The school year is back in full swing and with the official "end of summer" in sight - here in the United States this is often seen to be concomitant with Labor Day Weekend, which is the first weekend in September - I was reflecting on the many movies that came out this summer that I enjoyed, but my thoughts kept coming back in particular to For Greater Glory.
I was so pleased with this movie and apart from doing an entire Restoration Radio show on the topic, I also read some great reviews by Tradition in Action. I enjoyed one co-authored by one of my favorite Catholic writers, Dr. Marian Horvat. Another review, which goes much deeper into the life of the young Catholic hero and martyr, Jose Sanchez del Rio, is also very edifying.
I continue to take issue with the notion that the "flaw" in the movie is that it promotes religious liberty. I'm sorry, that's perhaps how the advertising campaign here in America, bastion of the heresy of religious liberty, was handled (and Andy Garcia kept driving this point home over and over in cast interviews - almost as if he were channeling the doubt of the character he played - a Mason who actually did convert), but the movie cannot in any way be construed to be a crusade for religious liberty. When I buy the movie on DVD (which releases September 11th) I will count the number of times "Viva Cristo Rey" is said - but whatever high count I eventually will get to, that should drown out any sort of doubt in anyone's mind that the war the Cristeros fought was for anything other than Our Lord - and King - Jesus Christ.
The problem is confusing the laudable goal of the liberty of the Church in Mexico with the Masonic error of religious liberty. As you note, the Cristeros were fighting for the social Kingship of Christ in their country, something that can only be a fully active governing principle in a land that acknowledges the one true Church that He established. Sadly, Vatican II rejected the idea of the Catholic state, the end result being a confirmation of the anti-Catholic government ruling Mexico today. Although the blood of the faithful is no longer being spilled, make no mistake, the current regime is a lineal descendent of the Cristeros' persecutors. ¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!