CPS faced opposition from the start. Left-leaning priests from Brazil and Bolivia were supportive but unable to participate in gatherings due to severe police control. CPS was short-lived in Chile, due to strong resistance from the Episcopal Conference of Chile under the direction of its secretary general, bishop Carlos Oviedo Cavada. In their letter condemning the movement, the bishops there argued that while the church speaks to "politics insofar as it underlies every social reality", it should not be involved in "partisan activity". Chilean clergy involved in the movement were banned from political participation altogether in April 1973. The movement was suppressed by the Chilean military government after the coup of 1973. Father , one of the most active members of CPS, left Chile at this time.