The Solved Conflict: Pope Francis and Liberation Theology
The battle for meaning and influence between Latin American liberations theologians and the Vatican was one of the most significant conflicts in the global Catholic church of the twentieth century. With the election of the Argentinean Jorge Mario Bergoglio as head of the global church in 2013, the q...
| Published in: | International journal of Latin American religions |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer International Publishing
2021
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| In: |
International journal of Latin American religions
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Francis Pope 1936-
/ Catholic church, Sancta Sedes
/ Latin America
/ Liberation theology
/ Conflict management
/ History 1965-2021
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| RelBib Classification: | CG Christianity and Politics FD Contextual theology KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBR Latin America KCB Papacy KCC Councils KDB Roman Catholic Church NBA Dogmatics NCD Political ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Latin American Christianity
B Liberation Theology B Pope Francis B Post-conciliar Catholicism B Marxism B Religion And Politics |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The battle for meaning and influence between Latin American liberations theologians and the Vatican was one of the most significant conflicts in the global Catholic church of the twentieth century. With the election of the Argentinean Jorge Mario Bergoglio as head of the global church in 2013, the question about the legacy of liberation theology was actualized. The canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the pope’s approximation to the public figure of Gustavo Gutiérrez signaled a new approach to the liberation theology movement in the Vatican. This article argues that Pope Francis shares some of the main theological concerns as pontiff with liberation theology. Although the pope remains an outsider to liberation theology, he has in a sense solved the conflict between the Vatican and the Latin American social movement. Through an analysis of ecclesial documents and theological literature, his can be discerned on three levels. First, Pope Francis’ use of certain theological ideas from liberation theology has been made possible and less controversial by post-cold war contexts. Second, Pope Francis has contributed to the solution of this conflict through significant symbolic gestures rather than through a shift of official positions. Third, as Pope Francis, the Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio has appropriated certain elements that are specific to liberation theology without acknowledging his intellectual debt to it. |
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| ISSN: | 2509-9965 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal of Latin American religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s41603-021-00137-3 |