History 3072, History of Modern Latin America

Outdoor Worship

The picture displayed here shows devoted Christians kneeling outside of a church in Buenos Aries, Argentina. The crowd consists of men and women, but the majority of these worshipers seem to be of a lower social class. The men in the most visible row of the image do not have shoes on, as well as being clothed in attire fit for a farmer or merchant.

This group of individuals greatly resemble the psychology of the conservative church groups in Buenos Aries at that time. The people in most need of help turn to religion for answers and safety. They all kneel before a shrine of a christian deity on gravel and burnt dirt. However, this shows how the working force of this community thrives on the very word of the church. With this in mind, they will abide by whatever propaganda the church feeds to them. Thus, the church is strategically in control over an essential group of individuals during a time where liberals are attempting to gain support. In addition to this, the church creates a  standard of living when they adapt European styles of religion onto Latin American people. It is a smart tactic by the oppressor to create a standard to live by, however its opposes the perspective of the liberal movement occurring at the same time in Latin America.

The photo clearly shows the duality between the common people and the church. Though they pray and worship to great extent, they are still being used to play a larger game that they do not even understand. This comparison highlights how the working class is being used to gain popularity in a larger nomination to rule the community, similar to a presidential nomination.