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Leonardo Boff
Leonardo Boff once referred to liberation theology as “this chant of the Third World transformed into a reflection of messianic hope for a society of freedom, a society that will become a communion of brothers and sisters” (Conn 524). Leonardo Boff is a strong advocate for liberation theology—theology with a greater focus on the poor man's perspective. He has become one of the most influential contributors to the liberation theology movement of the twentieth century. Boff was born in 1938 in Concordia, Santa Catarina, Brazil. He was ordained a Franciscan priest in the 1970s, and he currently is a professor of systematic theology at the Institute for Philosophy and Theology in Petropolis, Brazil. Although many of his ideas and works have been criticized and even banned by the Vatican, Leonardo Boff has had a significant impact on Christian theology.Ann Agnew Two specific events in the early part of Boff s life led him to become an advocate for liberation theology. First, as a priest he served in the slums of Petropolis and witnessed people scavenge through garbage dumps for food. Second, while in Acre-Purus, the heart, of the Amazon jungle, he developed a new vision for the Church as a combination of faith and life and God and suffering. As a liberation theologian, Boff focuses on the poverty experienced by many Christians. He proposes new models for the Church—community, cooperation, and charism. He stresses the importance of community as believers struggle on their journeys of faith, especially in poverty-stricken areas. He expands the meaning of sacrament to any encounter with God through grace in one's life or community. His idea of ecclesiology focused on the church of the poor and the weak. Boff presents Jesus as the liberator not just of sins, but also of the material oppression resulting from sin. Boff taught that theology must have two “eyes” in order to relate the Gospel to today. The first “eye” deals with the historical and the factual. The second “eye” is more subjective and relates history to the present. Although Boff's teachings were accepted by many Christians, especially those in poverty-stricken areas, they were not well-received among Church authorities. In his works, Leonardo Boff is very critical of authoritarianism and clericalism in the hierarchy of the Church. He emphasizes the role of man rather than the role of the institutional Church, and this idea has raised tensions between him and Church authorities. Boff published a collection of essays on militant ecclesiology in 1981, which later comprised his book Church: Charism and Power, published in 1985. These essays have been the major source of the tension between him and the authorities. In May of 1984, Joseph Ratzinger, the present prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Boffs own mentor, sent Boff a six page letter describing the charges that were being brought against him and summoning him to the Vatican for a trial. Boff was accused of “distorting old doctrines” by using ideological perspectives that were not fully inspired from theology. Ratzinger also accused him of suggesting that Jesus does not lay forth the specific form and structure of the Church, asserting that it is the Spirit alone who protects faith, not dogma or revelation, and using disrespectful comments regarding the Church's use of power. In September 1984, Boff was questioned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. At his trial, Boff emphasized his belief that the Church should consult people directly involved in liberation theology rather than those authorities who look on it from the outside. Several months after the trial, Boff was silenced by the Church for a year. He was strictly forbidden to publish works or give lectures, but he could still teach, preach, and write. It was during this year of silence that Boff wrote his work, Trinity and Society. In 1992, Boff again received threats of silencing from the Vatican but rather than accept the silencing, he resigned from the Franciscan order. Boff's reputation slowly began to grow, especially in Latin America, although he faced much opposition from Church authorities. Despite the fact that many of his ideas were silenced by the Vatican, Boff “became an instant folk hero throughout the Third World” (Brown 617). Today, he is known as one of the most important and prolific contributors to liberation theology. Liberation theology is still a growing branch of theology, with many unanswered questions and valid criticisms in need of a response from liberation theologians. Boff has already contributed a great deal to Christian theology, but he is still open to growth in his thinking on liberation theology. Marie Conn states, “Were he never to write another word, his contribution would be enormous” (Conn 532). Works Cited Leonardo Boff, “Underlying Ecclesiologies of the Base Ecclesial Communities” Church: Charism and Power. New York: Crossroad, 1985 Abstract by Ann Agnew In this chapter of Church: Charism and Power, Boff recognizes the trend of people, most especially the poor, who are organizing themselves into communities of faith. He notices a common path of ecclesiologies followed by the ecclesial communities. The first is the reality of clericalism and the need for obedience to the laws of the Church. The second ecclesiology is the goal for a communal Church with fraternity, service, and coresponsibility. The third is the reflection of the Church as a community and a People of God. The final ecclesiology is the praxis of open dialogue, equality, participation, and social commitment, all forming a community of love. Boff recognizes the current view of the Church which was developed as a result of Vatican II: the Church as a People of God. The priest has become less separated from the people and there is a new equality within the Church because all people are now considered People of God in the community. All are able to share in Christ and are responsible in the mission to unify the community. The view of Church as a People of God puts less emphasis on the Church as a hierarchy and more emphasis on the Church as a community with the People of God being the central focus of the Church. Courage is needed in order to see a Church o/the people grow. Boff also focuses on the Church as a community and a sign of liberation. Because Church has become a community, the people are given greater roles of participation in liturgy and decisions. Liturgy is no longer a sacred ritual but more of an expression of faith. The Church as a community should deepen the values of Christianity, fraternity, solidarity, participation, and decision-making. In a Church community, people should take measures to ensure that the walls that oppress and imprison people are torn down. Through this process of liberation, the community becomes aware of social injustice, poverty, and violations of human rights. Finally, Boff focuses on the Church as prophet and an instrument of liberation. At this stage, the community is aware of its mission and becomes actively involved in it. However, the community cannot restrict its mission to things specifically Christian or to communitarian concerns. They must focus on problems affecting the community and the rest of the world. The members of the community must have a complete understanding of the problem before working to eradicate it. In order to work for liberation, the community itself must be a symbol of freedom of speech, action, and participation. In addition, there must be a feeling of solidarity within the community. The task of liberation demands conviction and strength from the entire community. Leonardo Boff, “How Ought We to Celebrate the Eucharist in a World of Injustice?” When Theology Listens to the Poor. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row, 1988 Abstract by Kiley Moore In his book. When Theology Listens to the Poor, Leonardo Boff confronts the question of the Eucharist in terms of the marginalized and poverty-stricken people of his country and of the world. Defining the Eucharist as containing many aspects of mystery and faith, Boff claims that by partaking the Eucharistic body of Christ people become part of the Mystical body of Christ. Boff also recognizes that the Eucharist can mean many different things to different communities and individuals. For Christians in Latin America, the Eucharistic celebration is directly connected with their concern and commitment to the people's quest for liberation. The people of Latin America tend to question the legitimacy of the Eucharist amidst a situation of injustice. Boff addresses many of the concerns of the Latin Americans in terms of the Eucharistic celebration in this section of his book. To begin, he looks at the Last Supper in paradoxical terms of both joy and profound seriousness. According to Boff, Jesus' reaction to all situations becomes applicable to all peoples who face any type of conflict. Jesus does not lose his courageous and prophetic tone despite his acknowledgement of the danger he is in at the time. Thus, Jesus celebrates his last moments with joy because he recognizes it as a celebration and anticipation of the kingdom of God. With this point, Boff claims that this should be the way the poor and marginalized should celebrate the Eucharist: “Wherever Jesus' supper is eaten, the Reign of God is anticipated and concretized” (Boff 92). Because Christ's sacrifice is always present, the celebration of the Eucharist makes it visible and sacramental. Christians should follow Jesus in his surrender and celebrate with joy for the coming Reign of God. From this point Boff moves on to discuss how Christians actually celebrate the Eucharist today. He claims that most overlook the sacrificial surrender aspect to focus on the worship and adoration of the Lord. Because Jesus came to restore truth of worship and religion, it is important to apply his teachings of justice and mercy to today's world, which tends to divorce morality and worship. Boff argues, “The Eucharist cannot be celebrated in the spirit of Jesus when that celebration is unaccompanied by a hunger and thirst for justice” (Boff 95). Moreover, we betray the Eucharist and Jesus when we ignore the surrounding poverty in our world. Essentially it is necessary to be in communion with our brothers and sisters before we are in communion with Christ. Christians must become a gift to others just as Christ became a gift to Christians. Overall, Boff claims that true worship comes injustice and community rather than the formalities and symbols of celebration. A Leonardo Boff Bibliography
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