Remembering a priest who left his mark on this world
This is the opinion of Br. Denys Janiga, OSB, a monk of St. John's Abbey and a Benedictine Fellow at SJUFaith
On Oct. 22 the Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez departed from history and entered eternal life.
He was born in 1928 and ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1959. He received his doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of Lyon (France) in 1985.
In addition to parish work in Peru, he founded and directed the Bartolomé de Las Casas Institute in Lima to work with the marginalized. He taught at the Pontifical University of Peru, as well as colleges and universities in Europe and North America. By many, he is considered the grandfather of liberation theology.
In his influential text—“A Theology of Liberation: history, politics, and salvation”—Gutiérrez prophetically wrote that in “the Bible poverty is a scandalous condition inimical to human dignity and therefore contrary to the will of God.” Here is another equally powerful: “To know God is to do justice. There is no other way of knowing God.” Christians that occupy a privileged class position may experience discomfort when reading these words.
Gutiérrez contended that poverty is unnatural and has causes. He advocated for the preferential option for the poor. This means that being in a relationship with God requires one to work for the elimination of poverty, to work with the marginalized. Why? Because God speaks and reveals God’s self through the poor and marginalized.
The broader argument of Gutiérrez’s classic text entails considering the relationship between “salvation and the historical process of liberation.” What he refers to as “integral liberation” includes a sociopolitical, psychological-cultural and theological dimension.
While Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who eventually became Pope Benedict XVI) convened an investigation of Gutiérrez’s writings to see if they contained any errors that were contrary to Church teachings.
There were concerns about liberation theology and its connection to Marxism. No errors were found.
Female liberation theologians have made significant contributions to a social theology that is rooted in history. The Brazilian nun Sister. Ivone Gebara, for example, has developed a perspective of Mary, the Mother of God, that challenges androcentric and dualistic views of human anthropology. Mary is shown to be a symbol of empowerment and liberation for the poor and marginalized. Like Gutiérrez, Gebara contends that God reveals God’s self through the experience of women.
Her work has helped point out patriarchal elements in both the Church and broader society.
Nidia Arrobo Rodas is an Ecuadorian economist and the executive director of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Peoples Foundation.
In honor of Gutiérrez, she wrote the following prayer (translated by Rev. Emilie Teresa Smith, an Anglican priest in Canada):
“Gustavo, your interpretation of Exodus ignited the spark in our Latin American Church…a continent torn by the contradiction between Christian faith and scandalous social inequality…San Gustavo, continue to guide our Christian walk with your magnificent work so that we may fully live our commitment to the marginalized…from the heart of God, accompany the suffering people who need a light of hope.”
Gutiérrez, please pray for us.