The
CELAM declaration of
Medellín (August 1968) tied poverty in the Third World to exploitation by multinational firms of industrialized countries, supporting
liberation theology. The Medellín declaration was issued at a time when the Argentine Catholic Church was already in turmoil. Three priests from
Buenos Aires, Héctor Botán, Miguel Ramondetti and Rodolfo Ricciardelli had published, a month earlier, the
Manifiesto de los 18 Obispos (Manifest of the 18 Bishops), which proposed, among other suggestions, the creation of the MSTM. The first encounter took place in May 1968, with the tacit authorization of the bishops Guillermo Bolatti,
Enrique Angelelli, Alberto Devoto,
Jerónimo Podestá, , Adolfo Tortolo and
Vicente Faustino Zazpe, although none of them would associate themselves with the Movement of Priests for the Third World. Along with laics, the MSTM dedicated itself to social welfare projects, as well as supporting workers' claims, at a time when the military dictatorship of Onganía had suspended the right to strike as well as other political rights. The MSTM's relationship with
trade unions lead many of its members to gravitate towards Peronism, and even Socialism. In December 1969, more than 20 priests, members of the MSTM, marched on the
Casa Rosada to present to Onganía a petition pleading him to abandon the eradication plan of
villas miserias. The same year, the Movement issued a declaration supporting Socialist revolutionary movements, which led to the
Catholic hierarchy, through
Juan Carlos Aramburu, coadjutor
Archbishop of Buenos Aires, to proscribe priests from making political or social declarations. One of the MSTM statements advocated
socialization of the means of production (i.e. abolition of
private ownership of the
means of production), leading to its condemnation by the Catholic hierarchy. == Internal conflicts and dissolving ==