| Subject: Archbishop Romero - Christian Base Communities |
Author:
Daniel Feldman
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Date Posted: 17:00:44 05/22/02 Wed
Sorry for the mix-up with the IDs, but here are the ones that I'm supposed to do:
Archbishop Oscar Romero - Appointed the Archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador in 1977, Romero was expected to be a very conservative, bookworm priest that would not support the liberation theologians in El Salvador. At the time, the country was in the midst of a U.S.-sponsored civil war in which the army attempted to stop the FMLN from taking over the country. To the surprise of the peasants, the clergy, the elites, and the army, Romero had a change of heart when one of his fellow priests was assassinated. He became very vocal in the fight against military repression and against violence in general. He pleaded time and again to his superiors in the church and to the U.S. to end the violence which eventually killed 75,000 people. Romero was assassinated in 1980, and though the killers have never been found, it was assumed to be army personnel or mercenaries. Romero has since become a martyr and symbol for the Salvadoran people in their struggle for justice.
Pope John Paul II - Karol Wojtyla from Poland was elected pope in 1978 and took the name John Paul II. He still holds the position to this day. After decades of struggling against the spectre of the USSR, John Paul II moved the church decidedly away from liberation theology. He has, in many respects, moved the church back to a more conservative, traditional role with respect to political and social mores. He has also consistently blocked efforts to ordain women ministers, to allow priests to marry, and to allow the usage of artificial birth control.
Vatican II - It was initiated by Pope John XXIII in 1962 and ended in 1965 by Pope Paul VI as an effort to increase the involvement of the Church and to "to increase the fervour and energy of Catholics, to serve the needs of Christian people." First, the policy of the church moved towards being more ecumenical (accepting of other faiths). As well, the Church decreed that the local mass should be held in the vernacular rather than in the traditional Latin. The priest now faced the people and guitars and folk music began to replace organs. It was a major transformation for the Catholic Church. All in all, there were 8 points covered: 1. A more ecumenical approach
2. A shift in worldview - no longer "fixed", see: Church in the Modern World
3. A rejection of legalism - Absolutizing of the law (Jesus Vs Pharisees)
4. A deepening of moral life - Am I beloved of God? Everything you do must be as God would do it.
5. The social aspect or character of moral life - no longer just save yourself, salvation is now a global matter.
6. The centrality of the person - How can I enhance the dignity of all persons?
7. The tentativeness of moral theology and formation - truth can change & does
8. A rejection of paternalism - no more "the church knows best", moral choices must be made by individuals.
Puebla 1979 (syllabus says 1968) - As an extension of the Medellin conference, the bishops stated that liberation theology can be understood as the reflection in faith of the church that has taken to heart the "clear and prophetic option expressing preference for, and solidarity with, the poor"
Medellín Conference of Bishops, 1968 - At this conference, encouraged by the changes they had influenced at Vatican II, the Latin American Bishops attack most, if not all, of the structural issues and entrenched government institutions that had oppressed their people. Typical of these perpetuators of poverty are: Land reform, Workers rights, Human rights, and of course the Military's role in their societies. The real beginning of liberation theology.
The “second counter-reformation” - brought about by John Paul II in response to a growing schism within the Church between the liberation theologians and the old guard. This counter-reformation refers to the move back to a more traditional catholicism as opposed to the politically-active, leftist-oriented liberation theology.
Christian base communities (comunidades eclesiales de base, CEBs) - An organization that strives for community, stresses the ecclesial (linking to the church) and constitutes a social or religious base (the people at the bottom of the hierarchy). CEBs have been very active throughout Latin America and have contributed to religious revivals from El Salvador to Argentina. In many ways, the CEBs provide a focal point by which a community can empower itself.
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