had fought in the Federal Army under former President Victoriano Huerta. Although Gorostieta was an anti-clerical liberal, a vocal critic of the Catholic faith and Church hierarchy, and a 33rd degree Mason, he supported the right to freedom to worship within the framework of a secular liberal democracy, and was further motivated by his political ambition (seeing his successful leadership of the war effort as a springboard to win the presidency) and by a monthly salary of $1500 and a $20,000 life insurance policy that would support his wife in the event of his death in battle. The Cristeros began to engage in large scale military assaults. The LNDLR were excluded from any participation in the peace negotiations between the Mexican State and the Church. They rejected the argument of the Archbishop of Mexico, Pascual Díaz, "that the Cristeros were doomed to failure because they lacked the two critical elements: adequate military resources and the diplomatic support of the United States government. Alberto María Carreño, who was close to the archbishop of Mexico, "questioned the morality of continuing a war that could not be won." After intense and lengthy negotiations by the U.S. ambassador Dwight W. Morrow, an accord (Arreglos) acceptable to both Calles and the Catholic hierarchy was reached and the bishops ordered the LNDLR to cease military and political activities and the Cristeros to lay down their weapons. A number of Cristeros continued fighting, in what some have called "La Segunda", that is the second Cristiada, but they did so without the support of the Church. The LNDLR's criticisms of the episcopal hierarchy's signing on to the Arreglos were blunted given the Vatican's support of the diplomatic accord, but also because Catholic Action, a new lay group firmly under the hierarchy's control, was used to rein in radicalized Catholic organizations following the Arreglos. References Citations Bibliography Cristero War Anti-clericalism in Mexico Civil liberties advocacy groups Defunct organizations based in Mexico Organizations established in 1925 1925 establishments in Mexico