Its origins, however, date back to earlier gatherings, including the 1899 Provincial Councils in Lima. Its goal was to give the Vatican greater control over local churches. However, though seen by some as an administrative burden, early meetings included discussions over things like a lack of protests, indigenous rights, and other social problems. Though it initially became a platform for progressive bishops to advocate for change, with many progressive members in leadership positions, it underwent a conservative restructure by the 1980s.
CELAM played an important role during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), with leaders from CELAM advocating for the consideration of various socio-religious issues. Their influence helped create documents like “Gaudium et Spes,” which addressed the church’s role in the modern world, and which helped lead to changes in the church’s outlook. In 1968, the Medellin Conference allowed for the application of the Vatican II’s decrees in Latin America, emphasizing social justice and the establishment of Liberation Theology, among other things, with the idea of addressing the needs of marginalized groups. However, the rise of military dictatorships on the continent created growing tensions between progressives and conservatives within the Church.
Following the Medellin Conference and the 1979 Puebla Conference, CELAM began to experience a conservative backlash with leaders in the late 1970s, including Lopez Trujillo, who opposed the progressive movement. CELAM transformed from a purveyor of progressive reforms to an instrument of “institutional restoration,” in opposition to Liberation Theology.
