Mexico Church History

Research procedures and genealogical sources are different for each religion. It is helpful to understand the historical events that led to the creation of records, such as parish registers, in which your family was listed.

Roman Catholic
In 1527 the Roman Catholic Church was established in Mexico when the dioceses of Tlaxcala and Mexico were created. The archdiocese of México was created first as a diocese in 1530 and upgraded to an archdiocese in 1546. During the viceroyalty period in Mexico (1527 to 1810), there were also nine other dioceses in the country. Chronological Table of the History of the Catholic Church in Mexico

Laws Affecting Church History in Mexico
During the viceroyalty period and until the constitution of 1824 the king, under the Regio Patronato, obtained concessions to:


 * Send missionaries to evangelize the Indians.


 * Construct churches, monasteries, and hospitals.


 * Present three names of persons to the Holy Office of Rome to name the church officials of Mexico.


 * Collect tithes.


 * With time the king also gained the right to abrogate the decrees of the Ecclesiastical Courts and to modify, by civil power, and transmit or not transmit the papal and church documents to his realms.

The 1824 constitution allowed freedom of choice and liberty of thought. However it was not until the Reform Laws that the government began to enforce these rights.

The Reform Laws contained sections dealing with the establishment of civil registration, the nationalization of church property, separation of church and state, suppression of religious orders, prohibition to establish convents, brotherhoods, and so on. Pensions were provided for religious clergy who accepted the laws. Among other things, the laws established:


 * Marriage as a civil contract.


 * Tolerance of belief.


 * Secularization of cemeteries.


 * Denial of church authority to charge for baptisms, marriages, burials, and other sacraments.

For more information on church history in Mexico, see:

Cuevas, Mariano.Historia de la Iglesia en México (History of the Church in Mexico). México: Editorial Patri, 1946. 5 vols. (FHL book 972 K2c.)

Gutiérrez Casillas, José. Historia de la Iglesia en México (History of the Church in Mexico). México: Editorial Porrua, S.A., 1984. (FHL book 972 K2g.)

Iglesia Católica. Arquidiócesis de México (México). Directorio Eclesiástico de toda la República Mexicana. (Ecclesiastical Directory of all of the Republic of Mexico). México, D.F.: La Arquidiócesis, 1991. (FHL book 972 K24i.)