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Since then, Perón's police have arrested scores of priests and hundreds of Catholic laymen for showing "disrespect," distributing Catholic reading matter or taking part in Catholic demonstrations. His Congress has passed measures that 1) legalize divorce, 2) forbid outdoor religious gatherings, 3) banish religious instruction from public schools, 4) wipe out the tax exemptions of religious institutions, 5) call for election of a national assembly to cut away the constitution's provisions linking the government and the Catholic Church.
On the weekend before the revolt, Perón's feud with the church reached a crescendo. Defying a government ban, 100,000 Catholics gathered in front of the cathedral on the Plaza de Mayo, then paraded through the downtown streets. The government labeled the marchers "vandals," accused them of burning an Argentine flag. At midweek, Perón ordered two high-ranking Argentine prelates — Bishop Manuel Tato and Monsignor Ramón Pablo Novoa —expelled from the country on the ground that they had incited the flag-burners. The following day came the Vatican excommunication.
Forces of Repression. After the revolt, General Franklin Lucero, Perón's Army Minister and reputedly one of his closest military friends, formally took over —"at the express orders of the President" —the task of safeguarding "internal order and public tranquillity." An army communiqué stated that, as "Commander in Chief of the Forces of Repression," Lucero would be in charge of all security forces, even the federal police. With Lucero holding the big stick, Perón tried to quiet the nation's alarm by speaking softly—and with unabashed cynicism. He blamed "Communist elements" for the church burnings, said that he "deplores and vigorously condemns the excesses," added: "We do not want anything but peace." Later, Perón—or Lucero—made a start toward conciliating the Catholics by 1 ) ordering the release of all jailed priests, 2) making a special exception to the ban on public gatherings so that Catholics could hold church services mourning the persons killed during the revolt. This week a flotilla of rebel naval vessels was reported still holding out off Buenos Aires, apparently trying to negotiate with Perón and the army. Elsewhere, Lucero seemed to have everything under control—perhaps even Perón.