Gustavo Gutiérrez, 'father of liberation theology,' dies at 96

Dear Friends,

As you may know by now, our esteemed author and friend, Gustavo Gutierrez, died last night, October 22, at the age of 96, in Lima. He had been ill for some time.

Gustavo was not only the "father" of liberation theology, but truly the cornerstone of the Orbis program. In 1973 we published the English translation of A Theology of Liberation, which Christianity Today named as one of the 100 most important theological works of the twentieth century. This inaugurated a whole program of works by the greatest generation of Latin American theologians: Gustavo himself, Jon Sobrino, Jose Combin, Leonardo Boff, and many others. The highwater point of these imports was probably the volume Mysterium Liberationis edited by Jon Sobrino and the martyr Ignacio Ellacuria. 

But Gustavo continued to produce books. The most recent for us was his collaboration with  Dr. Paul Farmer, In the Company of the Poor, which sold almost 14,000 copies. 

My opportunity to share a stage with them both at Notre Dame for a launch of the book was a highpoint for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BMIAHLNSfk

Another of course was the celebration at Maryknoll of Gustavo's 60th birthday in 1988. (Amazing to consider that he seemed like a real old guy then!) Great theologians from around the world gathered at Maryknoll for a week-long program, resulting in a Festschrift volume, The Future of Liberation Theology. 

My last encounter with Gustavo was at the beatification of Oscar Romero in San Salvador in 2015. We ran into each other at the airport, and thereafter at all the pilgrimage spots in the city. It was particularly moving to see him praying at Romero's grave.

Last year we published a 50^th anniversary edition of A Theology of Liberation. Michael E. Lee wrote an introduction. 

By my reckoning Theology of Liberation remains his best-selling book: 92,757 copies over three editions.  That would be followed by We Drink from Our Own Wells (49,764) and On Job (44,685).

That would make certainly make Gustavo, over the past fifty years, our best-selling author.

But his influence of course is not measured by sales alone. Apart from his historic contributions to the Church in Latin America and the emergence of liberation theology, his work, and the theology he inspired, fundamentally transformed the work of theology in North America and throughout the world. It is felt not only in the church's embrace of the "preferential option for the poor," but in the many schools of contextual, post-colonial, and liberation theologies that have emerged throughout the world. 

Of course, his work was subject to vilification and withering criticism both by many church officials and even political figures. He was patient and diligent in defending his work against his critics. He was long subjected to investigation by the CDF, but in the end he was never singled out for reproach. He lived to see some vindication. The conservative prefect of the CDF, Gerhard Mueller, even became his fan and collaborated with him on a book which we published: "On the Side of the Poor."

In 2018, on his 90th birthday, Pope Francis sent him greetings, thanking him "for what you have contributed to the Church and humanity through your theological service and your preferential love for the poor and the discarded of society.”

For many years he contended with an Opus Dei archbishop of Lima. He was not allowed to teach in Peru. He found some escape by teaching at Notre Dame, where his students and colleagues included many of our authors: Leo Guardado, Michael Lee, Daniel Groody, Virgil Elizondo. He eventually found it prudent to join the Dominican Order—following his hero (and the subject of one of his greatest works), Bartolome de Las Casas. The current archbishop is a supporter—just named a cardinal by Pope Francis.

On a personal note, may I say that my own life was changed by Gustavo's work, which I first encountered in the library of the Maryknoll language school in Cochabamba. I had never studied theology, and I had to use a dictionary to make my way through the text—not to understand the Spanish, but to understand the English. By the time I had finished, and went on to works by Boff and Sobrino, I decided I wanted to study theology. I went to Harvard Divinity School and enrolled in a doctoral program. In 1987 I was invited to become editor-in-chief of Orbis. And so I have had the privilege, throughout my entire career, of association with one of the greatest theologians in the history of the church. He deserves to be acclaimed as a Doctor of the Church. I would not be surprised if he is one day canonized. 

Those who knew Gustavo knew he was one of the kindest, humblest, most faithful disciples of Jesus that we have ever known. A brave, brilliant, and holy man.

May his memory inspire us all to walk more faithfully, and to be inspired to take another step toward effective solidarity and friendship with the world. 

Robert