To the Peripheries and Beyond: Pope Francis and Liberation Theology Part I (History)
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
This article is a summary of the historical roots of liberation-theology and the historical setting for Pope Francis' theology. The next part will shift the focus from the historical to the theological. Be sure to take a look at the links provided in the article as they provide important background information.
Introduction
Many Catholics are trying to figure out why Pope Francis (b. 1936) says and does things that seem strange to many Catholics, especially those in the West. Most of the critical voices seem to come from Europe or the US. This may be due to technological advances, being that the West has ample access to the Internet and such, but I also think there is also a cultural-theological reason, and that is that pope Francis is steeped in a line of thinking that is largely foreign to the West and that is liberation theology.
I want to state at the outset that is not a hit piece on Pope Francis, so if that is what you are looking for this is not it. This series of articles is looking for an explanation for Pope Francis' theology and how it fits into how he is governing and teaching the Church. This does not mean I will not have critical things to say about liberation theology and its core Achilles heel which liberation theologians such as Leonardo Boff seem to be blind to. As we will see, liberation theology begins at the peripheries and ultimately never comes back from the peripheries but disappears into the worldly darkness which it is trying to eradicate.
The Origins of Liberation Theology
For us Westerners, poverty although real enough is not on the level of poverty in the Third World countries. In particular, I want to focus on the poverty of South America of which obviously Pope Francis is well familiar. Having been to South America and Central America even only for a brief time I can tell you that the living conditions as a whole that the poor face there are much worse than that of the US. Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and also most of the Central American countries such as Honduras and El Salvador rank on the list of the poorest countries on this side of the Atlantic. This is where liberation theology began, steeped in the poorest of the poor in the Western hemisphere.
One cannot understand where Pope Francis is coming from if one does not understand the ravages of poverty in the society of which he came. More importantly, one cannot understand him unless one understands the theology which he was influenced by due to the socio-political environment from which he came, which is liberation theology. At its core liberation-theology has its emphasis on rectifying the plight of the poor, not only individually but as a "collective poor" which includes not only the poor who are deprived of living necessities but also workers "exploited" by Capitalism. Liberation theology at its core seeks to liberate the oppressed in all forms. Indeed this sounds like noble cause and I must say from the outset that liberation-theology has an appeal for many who despise seeing people living in extreme poverty, many through no fault of their own. In the US there are many opportunities for people to rise out of the ashes of poverty by putting forth the effort to find a job, get an education, etc. This is simply not an option for many in the Third World.
Liberation theology came about in the late 1960s due to theologians seeing and becoming concerned for social injustices in South America. Civil unrest in many of these countries brought about a revolutionary mindset. Many Catholic priests and theologians were rightly concerned for the plight of the poor living in sprawling shantytowns, and they often supported those whom they viewed as being oppressed. They often spoke out against the unjust governments that seemed to be fostering such conditions. One of those governments viewed as being oppressive happens to be the good old USA. Keep this in mind as we move along. Liberation theology begins with the poor and oppressed and seeks primarily to rectify their plight by eliminating or changing any perceived elements that may contribute to it. This includes any governments that they perceive as contributing to the problem. This is common among all of the liberation theologians that I have read thus far. They primarily view all First World countries as sinfully taking advantage of Third World countries.
Leonardo Boff, consulted by Pope Francis in his writing of Laudato Si writes in reference to the 1960s the following, "All the nations of the Western World were engaged in a vast process of development; however, it was interdependent and unequal, organized in such as way that the benefits flowed to the already developed countries of the "center" and the disadvantages were meted out to the historically backward and underdeveloped countries of the "periphery." The poverty of Third World countries was the price to be paid for the First World to be able to enjoy the fruits of overabundance." (Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology, P68)
If there is one core thing you learn about Francis' view of the US and the West this is it. It drives how he views the world and it explains why he criticizes the US and the West. In his eyes, the US and Western Europe are largely responsible for taking advantage of the Third World countries and exploiting them. I believe this to be part of Francis' thinking because liberation theologians as a whole think this is true, and Francis is admittedly a student of many. So do not be surprised by his emphasis on the "peripheries." Think back to the wording used by Francis during the Amazon synod. This mentality is ingrained in his mindset and it also affects his theology as we will see.
Foundational Theologians
I think it is important to give a brief list of liberation theologians so that when you see the names pop up in Church news or theological articles you will know who they are. What is also interesting is that liberation-theology is not only a Catholic phenomenon but is also a Protestant one. These theologians often work together in their cause to spread the influence of their theology. So although I will list mostly Catholic theologians, I will also list a couple of Protestants who sometimes work in collaboration. I want to make a point clear. These theologians are not stupid and their theology although flawed is fairly well thought out. Their theology appeals to the emotions of anyone who has compassion for people in heartbreaking situations. We must approach this new theology by listening to what these theologians actually say and do. Chalking liberation-theology up to a theological movement infused with Marxist philosophy would be a gross over-simplification which in my opinion not only weakens arguments against it but also misses its core failure as a theology. I will say more about this in part II which will focus on the theological underpinnings and the ultimate danger and failure as a theology.
The heralded father of liberation theology born in Peru in 1928 is the Hegelian-Marxist inspired Professor Emeritus at Notre Dame, Gustavo Gutierrez. His popular work 'Teologica de la Liberation' published in 1971 was instrumental in popularizing the movement. His many works include 'On the Side of the Poor: The Theology of Liberation' by Orbis Books, 2015, is interestingly enough co-authored with Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller. The link here offers a brief interview about Muller's view of liberation theology, which may surprise you. One of the basic tenets of Gutierezz is the "preferential option for the poor." Just six months after Pope Francis took the Chair of Peter he personally met with him. His influence on Francis is well known.
Next in line of influence is the Jesuit theologian Juan Luis Segundo, (1925-1996). His work 'Liberacio de la Teologia' written in 1976 has been a core work of liberation theology and is referred to often. Segundo was more concerned with the methods of liberation theology rather than doctrinal definitions or dogmas. As we know, Francis seems to rarely be focused on general Church dogma or doctrine, but on the progression of "the theology of the peoples." This mentality fosters neglect for the importance of Church doctrine by raising the importance of removing any and all perceived oppression of any people for any reason whatsoever. In short, in liberation theology, "liberation" is more important than doctrine. More on this later.
Born in Venice, Italy on 16 January 1924, and later a priest of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires ordained in 1947 is Fr. Lucio Gera. He is one of Pope Francis' highly praised influential theologians. Sometimes referred to as a Cardijn priest, he followed in the footsteps of Joseph Cardijn (1882-1967) made Cardinal under Pope Paul VI. Known as "the priest to the workers" he was in a sense a pioneer of integrating social activism into Catholic theology and established a worker movement for better working conditions for the youth. Many liberation theologians refer to Cardijn as a precursor or grandfather to liberation theology. The popular maxim of his methodology, "to see, judge and act" has been adopted by liberation theologians in general including Father Gera. Cardinal Walter Kasper one of Francis' closest advisors had this to say about Gera in regard to his influence on Francis, "His most important theology teacher was Lucio Gera (1924—2012) How very much Archbishop Bergoglio held him in esteem emerges from the solitary fact that, after his death in 2012, Archbishop Bergoglio allowed him to be interred in the episcopal crypt of the Buenos Aires cathedral in order to honor him as the father of Argentine theology. Lucio Gera, together with Gustavo Gutierrez, who is regarded as the father of liberation theology, and others took part in the conference in Petropolis in 1964 that had been convened by the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM)." Although Gera's theology was less dependent on Marxist thought, the essential element of liberation theology, "beginning with the preferential option for poor" is still at its core.
One cannot stress the importance of Leonardo Boff on liberation theology. Born in Brazil in 1938, who joined the Franciscan order in 1959 and was ordained in 1964 is considered to be one of today's most popular and influential liberation-theologians. Boff, now seemingly supported by Pope Francis is a controversial figure. Boff was often viewed as relying too much on Marxist philosophy and political ideology. As a result, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later to be Pope Benedict XVI, silenced him for a year for publishing his book 'Church: Charism and Power.' In 1992 Boff had issues with the Franciscans and subsequently left the order. Boff has since joined an international group of Catholic Scholars where he promotes liberation theology freely. As stated above, according to Boff, Pope Francis has consulted him for his theological knowledge and this has never been denied by Francis. Boff's co-authored book along with his brother Clovis is an excellent work titled 'Introducing Liberation Theology'. Why is it excellent you may ask? It is an inexpensive resource that can be found easily online that offers a brief summary of liberation-theology. It outlines all of the core principles of their idea of liberation and how they arrive at their conclusions. In my opinion, it is a must for any Catholic library in order to understand the basics of liberation-theology and how to properly combat it. Remember, you must know your enemy if you are to effectively defeat him.
Although I can list other influential Catholic liberation-theologians, I will end with another Italian/Argentinian Jesuit priest and one of Pope Francis' professors, Juan Carlos Scannone (1931-2019). When you hear Francis talk about "the peoples" or "the people of God", or “teologia del pueblo,” he is most likely passing on the theology of Scannone. Likewise the idea of a Church with "an Amazonian face" comes directly from Scannone's idea of localized liberation-theology influencing the entire Church. Scannone like Gera seems to have been more influenced by the political and philosophical sense of the three-time president of Argentina Juan Perón rather than Marx. The end result, however, is the same.
On the Protestant side of things, the following theologians have had a great influence on liberation-theology; Emilio Castro the former general secretary of the World Council of Churches (1985–1992), Julio de Santa Ana who worked for the WCC, and Jose Miguez Bonino also former general secretary of the WCC are well known in Catholic circles.
In the next post, I will take a look at the actual teaching of liberation theology and how it fits into much of Pope Francis' theological system and papal governance.
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
This article is a summary of the historical roots of liberation-theology and the historical setting for Pope Francis' theology. The next part will shift the focus from the historical to the theological. Be sure to take a look at the links provided in the article as they provide important background information.
 |
| Slums in Buenos Aires |
Many Catholics are trying to figure out why Pope Francis (b. 1936) says and does things that seem strange to many Catholics, especially those in the West. Most of the critical voices seem to come from Europe or the US. This may be due to technological advances, being that the West has ample access to the Internet and such, but I also think there is also a cultural-theological reason, and that is that pope Francis is steeped in a line of thinking that is largely foreign to the West and that is liberation theology.
I want to state at the outset that is not a hit piece on Pope Francis, so if that is what you are looking for this is not it. This series of articles is looking for an explanation for Pope Francis' theology and how it fits into how he is governing and teaching the Church. This does not mean I will not have critical things to say about liberation theology and its core Achilles heel which liberation theologians such as Leonardo Boff seem to be blind to. As we will see, liberation theology begins at the peripheries and ultimately never comes back from the peripheries but disappears into the worldly darkness which it is trying to eradicate.
The Origins of Liberation Theology
For us Westerners, poverty although real enough is not on the level of poverty in the Third World countries. In particular, I want to focus on the poverty of South America of which obviously Pope Francis is well familiar. Having been to South America and Central America even only for a brief time I can tell you that the living conditions as a whole that the poor face there are much worse than that of the US. Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and also most of the Central American countries such as Honduras and El Salvador rank on the list of the poorest countries on this side of the Atlantic. This is where liberation theology began, steeped in the poorest of the poor in the Western hemisphere.
One cannot understand where Pope Francis is coming from if one does not understand the ravages of poverty in the society of which he came. More importantly, one cannot understand him unless one understands the theology which he was influenced by due to the socio-political environment from which he came, which is liberation theology. At its core liberation-theology has its emphasis on rectifying the plight of the poor, not only individually but as a "collective poor" which includes not only the poor who are deprived of living necessities but also workers "exploited" by Capitalism. Liberation theology at its core seeks to liberate the oppressed in all forms. Indeed this sounds like noble cause and I must say from the outset that liberation-theology has an appeal for many who despise seeing people living in extreme poverty, many through no fault of their own. In the US there are many opportunities for people to rise out of the ashes of poverty by putting forth the effort to find a job, get an education, etc. This is simply not an option for many in the Third World.
Liberation theology came about in the late 1960s due to theologians seeing and becoming concerned for social injustices in South America. Civil unrest in many of these countries brought about a revolutionary mindset. Many Catholic priests and theologians were rightly concerned for the plight of the poor living in sprawling shantytowns, and they often supported those whom they viewed as being oppressed. They often spoke out against the unjust governments that seemed to be fostering such conditions. One of those governments viewed as being oppressive happens to be the good old USA. Keep this in mind as we move along. Liberation theology begins with the poor and oppressed and seeks primarily to rectify their plight by eliminating or changing any perceived elements that may contribute to it. This includes any governments that they perceive as contributing to the problem. This is common among all of the liberation theologians that I have read thus far. They primarily view all First World countries as sinfully taking advantage of Third World countries.
 |
| Leonardo Boff |
Leonardo Boff, consulted by Pope Francis in his writing of Laudato Si writes in reference to the 1960s the following, "All the nations of the Western World were engaged in a vast process of development; however, it was interdependent and unequal, organized in such as way that the benefits flowed to the already developed countries of the "center" and the disadvantages were meted out to the historically backward and underdeveloped countries of the "periphery." The poverty of Third World countries was the price to be paid for the First World to be able to enjoy the fruits of overabundance." (Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology, P68)
If there is one core thing you learn about Francis' view of the US and the West this is it. It drives how he views the world and it explains why he criticizes the US and the West. In his eyes, the US and Western Europe are largely responsible for taking advantage of the Third World countries and exploiting them. I believe this to be part of Francis' thinking because liberation theologians as a whole think this is true, and Francis is admittedly a student of many. So do not be surprised by his emphasis on the "peripheries." Think back to the wording used by Francis during the Amazon synod. This mentality is ingrained in his mindset and it also affects his theology as we will see.
Foundational Theologians
I think it is important to give a brief list of liberation theologians so that when you see the names pop up in Church news or theological articles you will know who they are. What is also interesting is that liberation-theology is not only a Catholic phenomenon but is also a Protestant one. These theologians often work together in their cause to spread the influence of their theology. So although I will list mostly Catholic theologians, I will also list a couple of Protestants who sometimes work in collaboration. I want to make a point clear. These theologians are not stupid and their theology although flawed is fairly well thought out. Their theology appeals to the emotions of anyone who has compassion for people in heartbreaking situations. We must approach this new theology by listening to what these theologians actually say and do. Chalking liberation-theology up to a theological movement infused with Marxist philosophy would be a gross over-simplification which in my opinion not only weakens arguments against it but also misses its core failure as a theology. I will say more about this in part II which will focus on the theological underpinnings and the ultimate danger and failure as a theology.
 |
| Pope Francis greeting Gustavo Gutierrez on his 90th birthday. |
The heralded father of liberation theology born in Peru in 1928 is the Hegelian-Marxist inspired Professor Emeritus at Notre Dame, Gustavo Gutierrez. His popular work 'Teologica de la Liberation' published in 1971 was instrumental in popularizing the movement. His many works include 'On the Side of the Poor: The Theology of Liberation' by Orbis Books, 2015, is interestingly enough co-authored with Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller. The link here offers a brief interview about Muller's view of liberation theology, which may surprise you. One of the basic tenets of Gutierezz is the "preferential option for the poor." Just six months after Pope Francis took the Chair of Peter he personally met with him. His influence on Francis is well known.
Next in line of influence is the Jesuit theologian Juan Luis Segundo, (1925-1996). His work 'Liberacio de la Teologia' written in 1976 has been a core work of liberation theology and is referred to often. Segundo was more concerned with the methods of liberation theology rather than doctrinal definitions or dogmas. As we know, Francis seems to rarely be focused on general Church dogma or doctrine, but on the progression of "the theology of the peoples." This mentality fosters neglect for the importance of Church doctrine by raising the importance of removing any and all perceived oppression of any people for any reason whatsoever. In short, in liberation theology, "liberation" is more important than doctrine. More on this later.
Born in Venice, Italy on 16 January 1924, and later a priest of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires ordained in 1947 is Fr. Lucio Gera. He is one of Pope Francis' highly praised influential theologians. Sometimes referred to as a Cardijn priest, he followed in the footsteps of Joseph Cardijn (1882-1967) made Cardinal under Pope Paul VI. Known as "the priest to the workers" he was in a sense a pioneer of integrating social activism into Catholic theology and established a worker movement for better working conditions for the youth. Many liberation theologians refer to Cardijn as a precursor or grandfather to liberation theology. The popular maxim of his methodology, "to see, judge and act" has been adopted by liberation theologians in general including Father Gera. Cardinal Walter Kasper one of Francis' closest advisors had this to say about Gera in regard to his influence on Francis, "His most important theology teacher was Lucio Gera (1924—2012) How very much Archbishop Bergoglio held him in esteem emerges from the solitary fact that, after his death in 2012, Archbishop Bergoglio allowed him to be interred in the episcopal crypt of the Buenos Aires cathedral in order to honor him as the father of Argentine theology. Lucio Gera, together with Gustavo Gutierrez, who is regarded as the father of liberation theology, and others took part in the conference in Petropolis in 1964 that had been convened by the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM)." Although Gera's theology was less dependent on Marxist thought, the essential element of liberation theology, "beginning with the preferential option for poor" is still at its core.
One cannot stress the importance of Leonardo Boff on liberation theology. Born in Brazil in 1938, who joined the Franciscan order in 1959 and was ordained in 1964 is considered to be one of today's most popular and influential liberation-theologians. Boff, now seemingly supported by Pope Francis is a controversial figure. Boff was often viewed as relying too much on Marxist philosophy and political ideology. As a result, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later to be Pope Benedict XVI, silenced him for a year for publishing his book 'Church: Charism and Power.' In 1992 Boff had issues with the Franciscans and subsequently left the order. Boff has since joined an international group of Catholic Scholars where he promotes liberation theology freely. As stated above, according to Boff, Pope Francis has consulted him for his theological knowledge and this has never been denied by Francis. Boff's co-authored book along with his brother Clovis is an excellent work titled 'Introducing Liberation Theology'. Why is it excellent you may ask? It is an inexpensive resource that can be found easily online that offers a brief summary of liberation-theology. It outlines all of the core principles of their idea of liberation and how they arrive at their conclusions. In my opinion, it is a must for any Catholic library in order to understand the basics of liberation-theology and how to properly combat it. Remember, you must know your enemy if you are to effectively defeat him.
| The Pope of the people - Bergoglio told by his colleague theologian, Jesuit, and Argentinian Juan Carlos Scannone |
Although I can list other influential Catholic liberation-theologians, I will end with another Italian/Argentinian Jesuit priest and one of Pope Francis' professors, Juan Carlos Scannone (1931-2019). When you hear Francis talk about "the peoples" or "the people of God", or “teologia del pueblo,” he is most likely passing on the theology of Scannone. Likewise the idea of a Church with "an Amazonian face" comes directly from Scannone's idea of localized liberation-theology influencing the entire Church. Scannone like Gera seems to have been more influenced by the political and philosophical sense of the three-time president of Argentina Juan Perón rather than Marx. The end result, however, is the same.
On the Protestant side of things, the following theologians have had a great influence on liberation-theology; Emilio Castro the former general secretary of the World Council of Churches (1985–1992), Julio de Santa Ana who worked for the WCC, and Jose Miguez Bonino also former general secretary of the WCC are well known in Catholic circles.
In the next post, I will take a look at the actual teaching of liberation theology and how it fits into much of Pope Francis' theological system and papal governance.
 |
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