Includes bibliographical references (p. ).This thesis examines the personal formation of various bishops in the Chilean and Argentine episcopacies who were critical in determining the stance of the Roman Catholic Church during the military regimes of the 1970s and 1980s. This thesis focuses on: the archbishops in Buenos Aires and Santiago, the bishops who served in the military vicariates, the papal nuncios, and other bishops during the military regimes. The genesis of these men reveals a new perspective on the development of episcopal opinion and helps explain why the Argentine Catholic hierarchy complied and supported the military leaders responsible for the Dirty War while the Chilean episcopacy protected civilians and stood apart from Pinochet's military dictatorship.by Elizabeth G. Wilson.M.A.