Gustavo Gutiérrez, Peruvian priest and ‘father of liberation theology’, dies at 96

Gustavo Gutiérrez, the prominent Peruvian priest known as the “father of liberation theology” and regarded as a “prophet of the poor,” has passed away in Lima at the age of 96. A Dominican friar and theologian, Gutiérrez was both acclaimed and occasionally controversial in advocating for the church’s moral obligation to stand with the impoverished and push for improvements in their circumstances.

Emerging from the social upheaval in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s, liberation theology argued that the church should not only offer spiritual guidance but also advocate for significant political and structural changes to eradicate poverty. In his pivotal 1971 book, “A Theology of Liberation,” Gutiérrez articulated, “Only authentic solidarity with the poor and a real protest against the poverty of our time can provide the concrete, vital context necessary for a theological discussion of poverty.” His ideas inspired many priests to take on roles that extended beyond traditional pastoral care.

Notably, Gutiérrez’s principles fueled participation in the 1979 Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, opposing the right-wing Somoza dictatorship. His influence also reached leftist insurgents in Mexico and Colombia; one significant guerrilla group was led for nearly three decades by a defrocked Spanish priest, Manuel Pérez.

The Dominican Province of St. John the Baptist of Peru announced Gutiérrez’s death, stating that the beloved friar had “gone to Our Father’s house” and that his remains would be honored at the Santo Domingo convent in Lima. The Instituto Bartolomé de las Casas, which Gutiérrez founded in 1974, commended his legacy, remarking, “His writings and work on behalf of the poor and the most forgotten in society will continue to light the church’s way as it searches for a fairer and more brotherly world.”

Catholic journalist Austen Ivereigh paid tribute to Gutiérrez on social media, stating, “RIP Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez, Peruvian shanty town priest and later Dominican friar, prophet of the poor, whose Theology of Liberation in 1971 reshaped contemporary theology.” While many lauded Gutiérrez’s work as groundbreaking and prophetic, not everyone within the church held the same view.

His ideas, particularly the argument that theology could benefit from direct engagement with Marxism, drew skepticism from some clerics in Rome. Although the Vatican never officially condemned Gutiérrez or his writings, there were whispers of investigations initiated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.

The theological rift over liberation theology softened under Pope Francis, Benedict’s successor. Despite having opposed the movement during his time as head of the Jesuits in Argentina, Francis embraced Gutiérrez as a significant voice at a Vatican event in 2015. In a heartfelt birthday message to Gutiérrez in 2018, Francis expressed gratitude for the Peruvian priest’s “theological service and preferential love for the poor and discarded in society,” emphasizing Gutiérrez’s profound impact on challenging individuals to confront the realities of poverty and exclusion.