Cardinal Baltazar Porras from the Pontifical Commission for Latin America presided at a Mass for immigrants at St. Ignatius Church, which closed the week-long Ibero-American Conference of Theology at Boston College. (Frank Curran)
Through its ministry and evangelization, the Catholic Church must focus on economically excluded communities, eliminating inequality, and uplifting disadvantaged people throughout the world, according to Hispanic theologians from Latin America, Spain, and the U.S. who attended a historic conference at Boston College.
That message 鈥� in many ways distinctive of theological movements of Latin America 鈥� will be delivered to Pope Francis in a sign of support for reforms within the Church and throughout societies of the world, according to one of the organizers of the , which concluded Friday, February 10.
The event is one of many examples of the School of Theology and Ministry's presence among the world's leading centers of theological discourse.
View a compendium of national and international news coverage of the historic Ibero-American Conference of Theology at Boston College by clicking the rectangular icon in the lower right corner of the box above.
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The weeklong conference examined the role of liberation theology as Pope Francis and the Catholic Church respond to issues of globalization, migration and economic exclusion, said Visiting Associate Professor Rafael Luciani, a co-organizer of the conference with his Boston College colleague, visiting associate professor Felix Palazzi.
Luciani said the theologians 鈥� among them professors, priests and Vatican officials 鈥� will return to their communities in the U.S., Latin America, and Spain with a renewed commitment to the Pope鈥檚 reforms and a deeper understanding of the pontiff鈥檚 own thinking, rooted in the 鈥渢heology of the people鈥� and liberation theology.
Two papal representatives, Cardinal Baltazar Porras, of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and Bishop Ra煤l Biord Castillo, SDB, together will present the group鈥檚 work to Pope Francis. Research and analysis from the theologians is scheduled to publish in a book later this year, said Luciani, a lay theologian from Venezuela.
The work of the conference is of particular importance in efforts to better serve Hispanic Catholics, who make up the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. church. Worldwide, more than 65 percent of Catholics live in the 鈥淕lobal South,鈥� which includes Latin America and Africa.
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Attending the conference were some of the leading figures in the birth of liberation theology, including Juan Carlos Scannone, S.J., a founding philosopher of the 鈥渢heology of the people鈥� and the pope鈥檚 seminary instructor, and Notre Dame University Professor Gustavo Guti茅rrez, OP, regarded as the founder of liberation theology.
Fr. Scannone reminded participants that the pope has called the poor 鈥減rotagonists鈥� and 鈥渕akers of history.鈥� He told the conference: 鈥淭he poor should not just feel at home in church. They should feel like the heart of the Church.鈥�
Society of Jesus Superior General Arturo Sosa, S.J., delivered a video message of support to the conference, extolling the Pope鈥檚 call for Catholics to work hard to find God鈥檚 presence in everyday life.
鈥淭hat discernment is the path suggested by Pope Francis to renew the Church鈥檚 mission of evangelization around the world and is the only true way to actually transform and renew the structures of the Church itself,鈥� Fr. Sosa said. 鈥淭he Society of Jesus wants to be included in that path, that process of renewal that we feel as a call of the Lord to the whole Catholic Church.鈥�
鈥擡d Hayward, University Communications
