The Cristero Counterrevolution and the Battle for the Soul of Mexico

A true religious war, never before seen on our continent, broke out as a result of certain persecutory laws against the Church and her faithful in Mexico from 1926 to 1929. In the conflict, a large part of the Catholic laity, using peaceful means at first and later violent ones, took up arms against the civil government-even to the regret and against the advice of many in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, unsure of the right course of action to take. Shouting "Long live Christ the King and Holy Mary of Guadalupe!," Mexican Catholics defended the rights of God against a state dominated by secularist and anti-Christian ideology. Both the government and the Vatican, with the steady connivance of the United States, saw how detrimental the ongoing struggle was to their mutual interests; in consequence, an agreement or modus vivendi was reached and reluctantly accepted by the Cristero combatants, who, in the end, were betrayed by it.

In this compelling book, published in multiple Spanish editions and now available in English for the conflict's centenary in 2026, Fr. Ravasi tells the harrowing tale of the Cristero counterrevolution as seen through the eyes of its immediate protagonists-a story of unbelievable wickedness, corruption, and brutality opposed by unprecedented Catholic action, bravery, and sacrifice.

PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK

"Ravasi clearly states his thesis, uses well-defined concepts, and constructs his argument very logically, making fine use of classics on the subject. He passion-ately defends the Cristeros, which contributes greatly to the originality of his work." - Jean Meyer, renowned researcher of the Cristeros and author of numerous works, including his trilogy La Cristiada

"An excellent study of the feats of the Cristeros, heroes of one of the most glorious episodes in the history of the Church in the twentieth century.... In Mexico, until recently, it was impossible even to talk about this subject-the memory of the events had been erased. Javier Olivera Ravasi courageously refuses to comply with this iniquitous decision." -Alfredo Sáenz, author of La Gesta de los Cristeros

"A valuable work that confronts the conspiracy of silence against the great Spanish-American Catholic counterrevolution." -Enrique Díaz Araujo, renowned Argentine historian and author of the book La Epopeya Cristera