"Theology of the poor has not died"

On the spaceship Earth, "we are all passengers. There are some people who travel first class and others in third, or in cargo," laments liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez.

MADRID - "Liberation theology has not lost validity, but rather the opposite," Peruvian theologian, philosopher and psychologist Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino, winner of this year's Prince of Asturias Prize for the Humanities, said in a Tierramérica interview.

Gutiérrez, 75, is considered a pioneer for his 1969 efforts to systematize the ideas that are also known as the "theology of the poor."

In granting him the award, to be presented officially in October, Spain's Prince of Asturias Foundation recognized that the priest bases his ideas "upon solid biblical foundations, formulating that the liberation brought by Christ is not purely spiritual, but also implies liberation from earthly injustices."

Gutiérrez, who puts his theory into practice on a daily basis, working with the poor in a densely populated Lima neighborhood, spoke with Tierramérica in an exclusive interview during his recent visit to Europe.


Q - How did you feel when you were told you had won the Prince of Asturias Prize for the Humanities?
A - Very honored and more than a little surprised. But I think awards are gifts and one never deserves them, but simply gives thanks for them.

Q - Can it be said that Liberation Theology is no longer as popular today as it was in the 1980s?
A - Let's say that those were years in which there was a great deal of public discussion about it. However, the presence of a theology is not measured by its impact in the media, but rather by its ability to inspire Christian behavior, faithful to the current demands of the Gospel. It is something day-to-day and, very often, it is silent. Although sometimes it reaches the public light, when such tragedies occur as the assassination of so many Christians in Latin America for their commitment to the poor. If we could quantify something that is essentially qualitative, we could say that 90 percent of Liberation Theology is the preferential option for the poor. And I don't think that has lost validity, but quite the opposite. And a lesser public presence of debate about Liberation Theology has allowed us to work in greater depth in recent years.

Q - What is your greatest concern in this chaotic world?
A - Poverty in all its forms. I understand poverty is a complex fact that is not limited to its economic dimension. In the context of Liberation Theology we say that the poor person is an "insignificant", someone without social weight, someone who is often invisible. And he or she is insignificant due to lack of resources, to skin color, gender, or for speaking a language or having customs that the dominant group considers inferior. In addition to poverty is the pillaging of the environment, caused by unfettered consumption, and it is leading us to self-destruction.

Q -What role does ecology play in Liberation Theology?
A - The ecological perspective today is very present in our theological reflections on poverty. Both questions -- poverty and environment -- have a fundamental tie and are among the greatest problems in the world in which we live. In ecological circles they say that planet Earth is like a spaceship and we are all passengers. And we must not forget that there are some people who travel first class and others in third, or in cargo. Awareness of this, especially in the dominant economic and political sectors, is not sufficiently mature. There is an immense task ahead of us.

Q - Despite global opposition, Iraq was invaded. Was God with the Iraqis?
A - What occurred in Iraq is extremely serious. Nothing can justify a preemptive war, or such a cruel dictatorship, as Pope John Paul II repeated over and over again. Stating this with clarity is a requirement of the love of God in our lives. I think it scandalous to cite religious reasons for that invasion, which not only expresses a dangerous fundamentalism, but also hides the clear economic and political interests behind it. After this episode, I have the impression that we will never be the same.

Q - Given the human rights record of Cuba, do you think the Roman Catholic priests there should be more outspoken with the Fidel Castro government?
A - Given the difficulty and delicate nature of the situation experienced there (in Cuba), I think a great deal of respect is needed for the positions taken. Perhaps only by being there can one have the elements for making comments about the situation.

Q - What projects are you currently involved in?
A - I am writing about the option for the poor in relation to the major challenges that the Christian faith is experiencing: globalization, the modern and postmodern mentality, growing poverty, religious pluralism. And I continue to pursue my customary pastoral activities.

* Lidia Hunter is a Tierramérica contributor.