Mexican Empire.
From 1824 to 1839 Guatemala formed part of the Federal Republic of Central America, and in this period relations with the Holy See became very tense because of the illegal creation of a schismatic bishopric at San Salvador. Having constituted itself a republic, Guatemala, under the presidency of R. Carrera (v.), sent a plenipotentiary to Rome to sign a concordat with the Holy See. This Concordat, concluded on 7 Oct. 1852 by Card. Antonelli with the Marquis Lorenzana di Belmonte, was ratified by Carrera on 24 Dec. 1852.
By virtue of it the Catholic religion was declared the religion of the Republic (art. 1); the instruction imparted in all the schools of the State, including the University, had to conform to Catholic doctrine, under the supervision of the diocesan Ordinaries (art. 2); the exclusive competence of the ecclesiastical authority was recognized in causes concerning the faith, the Sacraments, sacred functions and the rights inherent in the sacred ministry (art. 15); the Church could acquire and possess temporal goods under any just title (art. 18).
This Concordat did not last long. The government that took power following the so-called liberal revolution in June 1871 took no account of it whatsoever; indeed the archbishop of Guatemala, the auxiliary bishop, the vicar delegate of the archbishop, and the Jesuits were expelled from the Republic, and one after another all the flourishing religious communities were dissolved; all the goods of the Church were confiscated.
An attempt to settle the most serious and urgent questions with the Holy See was made by General Barrios, and on 2 July 1884 a new Concordat was signed, in which some of the principal rights of the Church were recognized. But it was not ratified, and always remained a dead letter.
Under Barrios's successors the measures of harassment against the Church continued; yet there was no lack, on either side, of attempts at rapprochement, which led in 1936 to the happy establishment of diplomatic relations.
From then on the politico-religious situation in fact became somewhat better, nor were the legal provisions contrary to the Church always and in everything applied with absolute rigor. The situation in law, however, remained unchanged and is still rather unsatisfactory. Even the new constitution, promulgated on 11 March 1945, while recognizing the freedom of any religious profession, maintains almost unaltered the provisions of the constitution of 1879, contrary to Catholic rights and interests, aggravated indeed by the prohibition imposed on "religious societies and groups," on "their members as such and on the ministers of worship," from "taking part in politics and in questions connected with the organization of labor" (art. 29).
The Catholic Church is not recognized as having juridical personality. Religious congregations and monastic institutes or associations of any kind are forbidden to establish themselves in the territory of the Republic (art. 32). Art. 28 prohibits any institution in favor of mortmain and, in authorizing the creation of entails, explicitly and absolutely excludes religious and monastic congregations and the priests or ministers of any worship or religion.
No juridical effect is recognized for religious Marriage, whose celebration may not precede that of the civil act.
Among the fundamental principles in school matters the constitution places the affirmation of the secular character of instruction (art. 81). Religious instruction is permitted in private institutes. These are subject to State inspection, and for the legal validity of the studies imparted in them they must obtain an express authorization and adopt the official programs (art. 81).
Guatemalan legislation, unlike that of many Republics of Central and South America, does not present traces of national patronage in ecclesiastical matters, as, for example, in the appointment of bishops.
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III. SCHOOL SYSTEM
Art. 18, tit. II, of the Constitution of G. establishes that the education of children from 6 to 14 years of age must be compulsory, free and secular. The secular character of the school is further confirmed by art. 24 of the same Constitution (tit. II "De las garantías"), where it is established that religious instruction may be given only in churches. The Constitution does not, however, forbid the founding of private schools if these maintain the secular character of the school.
The State seeks to reduce the number of illiterates, to spread education, particularly practical and rural education, by encouraging the establishment of practical schools, rural schools and evening schools and courses. The tropical climate and poor communications have led the State to found numerous schools in order to educate the young, 60% of whom are Indians; thus a country of 2,500,000 inhabitants has 3,500 state schools divided into 1,580 for boys and 1,920 for girls, to which are added 236 private schools for boys and 137 private schools for girls. Teachers are trained in the 22 teachers' academies and in the central normal school for professors.
Higher education is provided in the "Escuela de agricultura", in the Academy of Fine Arts, in the National Conservatory of Music and in the Universidad Nacional of G., founded on 15 Sept. 1918 after the suppression of the higher schools of medicine, law and engineering by decree of 2 May 1918. The education of the Catholic clergy is provided for in the "Seminario de Santiago" in G.
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Miroslav Stumpf
IV. ARCHDIOCESE OF GUATEMALA
Archdiocese and capital city of the state of the same name in Central America. The archdiocese, also called St. James of G., has an area of 36,370 sq km with a population of 1,980,000 inhabitants, of whom 1,922,000 are Catholics; it has 65 parishes, served by 47 diocesan priests and 40 regulars, a seminary, 6 male religious communities and one female one (1949).
The diocese was created by Paul III on 18 Dec. 1534, and its first bishop was Msgr. Francesco Marroquin. Benedict XIV raised it to metropolitan status on 16 Dec. 1743. Between 1872 and 1874 the religious communities were suppressed; of the female ones only the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul remain.
The Cathedral is dedicated to the apostle St. James the Greater. The suffragans of G. are Quezaltenango and Vera Paz.
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Enrico Josi