Los curas de Caracas entre la revolución y la tradición (1810-1813)

Abstract

This sudy is about the 1810 - 1813 period, when Archbishop
Coll and Prat diagnoses a serious crisis in the catholic sense of
Venezuelan society, which is suffering the independence and
republican revolutlon impact. Moral behavlor of the priests
was especially in danger, The century's trends threaten to
undermine the momal ministry of the priest by relaxing their
discipline and corrupting their mores. One of those threatening
passions is the republican spirit and corruption of the catholic
mores. Another corrupting passion of the century came from
the environment generated by the political effervescence and
war. Priests go contaminated by that social environment.
Some forgot their ministry. Others became politicians and
warriors. Also, identification of the priests wlth the military
spirit, through which the world, secularity and profanity
penetrate the mores of the clergymen, endangered their
"separation írom the world". Within this context, the common
complaints traditionally made against the clergymen could be
viewed wih new eyes; that is, as signs that corroborated
priests' devaluation by the passions of the century.