Ley Calles

The Calles Law, enacted in 1926 under President Plutarco Elías Calles, strictly enforced the anticlerical articles of the 1917 Constitution: it limited the number of priests, banned religious orders and public worship outside churches, and imposed penalties on clergy. In protest, the Catholic Church suspended public worship in Mexico.

The law was the immediate trigger of the Cristero War (1926-1929), the armed conflict between the Mexican government and Catholic rebels who fought under the cry “Long live Christ the King!”