DOCSLIB.ORG

The Amazon Synod: Putting Laudato Si’ Into Action

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Amazon Synod: Putting Laudato Si’ Into Action InterfaceTheology 6/2 2020 The Amazon Synod: Putting Laudato si’ into action Bruce Duncan CSsR With horrific fires raging through large sections of the Amazon for- ests, the Amazon Synod in 2019 attracted worldwide attention as local peoples pleaded for help to save their rainforests, an area covering 5.3 million square kilometres across nine countries1 and comprising more than a third of the planet’s primary forests. The media relayed images of massive fires destroying 9,060 square kilometres of rainfor- est, with accounts of the displacement and killing of indigenous and other peoples by outside forces. Until the debates during the 2007 decennial meeting of the Epis- copal Conferences of Latin America (CELAM) in Aparecida, Brazil, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) had not grasped the seriousness of the ecological issues, according to Austen Ivereigh in The Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and his Struggle to convert the Catholic Church. Before the opening of the general conference, Pope Benedict in an address to Brazilian youth ‘spoke of the devastation of Amazonia and its native peoples. Then at the shrine, he gave a speech that was applauded close to twenty times in which he said the option for the poor was implicit in a faith in a God who became poor for us.’2 Despite a small minority of bishops being appalled by Benedict’s affirmation, it ‘healed a long-standing wound left by the John Paul II years, when potentate cardinals in Rome had dismissed the option for the poor as warmed-over Marxism.’ 1. Brazil with 60% of the Amazon forest, Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, with minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. 2. Austen Ivereigh, The Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and his Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church (New York: Henry Holt & Co), 199–200. 47 48 Interface Theology Now, in the general conference, the two priorities—ecology and the poor—began to converge. The Amazonian bishops’ searing testimonies dovetailed with the scientific data, and a clear picture began to take shape that the Church couldn’t ignore: the planet’s pain was borne by the land and the landless, while far-off foreigners reaped the rewards. Until Aparecida, [Bergoglio’s] grasp of the environment issue, in his own account, had been limited, but when he heard the Brazilian bishops speak of the deforestation of Amazonia, he quickly got it. The Argentine and the Peruvian Jesuits . worked together in Aparecida to draft the relevant paragraphs of the document, casting the natural world as a precious gift of God needing protection from ‘economic and technological powers.’ . there could be no lasting response to the crisis of the environment without restoring a sense of the sacred.3 Bergoglio had long been committed to the poor in their struggles, but now integrated the environmental issues with the social. He was principal coordinator of the writing group which drew together the final Aparecida Document,4 which explicitly spelt out the ‘see, judge, act’ methodology underlying this and earlier CELAM documents. It was a crucial method of learning how to review critically one’s life and work situation, reflect on these in the light of some Scripture passages, and with the support of others become empowered to take action to change and improve conditions. Taking many different forms, the method promoted by Canon Joseph Cardijn in the Young Christian Workers movements developed one’s consciousness and a deeper sense of responsibility for others and society in general. On the world stage, Pope Francis has been one of the strongest voices calling for urgent action to avert ‘disastrous’ climate change, most notably in his 2015 encyclical, Laudato si’, named with the open- ing words of the famous Canticle of the Sun by St Francis of Assisi, ‘Praise to you Lord’. This encyclical can be seen as the Pope’s signature document; he constantly reiterates its messages at every opportunity, in his speeches, meetings with government and business representa- tives, international organisations and religious and church groups. 3. Ibid., 200. 4. Bruce Duncan, ‘Pope Francis’s Call for Social Justice in the Global Economy’, in Australasian Catholic Record, 91/2 (April 2014): 178–193. Bruce Duncan CSsR 49 The Amazon Synod in effect interpreted Laudato si’ for Amazonia and other parts of Latin America. Pope Francis on 15 October 2017 announced the special Synod for Amazonia, taking as its theme ‘New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology’. He discussed holding such a synod with the bishops of Peru when meeting them in Rome in May 2017 and personally inaugurated part of the process when visiting the Peruvian Amazon on 19 January 2019. Pope Francis issued Laudato si’ with expert collaboration and advice from 200 or so people, and the Synod involved widespread consultation with Catholic and other groups through Amazonia. Its population of 33.4 million includes three million Indigenous people representing 390 different peoples. This was the first Synod involving a specific region, and -dem onstrated what Pope Francis was hoping for with his promotion of ‘synodality’. This is a process of carefully listening to the voices of the faithful with everyone seeking universal wellbeing, especially for the poor or excluded. Francis talks about hearing the instinct of faith, the ‘sensus fidei’ of the whole Church, and inviting all to be part of this process. It involves prayerful reflection on experience in the light of the Gospel and Church teaching to ‘discern’ what the Holy Spirit may be calling Catholics and others to do. The Preparatory Document The Preparatory Document5 of 10,400 words with a questionnaire attached was prepared by theologians and other experts, especially from the Pan-Amazonian Church Network (REPAM)6 which man- aged extensive surveys of Amazon communities. The document was formally presented by the Vatican on 17 June 2018. 5. Amazonia: New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology: Preparatory Document of the Synod of Bishops for the Special Assembly for the Pan-Amazon Region, (6 August 2018), https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/ bollettino/pubblico/2018/06/08/180608a.html. Accessed 30 August 2019. 6. REPAM was established in 2014 at the request of Pope Francis to foster collaboration with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon and to mobilise Church resources in support of their struggle to defend their lands, their lives and their cultures against invasive commercial and political forces. REPAM is supported by Caritas Internationalis and CELAM, the Episcopal Conferences of Latin America. See https://www.caritas.org/what-we-do/development/repam/. Accessed 17 June 2020. 50 Interface Theology The Preamble warned that the impending crisis in the Amazon transcended the ‘ecclesial-Amazonian sphere’ and concerned ‘the universal Church as well as the future of the entire planet’. The docu- ment outlined its methodology of ‘see, judge (discern) and act’, fol- lowed by questions for dialogue and ‘a progressive approach to the regional reality’. It included a focus on a development model ‘obsessed only with material goods and the idols of money and power’. ‘New ideological colonialisms hidden under the myth of progress’ were destroying cultures and the environment (#6). This initial document reflected strongly the views of Pope Francis from Laudato si’ and also from his address to 4000 Indigenous people at Puerto Maldonado in Peru on 19 January 2018.7 The document also acknowledged its debt to the decennial meetings of CELAM following the one in Medellin in 1968 and especially at Aparecida in 2007. Its key themes were the option for the poor and liberation, along with participation, insertion and inculturation (#7, 14). Quoting from Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium of 2013, the Pre- paratory Document affirmed that evangelisation has a ‘clear social content’. ‘In fact, “from the heart of the Gospel we see the profound connection between evangelization and human advancement” (EG 177–78)’. ‘Accordingly, the task of evangelization invites us to strive against social inequalities and the lack of solidarity through the pro- motion of charity, justice, compassion, and care amongst ourselves and with animals, plants, and all creation.’ (#8). After outlining many of the problems facing the Amazon, it called for a ‘global perspective . in order to share responsibility for a common, global project.’ It quoted Francis as asserting that ‘Everything is connected’, and the world needed a global dialogue to develop a consensus about reach- ing ‘integral and sustainable development’. (#13). The Working Document Some 87,000 people were involved with the process of consultation that followed, in parishes, dioceses and small communities in the 7. Pope Francis, ‘Meeting with Indigenous People of Amazonia’, 19 January 2018, https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2018/january/documents/ papa-francesco_20180119_peru-puertomaldonado-popoliamazzonia.html. Accessed 25 January 2018. Bruce Duncan CSsR 51 seven episcopal conferences involved. Some from other religious tra- ditions also participated. The results were incorporated by the Gen- eral Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and specialists into a text of over 21,000 words, twice as long as the preparatory document. It became the ‘Working Document’8 for the Bishops, along with some indigenous representatives and others who took part in the October Synod in Rome. The Working Document attempted to capture the ideas and voices of the thousands involved in consultations, endeavouring to listen to what the Holy Spirit was saying in these unique circumstances. Fol- lowing the proposal from REPAM, ‘the document is structured on the basis of three conversions to which Pope Francis invites us: the pas- toral’ as in ‘Evangelii Gaudium (see-listen); the ecological conversion which the Encyclical Laudato si’ urges, setting the course (judge-act); and the conversion to church synodality .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Lane Center Series Volume 3 Pope Francis And
    THE LANE CENTER SERIES VOLUME 3 FALL 2015 POPE FRANCIS AND THE FUTURE OF CATHOLICISM IN THE UNITED STATES: The Challenge of Becoming a Church for the Poor The Lane Center Series Published by the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought University of San Francisco 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117-1080 www.usfca.edu/lane-center ISSN 2372-3467 Authors retain the copyright to their essays. Queries regarding permissions should be sent to the authors using the email addresses provided with their essays. Published by the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought of the University of San Francisco, The Lane Center Series promotes the center’s mission to advance the scholarship and application of the Catholic intellectual tradition in the church and society with an emphasis on social concerns. The series features essays by Lane Center scholars, guest speakers, and USF faculty. It serves as a written archive of Lane Center events and programs and allows the work of the center to reach a broader audience. Produced by the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Erin Brigham, David E. DeCosse, and Michael Duffy, editors The Francis Effect: A Better Catholic Values Debate in American Public Life? John Gehring Pope Francis and the Consistent Ethic of Life John Coleman, S.J. The Church as a Field Hospital: The Ecclesiology of Pope Francis Erin Brigham Intrinsic Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed William O’Neill, S.J. Confronting the “Economy of Exclusion” from the Ground Up John Baumann, S.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Tablet Features Spread 14/04/2020 15:17 Page 13
    14_Tablet18Apr20 Diary Puzzles Enigma.qxp_Tablet features spread 14/04/2020 15:17 Page 13 WORD FROM THE CLOISTERS [email protected] the US, rather than given to a big newspaper, Francis in so that Francis could address the people of God directly, unfiltered. He had been gently the garden rebuffed. So the call from the Pope’s Uruguayan priest secretary, Fr Gonzalo AUSTEN IVEREIGH tells us he was in his Aemilius, a week later was a delightful shock: garden and just about to plant a large jasmine “Would it be alright if the Holy Father when the audio file arrived in his inbox. It recorded his answers to your questions?” The was the voice of Pope Francis, who had complete interview appeared in last week’s agreed to record his answers to the questions Easter issue of The Tablet. Ivereigh had put to him about navigating our way through the coronavirus storm. LAST YEAR Austen and his wife Linda and Ivereigh decided to put his headphones on their dogs deserted south Oxfordshire for a and listen to the Pope speaking to him while small farm near Hereford, with charmingly he was digging. By the time the plant was decayed old barns and 15 acres of grass mead- in the ground, watered and mulched, Francis ows, at the edge of a hamlet off a busy road was still only halfway through the third to Wales. He blames Laudato Si’ . The Brecon answer. “I checked the recording,” Austen Ivereigh, who was deputy editor of The Beacons beckon from a far horizon; the Wye, says, “46 minutes!” Tablet in the long winter of the John Paul II swelled by fast Welsh rivers, courses close by; “By the end I was stunned.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary Colwell and Austen Ivereigh: Has the Pandemic Renewed Our Relationship with Nature?
    Peter Hennessy How Keir Starmer has changed the rules of engagement at Westminster THE INTERNATIONAL 23 MAY 2020 £3.80 CATHOLIC WEEKLY www.thetablet.co.uk Est. 1840 Wild faith Mary Colwell and Austen Ivereigh: Has the pandemic renewed our relationship with nature? John Wilkins on the faith and doubt of Graham Greene Death at Dunkirk The last days of the fi rst Catholic chaplain to be killed in action Peter Stanford interviews Ann Patchett • Adrian Chiles celebrates football’s family values 01_Tablet23May20 Cover.indd 1 19/05/2020 18:48 02_Tablet23May20 Leaders.qxp_Tablet features spread 19/05/2020 18:30 Page 2 THE INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY THE TABLET FOUNDED IN 1840 POST-LOCKDOWN he coronavirus lockdown has coincided with and beyond the care it has for everyone whose MENTAL HEALTH a welcome change in the public perception of vocation requires them to put themselves in harm’s T mental illness. This has in turn highlighted way for the sake of others. There is an excellent ENDING the likelihood that underneath the Catholic Mental Health Project website supported by coronavirus pandemic lies a hidden psychiatric one, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, but it THE which remains largely untreated. Social distancing, does not focus on the emotional wellbeing of priests as isolation, and the general government message to such. More needs to be known about this issue: for STIGMA people to “stay at home” where possible have instance because parish priests are men who tend to neutralised one of society’s main defences against live alone, are they more resilient when called upon to mental ill-health, namely the influence of other isolate themselves, or less so? How important to their people.
    [Show full text]
  • 15 · 17 September 2019 Community of Sant’Egidio Archdiocese of Madrid
    Religions and Cultures in Dialogue 15 · 17 September 2019 Community of Sant’Egidio Archdiocese of Madrid Peace With No Borde rs Religions and Cultures in Dialogue Madrid 15 · 17 September 2019 PROGRAMME Peace With No Borders Peace With No Borders September 15 th , Sunday · Afternoon September 15 th , Sunday · Afternoon 06:00 p.m. 06:00 p.m. Opening Session Opening Session Palacio Municipal de Congresos de Madrid Avenida Capital de España, 7 Languages: Spanish, Italian, English, French, Arabic, Russian, Japanese Chair Break Tíscar Espigares Community of Sant’Egidio, Madrid Keynote address Faustin-Archange Touadéra Welcome Greetings President of the Central African Republic Carlos Osoro Sierra Cardinal, Archbishop of Madrid Witnesses and comments Pedro Sánchez (tbc) Israel Meir Lau President of the Government of Spain Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Israel Hilarion Introductory addresses Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop, Moscow Patriarchate Andrea Riccardi Mohammad Al-Mahrasawi Historian, Founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio Chancellor of Al Azhar University, Egypt Filippo Grandi United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Jeffrey D. Sachs Columbia University, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General, USA 2 3 Peace With No Borders Peace With No Borders September 16 th , Monday · Morning September 16 th , Monday · Morning 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 1 “People on the Move” Economy and Social Justice 2 in the New Millenium L L Círculo de Bellas Artes, Sala Columnas Instituto Cervantes, Sala de Conferencias E Marqués de Casa Riera,
    [Show full text]
  • Produced for the Diocese of Brooklyn by Desales Media Group
    WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015 PRODUCED FOR THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN BY DESALES MEDIA GROUP #WCDnyc Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 2015 World Communications Day TABLE OF CONTENTS St. Francis de Sales Page 6 Distinguished Communicator Award Prior Honorees Welcome Message Page 7 Conference Schedule Page 8 About the Diocese of Brooklyn Page 12 The Most Reverend Page 13 Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D. Bishop of Brooklyn Keynote Speaker Page 15 Message of Pope Francis Page 16 for World Communications Day Mensaje del Santo Padre Francisco Page 18 para Jornada Mundial de las Comunicaciones Sociales Speakers and Panelists Page 20 Thank You to Our Guests Page 29 With Appreciation for Our Sponsors Page 30 Venue Map Page 38 Social Media Information Page 39 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DISTINGUISHED COMMUNICATOR AWARD PRIOR HONOREES 1997 Charles W. Bell, New York Daily News 1998 Rich Lamb, WCBS-AM 1999 David Gonzalez, The New York Times 2000 Dick Oliver, WNYW-TV 2001 Ralph Penza, WNBC-TV 2002 The Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily Bishop of Brooklyn 2003 Dr. William F. Baker, WNET-TV 2004 David Gibson, Journalist Maurice DuBois, WNBC-TV 2005 Bill Gallo, New York Daily News 2006 Dan Barry, The New York Times 2007 Hugh A. Mulligan, Associated Press Francis X. Comerford, WNBC-TV 2008 Magee Hickey, WCBS-TV 2009 Joseph Zwilling, The Archdiocese of New York 2010 Jane Hanson, WNBC-TV 2011 Larry Kudlow, CNBC Pablo José Barroso, Film Producer 2012 Christopher Ruddy, Newsmax Joseph Campo, Grassroots Films 2013 William McGurn, Editorial Page Editor, The New York Post Monsignor James Lisante, Host, “Close Encounter” 2014 The Most Reverend Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications 6 Authentic communication and strong families enable the Church and her members to better express needs, wants and concerns to one another.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating a Social Covenant: Fratelli Tutti As a Roadmap for Overcoming Structural Violence in Northern Ireland
    The Journal of Social Encounters Volume 5 Issue 1 Article 3 2021 Creating a Social Covenant: Fratelli Tutti as a Roadmap for Overcoming Structural Violence in Northern Ireland Maria Power Las Casas Institute for Social Justice Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Political Science Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Social Justice Commons, and the Sociology of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Power, Maria (2021) "Creating a Social Covenant: Fratelli Tutti as a Roadmap for Overcoming Structural Violence in Northern Ireland," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, 8-13. Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol5/iss1/3 This Essay is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Social Encounters by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Journal of Social Encounters Creating a Social Covenant: Fratelli Tutti as a Roadmap for Overcoming Structural Violence in Northern Ireland Dr. Maria Power Senior Research Fellow in Human Dignity, Las Casas Institute for Social Justice Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford When the bubonic and pneumonic plagues reached Europe in the 14th Century, alongside significantly increasing mortality rates, they changed the nature of the social order. These ‘plagues affected all aspects of economic life: trade, the distribution of urban prosperity, the social and economic structure of the rural world.’ (Keen, 1973, p. 174) In particular, the serf class were no longer bonded and could trade their labour freely.
    [Show full text]
  • 21St Sunday in Ordinary Time August 25, 2019
    21st Sunday in Ordinary Time August 25, 2019 Happy Back to School to all students, teachers, and parents! Heavenly Father, unseen Companion of our life, give us faith and eager expectancy as we begin this fresh stage of our journey. Take from us all fear of the unknown and teach us to wrest treasures from the darkness. As the days come and go, may we find that each one is laden with many opportunities and enriching experiences; And when this year is ended, may our best hopes be more than ever fulfilled. Amen. www.morecommunity.org @STMstpaul @StThomasMoreStPaul @StThomasMoreStPaul Rooted in the Gospels and formed by Ignatian spirituality, the mission of the Catholic Community of Saint Thomas More is to glorify God by our lives. Community & Opportunities Limited Parking on Summit Ave. Sept. 8 Sunday, September 8, 8 am - 12 pm Due to the Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour, there will be no parking allowed on the north side of Summit Avenue from 8 am to 12 pm. Share the Word! Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLW) is in need of a few more leaders. CLW is a worship experience that allows children to hear God’s word and experience the prayers, gestures and rituals of the Mass on a child’s level. Adults and high school youth are WELCOMED to participate. Skills needed are a love for Jesus and children and a willingness to share your faith. Essential 3 requirements for Archdiocese Dr. Austen Ivereigh - The Pope as a Jesuit are needed for this AWESOME opportunity! Saturday, November 16, 10 am Have questions or want to sign up? Contact Brian at [email protected] World renowned Catholic writer and commentator, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of Religion in an Age of Revival
    Published on Reviews in History (https://reviews.history.ac.uk) The Politics of Religion in an Age of Revival Review Number: 272 Publish date: Tuesday, 1 January, 2002 Editor: Austen Ivereigh ISBN: 9781900039321 Date of Publication: 2000 Price: £12.00 Pages: 223pp. Publisher: Institute of Latin American Studies Publisher url: http://americas.sas.ac.uk/publications/archive/pub_19c.htm Place of Publication: London Reviewer: Carlos Malamud NB. This review has been translated from the Spanish by Natalie Sobrevilla. The Nineteenth-Century Latin America Series directed by Eduardo Posada-Carbó has made important contributions to the new political history of Latin America. It now publishes the volume edited by Austen Ivereigh, The Politics of Religion in an Age of Revival. This book attempts to compare the political participation of Catholics in the nineteenth century in different European and Latin-American countries. It is indeed a relevant topic, considering that it has been usually assumed that the strong opposition between the Church and liberalism pushed Catholics to the margins of the system. Amongst the European cases analysed are those of France and Spain, whilst the Latin American studies are of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. As tends to happen in many collective works of this kind, the final result is very uneven. This is due not only to the fact that the papers are diverse in focus, but also because some of the studies have a pro-ecclesiastical slant that compromises some of the general conclusions of the book. Probably this is most clear in the introductory chapter by the editor Austen Ivereigh, which seems to be part of the old clericalism-anticlericalism polemic, siding openly with the traditional views of the church and using some of the nineteenth century arguments.
    [Show full text]
  • The Meaning of Matrimony
    The Meaning of Matrimony The Meaning of Matrimony Debating Same-Sex Marriage Brenda Almond Nicola Barker Lord Carey of Clifton Austen Ivereigh Roger N. Lancaster Conor Marron Brendan O’Neill Ben Summerskill Peter Tatchell with an Introduction by The Rt Hon. Maria Miller MP and Foreword by Frank Furedi Anastasia de Waal (ed.) Civitas: Institute for the Study of Civil Society London First Published June 2013 © Civitas 2013 55 Tufton Street London SW1P 3QL email: [email protected] All rights reserved ISBN 978-1-906837-54-9 Independence: Civitas: Institute for the Study of Civil Society is a registered educational charity (No. 1085494) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 04023541). Civitas is financed from a variety of private sources to avoid over-reliance on any single or small group of donors. All publications are independently refereed. All the Institute’s publications seek to further its objective of promoting the advancement of learning. The views expressed are those of the authors, not of the Institute. Typeset by Civitas Printed in Great Britain by Berforts Group Ltd Stevenage SG1 2BH Contents Page Authors vi Introduction The Rt Hon. Maria Miller MP ix Foreword Frank Furedi xi The Destruction of Conjugality Austen Ivereigh 1 Marriage Is Not a Timeless, Unchanging Institution Roger N. Lancaster 24 A Liberal Critique of Gay Marriage Brendan O’Neill 40 The Final Piece in the Equality Jigsaw Ben Summerskill 56 Two Myths about Same-Sex Marriage Nicola Barker 69 Love Is Not Enough Lord Carey of Clifton 91 A Democracy, Not a Theocracy Peter Tatchell 102 Equal But Different – the Unanswered Questions Brenda Almond 114 An Ordinary Voice Conor Marron 125 Afterword: Standing the Test of Time Anastasia de Waal 134 Endnotes 141 v Authors Brenda Almond is the author of The Fragmenting Family (2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Argentina Is Deity and Juan Domingo Perón Its High Priest: the POLITICS
    Argentina is Deity and Juan Domingo Perón its High Priest: The POLITICS IS RELIGION Metaphor in Perón’s Political Discourse, 1946-1952 _________________________________ Deborah Berho George Fox University Newberg, Oregon Introduction From before the Crusades to Liberation Theology and beyond, the interaction of politics and religion has been a constant theme for the student of Iberoamerica. Beyond Hispanists, every electoral campaign re- minds a broader audience of politicians’ use of religion in an attempt to gain support. This essay examines how charismatic former president of Argentina Juan Domingo Perón used the metaphor POLITICS IS RELIGION1 in his political discourse. Several studies have recently been published on the gradual yet complete shift in the relationship between the Catholic Church and Perón’s government from one of general mutual support to open enmity. They are summarized in the following section, but all con- clude that Peronism, with Perón as highest authority and Eva as the blessed mother, challenged Catholicism as the dominant religion in Argentina in a way unacceptable to both orthodox believers and the Church hierarchy. This paper briefly describes the political, social and religious environment of Argentina just before the first Perón presidency, as well as the amor- phous relationship between Perón and the Church. After outlining the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphor, the author presents metaphori- cal expressions of POLITICS IS RELIGION used by Perón. This study not only provides specific examples of Perón’s increasing appropriation of religion for political purposes, but reveals how Perón greatly extended the sacri- fice entailment of RELIGION, using it to dignify and sanctify work.
    [Show full text]
  • Argentina, Economic Failure, and the Teología Del Pueblo
    SUBSCRIBE NOW AND RECEIVE CRISIS AND LEVIATHAN* FREE! “The Independent Review does not accept “The Independent Review is pronouncements of government officials nor the excellent.” conventional wisdom at face value.” —GARY BECKER, Noble Laureate —JOHN R. MACARTHUR, Publisher, Harper’s in Economic Sciences Subscribe to The Independent Review and receive a free book of your choice* such as the 25th Anniversary Edition of Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, by Founding Editor Robert Higgs. This quarterly journal, guided by co-editors Christopher J. Coyne, and Michael C. Munger, and Robert M. Whaples offers leading-edge insights on today’s most critical issues in economics, healthcare, education, law, history, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Thought-provoking and educational, The Independent Review is blazing the way toward informed debate! Student? Educator? Journalist? Business or civic leader? Engaged citizen? This journal is for YOU! *Order today for more FREE book options Perfect for students or anyone on the go! The Independent Review is available on mobile devices or tablets: iOS devices, Amazon Kindle Fire, or Android through Magzter. INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE, 100 SWAN WAY, OAKLAND, CA 94621 • 800-927-8733 • [email protected] PROMO CODE IRA1703 Understanding Pope Francis Argentina, Economic Failure, and the Teologı´a del Pueblo F SAMUEL GREGG ince the election of Jorge Bergoglio to the Chair of St. Peter in 2013, much has been written about the views of economic life expressed in many of his S speeches as well as in his apostolic exhortation Evangelli gaudium (2013) and his encyclical Laudato si’ (2015b). Although many have applauded the evident skep- ticism of free markets and economic globalization that pervades these texts, others, including many practicing Catholics, such as myself (see, e.g., Gregg 2013, 2015), have taken issue with aspects of Pope Francis’s critiques of the market economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Study Guide Downlod
    STUDY GUIDE “And now let us begin this journey – bishop and people – this journey of the Church of Rome which leads all the churches in charity; a journey of fraternity, of trust between us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world, that there may be a great spirit of fraternity.” POPE FRANCIS March 13, 2013 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FILM SYNOPSIS 4 HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE 5 THE STORIES Water over Gold in El Salvador 7 Annulment Reform in Minnesota 15 A Refugee Crisis in Lampedusa 23 From Tragedy to Friendship in Quebec 31 MESSAGE TO VIEWERS FROM POPE FRANCIS 37 3 FILM SYNOPSIS The Francis Impact tells four unique stories of individuals and communities who have been deeply impacted by Pope Francis. They are stories of empowerment, unexpected collaboration and deep transformation in the areas of environmentalism, migration, interfaith dialogue and pastoral reform, themes of paramount concern for Pope Francis. The film begins in El Salvador where environmentalists struggle to preserve the nation’s fresh water supply through a legislative ban on metallic mining. From there, the film moves to central Minnesota where a Catholic couple shares the story of their long and frustrating annulment process. Across the Atlantic, a local carpenter on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa makes crosses from the wood of decrepit boats that carried migrants from North Africa. Finally, the film shifts to Quebec where a horrific attack at a local mosque brings two faith leaders together in an astonishing way. The stories are creatively woven together and conclude with an exclusive message from Pope Francis himself, who urges viewers to go to “the peripheries” of life, where, he believes, God is found.
    [Show full text]