Cristero Museum

The Cristero Museum (Spanish: Museo Cristero) is the only museum in Mexico about the country's civil war that existed from 1767 until past the 1900s when peaceful coexistence was achieved. It is located in the city of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, in central Mexico. The museum was opened to the public on March 20, 2003. This museum has been closed since around 2005 but the items are said to still exist and may resurface somewhere.

The Cristiada was a war between Mexicans that were divided by their way of thinking, an event that still provokes the most controversial discussions between the people that lived or have come close to this war that spread to eighteen states.

Layout

It is composed of five show rooms with seven themes, in which the background of the conflicts between the State power and the Church power is shown util the last repercussions of the Cristero War.

Show Room 1 Por los siglos de los siglos.

The conflicts between the church and the state in our history remote to the Viceroyalty age, with the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. Further on with the Independence War, the clergy was divided by the priests that lead the fight and the bishops that condemned it. From 1833 to 1874 in the independent Mexico, may people tried to reduce the influence of the church in the political life, but a relative coexistence was achieved until the government of Porfirio Díaz.

Show Room 1A El pecado original.

The Mexican Revolution awoke the conscience of all the population sectors, and its ideology. The Anti clergy appears, due to the accusations of Carranza's troops, of supporting Victoriano Huerta. Major encounters with the Mexican bishopric took place during the government of Obregón and Calles, these happened until the Cristero War started.

Show Room 2 Yo aventaba las balas y Dios las repartía

With the closing of the churches, the Catholics started to organize. To the time when the National Defense League of Religion Freedom appeared, the first armed battles were held in the forests. The government answered with the persecution of those who supported the resistance with bullets and in writing form. Women participation was fundamental in this fight by means of women brigades.

Show Room 3 Y se odiaban los unos a los otros

In every war there are pitiful facts, in the Cristiada there were sackings in temples by the army, murder of priests and bombing of towns. Although the cruel actions of the general and priest José Reyes Vega were known, like ordering burning of a train with the passengers in side. In the capital of the country Álvaro Obregón was murdered and many Catholics were accused of being related with the league.

Show Room 4. Esas tierras del Rincón.

Aguascalientes also participated in the Cristera war in the west part of the state mainly. The person who led and acted in the Calvillo district was José Velasco. There were also battles registered in the east like in the Llano, and Asientos District mainly known for the predominant agrarianism.

Show Room 4A. Los Arreglos

To 1929 the indicial participants of the conflict, the State and the Church, made several conferences with the purpose of coming to peace. Although there never was an official paper or law, the banished priests were allowed to come back to their churches, as well as the aperture of the temples and the Cristeros amnesties. The church bells sounded again; however the surviving Cristeros leaders were chased by some generals at the margin of the arrangements.

Show Room5. La Segunda

With the imposition of the socialist education in 1934. The old Cristeros made their unconformities heard calling it “La Segunda”. This movement deceased because there was no popular support or by the clergy. The definite peace would not come until Manuel Ávila Camacho's government.

Captain Efrén Quesada Ibarra Historical Archive

A space dedicated to students and researchers, in which can be found the largest printed documental source and audiovisuals in the country.

Hours of Operation and Information

The richness of this great exhibition, unique in all the republic, is open to public at # 329 Pedro Parga. (Now INSUMA Math school, 10/2007), Historical Center, with a schedule from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00hrs. School visits can be reserved to the following telephone: (449)916-6632.