In All Things
Jesuit General: Liberation Theology "Courageous"
The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., in an interview with El Periodico, a Spanish newspaper, said that liberation theology, which has been under scrutiny in the Vatican in the last several decades, is a "courageous and creative response to an unbearable situation of injustice in Latin America." Here’s a report about the interview in English.
The question and the answer, in Spanish:
"¿La teología de la liberación sigue teniendo sentido dentro del trabajo que realizan los jesuitas en favor de los excluidos?
-Es una respuesta valiente y creativa a una situación de injusticia insufrible en Latinoamérica. Como toda teología necesita años para madurar. Es una lástima que no se le haya dado un voto de confianza y que muy pronto se le cortaran las alas antes de que aprendiera a volar. Hay que darle tiempo."
"It is a courageous and creative response to an unbearable situation of injustice in Latin America. As with any theology, it needs years to mature. It’s a shame that it has not been given a vote of confidence and that soon its wings will be cut before it learns to fly. It needs more time.”
James Martin, SJ
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'The second fundamental element of liberation theology seeks to answer that question. The response appears embryonically in Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan, which can be read as dramatizing the principle that love of God is displayed as love of neighbor. The truth of the principle is conveyed with climactic force by the shocking fact that only the Samaritan had internalized it. Modernity adds a conviction that beyond tying up the victim's wounds, true love will make the road to Jericho safe for all. With this addendum liberation theology rewrites the parable for the whole world...'
~ Roger Haight, SJ, writing in 'America,' March 17, 2008
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liberation theology. Liberation theology will be over with when poverty and oppression are over with. When people dismiss liberation theology, typically it is because that have read a few books by Latin American liberation theologians from the 1980s. In other words, they know little of the breadth or depth of this extraordinarily creative movement of theology and have not kept up with the development of Latin American theology in the last 15 years. In the beginning it was rightly criticized for being too narrowly focused on class and economic hierarchies and neglecting other dimensions of social relations, such as race, ethnicity and gender. In the last two decades this has been rectified.
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'The catechist's task is not to invite potential or new members of the Church to think critically about their faith, but rather to understand and appropriate it in as clear and spiritually fruitful a way as possible. The theologian's task, by contrast, is critical. The mature member of the Church is invited to think: critically, to question, even to challenge certain elements of the faith tradition. To judge the theologian's work by the standards of the catechist's is to distort the work of both. Many, if not most of the complaints about theologians from the more conservative segments of the Church are rooted in this misperception. A theologian's job, it is said, is to teach 'the faith.' And not only teach the faith, but to teach it according to a particular understanding of it. In other words, the theologian can only explain the faith by one theology—the critic's.'
~ A quote from Fr. Richard McBrien (The Rev. Richard P. McBrien is author of 'The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism' and a professor of theology at Notre Dame.)
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1. Places too much emphasis on our temporal lives and not enough emphasis on our eternal lives. There are absolutely clear priorities here, and I think we have a lot to do in the "saving souls" department before we devote ALL our energy to establishing perfect social justice.
2. Is not Scriptural, unless you pick and choose select verses from Scripture to form a shaky claim. There are many more Scriptural passages that argue against Liberation Theology.
3. Undermines the notion of hierarchy, an essential, biblical, apostolic component of the Church.
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dialectically poor (because there are [the] rich and [the]
oppressors); they are marginalized, despised and excluded (because they do not fulfill the requirements for humankind as dictated by the ruling cultures).
'They call the church into question, as nothing else does, which means they have always been taken some account of by the church, but they have not been its central concern. The most serious aspect from a theological point of view is that the poor have not come to possess the theological status they deserve according to Jesus.'
~ From Fr. Jon Sobrino, SJ
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Few observe the quality of those who stay. Perhaps more will drop out, but it is for the best as it will allow Fr Nicolas to lead a more unified group, able to deliver on the promises of liberation theology without the ballast of the critics within, and without.
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'In other words, they know little of the breadth or depth of this extraordinarily creative movement of theology and have not kept up with the development of Latin American theology in the last 15 years.' Could you recommend a book in English which describes these recent developments? Thank you.
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'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
(From the Gospel for the Feast of Christ the King)
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Marxism demonstrated its ineffectiveness in helping humans, and I find surprising that some still want to keep alive its monster child (i.e. the Liberation Theology). Some of the comments above carefully avoid noting the Liberation Theology’s Marxist roots. If we exclude them, then we are not talking any longer of the original Theology but a revised one.
As per John Paul II and Benedict XVI positions: yes they did not accept the original Liberation Theology which was rooted in Marxism ideals; calling them ignorant tells more on the one writing the comment than on those two great Popes. Prom Peter’s chair John Paul II did his job: protect the community of believers against errors. I can read above sever quotes from the Bible… there are also quotes in the Bible that define Peter’s authority and role within the community of believers.
Many years ago a group of companions meet at Montmarte and promised to go wherever the Pope would send them. Those companions set an example that stretches to this day. Saint Ignatius had the humility to be commanded by the Pope, others today do not.
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When I was young, it was a principle of Jesuit schools that they would take the bright students and teach them that they were not as bright as they thought they were.
Years ago Fr. Arrupe on a visit to the United States [reported in AMERICA] warned his confreres here not to believe that their every word was Gospel.
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