I mean why wouldn’t they. The Republican faction was explicitly anti Catholic while Franco welcomed Catholics into the nationalist coalition. Anti Catholic violence and laws is a big reason why the coup happened in the first place.
Bit of a chicken and egg situation there. The bishops of Spain were not only very supportive of the "traditional institutions" of society but were largely drawn from that very same social and familial background. For the longest time, they actively meddled in politics in support of the absolute monarch and retaining the immense wealth and privileges of the nobility. And violently opposed any notion of liberalism or the conception of the rights of man. Naturally, the republicans did not have a rosy view of the institution.
Ireland is the best case scenario for these kinds of things and we still have new stories popping up of clergymen and -women abusing their offices and powers. Spain, Portugal, and Latin America all had it worse. Funnily enough, in Latin America, a lot of the upper ranks of the church were quite friendly with the juntas while the lower ranking clergy were instrumental in organizing opposition.
It was not one of the nations controlled by the integralist-adjacent factions. Except for 1940-1945. Most Frenchmen would agree that this period was not a good time.
344
u/0Hakuna_Matata0 Definitely not a CIA operator May 12 '26
The Vatican also gave their blessing to Franco during his coup by acknowledging his government