445. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Lyon) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)1
SUBJECT
- Summary of Protestant school problem in Colombia
Political strife in Colombia has often had strong religious overtones. This was particularly true between 1949 and 1953 when it was frequently difficult to distinguish between political and religious-motivated warfare in which thousands of persons, including hundreds of Protestants, were killed. During this period 46 Protestant schools were dynamited or burned and one U.S. missionary murdered.
During [Since?] 1953 killings and beatings have lessened, but there has been a determined campaign to close Protestant schools. Nearly 200 of these have been closed. The strongest of such schools—the 80-year old Presbyterian schools, the Colegios Americanos in Bogota and Barranquilla, still remain, and are well regarded. The Presbyterians were called in by the Colombian Government about 1866 to advise it in educational matters.
On July 14, 1955, the Colombian Ministry of Education issued a resolution providing, amongst other things, that if non-Catholic schools admit Catholic students they must provide Catholic religious instruction for such students by Catholic professors approved by the local clergy. Catholic students until now have been free to attend supplementary classes in religious instruction outside of school hours and off school premises, and have also been able to take, as a part of the school course, religious education given by Protestant teachers which has met the requirements of the Ministry of Education for official certificates, etc. There has been absolutely no proselytizing in Protestant schools.
Faced with the Ministry’s resolution, the Protestant schools decided that, rather than admit Catholic professors they would not admit Catholic students. This was immediately denounced by the Catholic hierarchy as a subtle form of propaganda and as an attempt to force Catholics to register as non-Catholics in order to gain admission to the schools. The Archbishop of Bogota issued a circular excommunicating Catholic parents who send their children to the Protestant schools.
[Page 894]Ambassador Bonsal has informally expressed the hope to the Foreign Minister that a solution can be found which will restore the status quo ante July 14. He also said that it is difficult not to share the view of the Protestants that the resolution represents a further step in a campaign designed to eliminate, or at least greatly to curtail, Protestant activities which have enjoyed the protection of Colombian law for several generations. He has also spoken informally to the Papal Nuncio in the hope that he would exert a moderating influence. Ambassador Bonsal is not optimistic as to the outcome.
At the request of Assistant Secretary Holland the Colombian Ambassador was called to the Department on December 19 and Mr. Lyon reinforced Ambassador Bonsal’s conversations in Bogota.2 Ambassador Urrutia appeared sympathetic to our point of view. He said he would report his conversation to the Foreign Office, and expressed that hope that a way out of the dilemma might be found in view of the stir that the Ministry of Education’s resolution has aroused.