Here’s a helpful overview by John Allen of emerging relations between various left-leaning Latin American political leaders and the Church in their respective countries.

Latin American Catholicism, observers say, has long been sharply divided between a traditionalist wing and social progressives, and in some cases clashes between the bishops and Latin America’s new crop of leftist leaders appear to be ideological. In other cases, even Catholic leaders who might be sympathetic to leftist politics have nevertheless objected to what they see as the authoritarian tendencies of these governments.

The Venezuelan bishops, for example, have repeatedly criticized what they see as a crackdown under Chavez. During an early January swearing-in ceremony for his third term as president, Chavez directly took on Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas, who has challenged Chavez’s decision to shut down an opposition TV station.

“Mr. Cardinal,” Chavez said, “the state respects the church. The church should respect the state. I wouldn’t like to return to the times of confrontation with Venezuelan bishops, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to the Venezuelan bishops.”

Morales in Bolivia, a onetime cocoa farmer, has likewise crossed swords with the hierarchy. In a television interview last July, for example, Morales said the bishops had “historically damaged the country” by functioning as “an instrument of the oligarchs.” Over the summer, he attempted to end instruction in Catholicism in Bolivia’s schools, but was forced to backtrack after vigorous opposition.

Bolivian observers say things did not get off to a good start, as a disc jockey for a Catholic-owned radio station managed to get Morales on the phone days after his victory in December 2005 by pretending to be Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain. The prank, which included congratulating Morales for forming a “new axis” with Cuba and Venezuela, was taped and later broadcast, prompting official protests and hard feelings.

Ortega’s clashes with the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, especially during the early days of the Sandinista Revolution, are by now the stuff of legend.

In Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, the emeritus bishop of the impoverished San Pedro diocese known for advocacy on behalf of the rural poor and his support of the “base community” movement, resigned the Catholic priesthood in December in the wake of a Vatican edict ordering him to stay out of partisan politics. He has announced plans to run for the country’s presidency in 2008 elections, and polls currently give him a narrow edge.