Most Rev. David John Kalke
September /October 2025
The Father of the War for Mexican Independence.
Miguel Hidalgo (or Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor) was born in 1753, at the Hacienda de San Diego Corralejo in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico.
His parents, of Spanish descent, enjoyed the privileges of the Creoles of the day, as did their son. Following the death of his mother when he was 9 years old, Miguel was cared for in part by Josefa Raymunda, a mulata — a woman of mixed race — who was born on his family’s hacienda. Perhaps this is where his sense of compassion for “the other” began to take shape. They lived in “New Spain,” or Nueva Galicia, as it was called. Mexico had not yet been born.
Hidalgo was born into a world that was rapidly changing. The drums of freedom from European colonialism were beating in Haiti and the United States of America. The processes for freedom from Spain were growing, from Mexico to Patagonia, and everywhere in between. Bernardo O’Higgins, St. Martin de Porres, and Simón Bolívar were making their voices heard throughout Central and South America. Napoleon had practically destroyed the Spanish monarchy, and Europe was in disarray as colonial powers began to crack.
Mexico was more complicated, given its historic relationship with Spain. With more than 15% of the population being Creole—Spaniards born in Mexico—and mulattos, combined with indigenous peoples, it was harder to organize and create a “clean” movement for independence.
There were small tertulias among the Creoles as they discussed Napoleon, the growing conflicts in Europe, the overthrow of the King of Spain, and their plight in all of this. Would they remain loyal to King Fernando III? Or seek other options for governance? The mulattos grumbled as their situations became more uncertain, and the indigenous—the largest group—continued to suffer deplorable conditions, as they were left outside of the political system.
In this complicated context, Hidalgo was educated and created his own identity.
Influenced by the Jesuits before they were expelled from Mexico by Spain, Hidalgo was seen as a budding intellectual. He preferred being close to the people, and he served parishes in central Mexico, from Colima to areas around Morelia (then known as Valladolid), to his final parish in Dolores—now known as Dolores Hidalgo, in his honor.
His early years of priesthood were complicated by his love for gambling, his debts, his relationships with women and children, and his general disrespect for the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. During these years, he learned well the “cries of the indigenous,” just as Moses had heard the cries of the Hebrew people.
Hidalgo had his feet in both worlds: that of the Creoles, and that of the indigenous.
Hidalgo continued his studies in Morelia. In 1796, he finished his dissertation, entitled: “A True Method to Study Scholastic Theology.” In it, he underlined the importance of political, economic, and social analysis in any theological process or methodology.
This theme would later be picked up by the German theologian Helmut Thielicke, in his work A Little Exercise for Young Theologians. Thielicke recommended that theologians begin each day by reading the newspaper, so as to understand the world in which they were going to pray and read Scripture. The theological process, he argued, must be related to an analysis of the world in which we live.
Years later, the use of political, economic, and social analysis was incorporated into liberation theology by Hugo Assmann, Pablo Richard, and Gustavo Gutiérrez.
Perhaps the big difference between Hidalgo and many of the liberation theologians is that he broke with the system of domination, and he struggled against it in a variety of ways.
In 1803, he moved to Dolores with his family and debts, and he began what would become his most ambitious and aggressive project. It was a pastoral project that included both personal and social transformation—a concept later defined in more detail by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire in his work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and used by many liberation theologians.
A few blocks from the church where Hidalgo served, and a few blocks from the local prison, Miguel lived with his wife and children. Much like the creole that he was, he developed a space in his home for cultural work. He brought in theatre. His discussions on books gathered intellectuals.
The most controversial addition to his holistic approach was the inclusion of jazz music from Veracruz, which meant that people of African descent were coming into his home to perform unknown music in his small village! His concept of the arts expanded the limited visions of the creoles in his inner circle. His home became a place for fine arts, and a space for discussion about the changes in Europe, especially Spain, and how those changes would impact the shrinking creole population.
Hidalgo’s pastoral work included extensive engagement with the indigenous population. In an effort to reshape the image the Spaniards had of the indigenous as “lesser human beings,” Hidalgo began development projects with them. He taught them farming skills, including the planting of vineyards. He also taught them ceramic skills, and together they produced large quantities of pottery for sale.
His idea was twofold: to demonstrate the capabilities of the indigenous to the Spaniards, and to create locally-owned and controlled collectives that would offer economic empowerment to indigenous communities.
From the vineyards came grapes to produce wine — perhaps some of the first wine produced in Nuevo Galicia. They made bricks for construction. They created fine pottery that was used locally. All of this helped to build a different kind of relationship with the indigenous community — a relationship unlike that of any other priest in Mexico.
Hidalgo did not preach, “Baptize or be killed,” like the Franciscans. He did not arrive with the rosary as a tool of domination, like St. Dominic, who once commanded: “You must be like a dog—obedient, loyal, and respectful—and with the rosary it is possible to dominate the world!” Hidalgo didn’t seek domination. He sought freedom from oppression. Like a 19th-century Moses, he wanted his people to be free.
Hidalgo hosted conversations with creoles and others to develop a plan for confronting Spain. The Spaniards, however, became more aggressive. They came to Dolores not to dialogue, but to destroy. The military, loyal to Spain, ransacked their vineyards, distilleries, and ceramic ovens.
Hidalgo was hurt and furious — as was the indigenous population, which had grown increasingly loyal to him. Hidalgo met with key military figures, including Miguel Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama, and Mariano Abasolo, to advance a plan for a rebellion to begin in December 1810.
But events unfolded rapidly in early September 1810, and Hidalgo felt the rebellion couldn’t wait. On September 16, he went to his local parish and rang the bell to call the people to the plaza. There he gave his famous Grito de Dolores, or “cry” for independence:
“Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe [a symbol of indigenous faith]!
Death to bad government!
Death to the gachupines [the Spaniards]!”
From the church doors, the crowd went to the nearby prison and released all the prisoners — most of whom were indigenous. By this time, Hidalgo had the full support of the indigenous community, which began to follow him by the thousands. With no military leadership or training, many were killed — perhaps needlessly — by the Spanish forces.
By moving the date of the rebellion from December to September, Hidalgo lost the support of many military leaders and, consequently, of much of the creole sector in Nuevo Galicia.
Following a series of military defeats and betrayals, Hidalgo was executed in September 1811. He had initiated the war for independence from Spain, which would last until 1821 — one of the longest wars of independence in the Americas.
He was joined in his “cry” by 53 priests who identified with his project, most of whom had little to no military experience. Hidalgo sowed the seed of independence, and gave people a sense of dignity and a vision that enabled them to fight and endure.
His pastoral project broke with the system of domination, and brought Our Lady of Guadalupe into popular display, where she remains a powerful symbol among the people to this day.
Many Roman Catholics remained loyal to Spain, but many others followed Hidalgo’s banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To this day, this division within the Mexican Church can still be seen.
El padre de la guerra de la independencia de México.
Miguel Hidalgo (o Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor) nació en 1753 en la Hacienda de San Diego Corralejo, en Guanajuato, México. Él y sus padres, de ascendencia española, gozaban de los privilegios que tenían los criollos en aquella época. Tras la muerte de su madre, cuando tenía apenas 9 años, Miguel fue cuidado en parte por Josefa Raymunda, una mulata nacida en la hacienda familiar. Quizás fue allí donde comenzó a gestarse su compasión por los demás. Vivían en la Nueva España —también llamada Nueva Galicia—, pues México aún no existía como nación.
Hidalgo nació en un mundo en rápida transformación. Los tambores de libertad resonaban desde las colonias europeas, con movimientos como los de Haití y Estados Unidos. Los procesos de liberación del dominio español se intensificaban desde México hasta la Patagonia, pasando por todos los territorios intermedios. Nombres como Bernardo O’Higgins, San Martín y Simón Bolívar comenzaban a escucharse en toda Centroamérica y Sudamérica. Napoleón prácticamente había destruido la monarquía española, y Europa se encontraba sumida en el caos, mientras las potencias coloniales comenzaban a resquebrajarse.
México era un caso más complejo, dada su relación histórica con España. Con más del 15% de su población compuesta por criollos (españoles nacidos en México) y mulatos, junto con una mayoría indígena, era difícil organizar un movimiento “limpio” por la independencia.
Se celebraban pequeñas tertulias entre los criollos, donde se hablaba de Napoleón, de los crecientes conflictos en Europa, del derrocamiento del rey de España y de la difícil situación del pueblo en medio de todo esto. ¿Debían permanecer leales al rey Fernando VII? ¿O buscar otras formas de gobierno? Los mulatos se quejaban cada vez más ante el aumento de la incertidumbre sobre su lugar en la sociedad, y los pueblos indígenas —el grupo más numeroso— seguían viviendo en condiciones deplorables, excluidos por completo del sistema político.
En este contexto complejo, Hidalgo se educó y forjó su identidad. Influenciado por los jesuitas antes de su expulsión de México por parte de la corona española, Hidalgo fue considerado un intelectual en ciernes. Prefería el contacto cercano con la gente y sirvió en varias parroquias del centro de México, desde Colima hasta las zonas cercanas a Morelia (entonces conocida como Valladolid), hasta llegar a su última parroquia en Dolores —hoy llamada Dolores Hidalgo en su honor.
Sus primeros años como sacerdote fueron complicados por su afición al juego, sus deudas, su amor por las mujeres (con quienes tuvo hijos) y su falta de respeto general hacia la jerarquía de la Iglesia católica. Durante esos años, llegó a comprender profundamente los “clamores de los indígenas”, de forma similar a como Moisés escuchó los del pueblo hebreo.
Hidalgo se movía entre dos mundos: el de los criollos y el de los indígenas.
Continuó sus estudios en Morelia y, en 1796, terminó su tesis doctoral titulada Un verdadero método para estudiar la teología escolástica. En ella subrayó la importancia del análisis político, económico y social en cualquier proceso o metodología teológica. Esta idea sería retomada posteriormente por el teólogo alemán Helmut Thielicke en su obra Un pequeño ejercicio para jóvenes teólogos, donde recomendaba que todo teólogo comenzara el día leyendo el periódico, para comprender el mundo en el que iba a orar y a estudiar las Escrituras. El proceso teológico, afirmaba, debe estar en relación con el análisis de la realidad en la que vivimos.
Años más tarde, ese enfoque —el análisis político, económico y social— sería incorporado en la teología de la liberación por figuras como Hugo Assmann, Pablo Richard y Gustavo Gutiérrez.
Quizás la gran diferencia entre Hidalgo y muchos teólogos de la liberación es que él rompió activamente con el sistema de dominación y luchó contra él de diversas maneras. En 1803, se mudó a Dolores con su familia y sus deudas, y comenzó lo que sería su proyecto más ambicioso: un proyecto pastoral que integraba la transformación personal y social. Este concepto sería definido más adelante por el educador brasileño Paulo Freire en su obra Pedagogía del oprimido, y utilizado por muchos teólogos de la liberación.
a localmente. Todo esto forjó una relación distinta con la comunidad indígena, diferente a la que cualquier otro sacerdote había establecido en México. Hidalgo no predicaba “el bautizo o la muerte”, como hacían los franciscanos. No llegó con el rosario como instrumento de dominación, al estilo de Santo Domingo, quien ordenaba: “¡Debes ser como un perro: obediente, leal y respetuoso, y con el rosario es posible dominar el mundo!”. Hidalgo no buscaba dominar. Buscaba liberar. Como un Moisés del siglo XIX, ¡quería que su pueblo fuera libre!
Organizó reuniones con criollos y otros actores clave para desarrollar un plan de enfrentamiento contra España. Los españoles, sin embargo, respondieron con agresividad: llegaron a Dolores no a dialogar, sino a destruir. Soldados leales a la corona saquearon sus viñedos, destilerías y hornos de cerámica. Hidalgo se sintió dolido y furioso, al igual que la comunidad indígena, cada vez más leal a él. Fue entonces cuando se reunió con figuras militares clave, como Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama y Mariano Abasolo, para impulsar un plan de rebelión que debía iniciar en diciembre de 1810.
Sin embargo, los acontecimientos se precipitaron a principios de septiembre, y Hidalgo comprendió que no podían esperar. El 16 de septiembre de 1810, se dirigió a su parroquia local, tocó la campana y convocó al pueblo en la plaza. Allí pronunció su famoso grito:
“¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe [símbolo de la fe indígena]!
¡Muerte al mal gobierno!
¡Muerte a los gachupines [los españoles]!”
Desde las puertas de la iglesia, marcharon hacia la prisión local y liberaron a todos los prisioneros, la mayoría indígenas. Para entonces, Hidalgo ya contaba con el respaldo de miles de ellos. Sin embargo, al carecer de liderazgo y entrenamiento militar, muchos fueron asesinados por las fuerzas españolas, quizás innecesariamente. El adelanto del levantamiento —de diciembre a septiembre— hizo que perdiera el apoyo de varios líderes militares, y por ende, del sector criollo de Nueva Galicia.
Tras una serie de derrotas militares y traiciones, Hidalgo fue capturado y ejecutado en septiembre de 1811. Había iniciado la Guerra de Independencia de España, un conflicto que duró hasta 1821, convirtiéndose en una de las luchas más largas del continente americano. A su llamado se unieron 53 sacerdotes identificados con su proyecto, la mayoría sin experiencia militar.
Hidalgo sembró la semilla de la independencia y despertó en el pueblo un sentido de dignidad, una visión que los impulsó a luchar y resistir. Su proyecto pastoral rompió con el sistema de dominación e hizo que la Virgen de Guadalupe pasara del altar oficial al corazón del pueblo, donde sigue siendo un símbolo de identidad y resistencia hasta el día de hoy.
Aunque muchos católicos romanos permanecieron leales a España, otros tantos siguieron el estandarte guadalupano de Hidalgo. Hasta el presente, esta división sigue siendo evidente dentro de la Iglesia mexicana.