History
A major player in the formation of liberation theology was the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM). Created in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CELAM pushed the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) toward a more socially oriented stance. However, CELAM never supported liberation theology as such [...] More or less
at the same time as the initial publications of Latin American liberation theology are also found voices of Black liberation theology and feminist liberation theology.[...] Despite the orthodox bishops' predominance in CELAM, a more radical form of liberation theology remained much supported in South America. Thus, the 1979 Puebla Conference was an opportunity for orthodox bishops to reassert control of the radical elements, but they failed. At the Puebla Conference, the orthodox reorientation was met by strong opposition from the liberal part of the clergy, which supported the concept of a "preferential option for the poor".
Pope John Paul II gave the opening speech at the Puebla Conference[...]
He criticized radical liberation theology, saying, "this
idea of Christ as a political figure, a revolutionary, as the subversive of Nazareth, does not tally with the Church's catechesis" [...]
Liberation theology proposes to fight poverty by addressing its alleged source, sin. In so doing, it
explores the relationship between Christian theology (especially Roman Catholic)
and political activism, especially in relation to economic justice, poverty, and human rights.
In March 1983, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), made ten observations of Gustavo Gutiérrez's theology, accusing Gutiérrez of politically interpreting the Bible in supporting temporal messianism [...] Ratzinger objected that the spiritual concept of the Church as "People of God" is transformed into a "Marxist myth". In liberation theology he declared, the "'people' is the antithesis of the hierarchy, the antithesis of all institutions, which are seen as oppressive powers. Ultimately anyone who participates in the class struggle is a member of the 'people'; the 'Church of the people' becomes the antagonist of the hierarchical Church."
According to Roberto Bosca, a historian at Austral University in Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio (later
Pope Francis) had "a reputation as an opponent of liberation theology during the 1970s" but he "
accepted the premise of liberation theology, especially the option for the poor, but in a 'nonideological' fashion." Bosca said Bergoglio was not opposed to liberation theology itself but to "giving a Catholic blessing to armed insurgency"
Before becoming Pope, Bergoglio (Pope Francis) said, "The option for the poor comes from the first centuries of Christianity. It's the Gospel itself. If you were to read one of the sermons of the first fathers of the Church, from the second or third centuries, about how you should treat the poor, you’d say it was Maoist or Trotskyist.
[...]
Miguel d'Escoto, a Maryknoll priest from Nicaragua,
had been sanctioned with an a divinis suspension from his public functions
in 1984 by Pope John Paul II,
for political activity in the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Pope Francis lifted the suspension in August 2014
Latin America
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by kratz
Bookmarks