Leonardo Boff (, born 14 December 1938), born as Genézio Darci Boff (), is a Brazilian
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...
,
philosopher
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
writer, and former
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest known for his active support for
Latin American liberation theology. He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, and Ecology at the
Rio de Janeiro State University
Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ; pt, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro) is a public research university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country. The universi ...
. In 2001, he received the
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award is an international award to "honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today." The prize was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob ...
for "his inspiring insights and practical work to help people realise the links between human spirituality, social justice and environmental stewardship."
Studies as a priest
Boff was born in 1938 in
Concórdia,
Santa Catarina, Brazil. He entered the
Franciscan Order
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
in 1959 and was ordained a
Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
in 1964. He spent the following years studying for a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some s ...
at the
University of Munich
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's sixth-oldest university in continuous operati ...
, which he received in 1970. Boff's doctoral
thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
studied in what measure the Church can be a sign of the sacred and the divine in the secular world and in the process of liberation of the oppressed. He has since published his thesis as a book available in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, entitled ''Die Kirche als Sakrament im Horizont der Welterfahrung''.
His brother is the theologian
Clodovis Boff.
Liberation theology
Boff became one of the best-known supporters (along with
Gustavo Gutiérrez
Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino (born 8 June 1928) is a Peruvian philosopher, Catholic theologian, and Dominican priest, regarded as one of the founders of Latin American liberation theology. He currently holds the John Cardinal O'Hara Professo ...
,
Juan Luis Segundo and
Jon Sobrino
Jon Sobrino (born 1938) is a Jesuit Catholic priest and theologian, known mostly for his contributions to Latin American liberation theology. He received worldwide attention in 2007 when the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ...
) of the early
liberation theologians
Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...
. He was present in the first reflections that sought to articulate indignation against poverty and marginalisation with a promissory discourse on
faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people often ...
, leading to
Latin American liberation theology. He continues to be a controversial figure in the
Catholic Church, primarily for his sharp criticism of the church's hierarchy, which he sees as "fundamentalist", but also for his political positions.
Political views
Boff is critical of secular power, as well of
American foreign policy
The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the ''Foreign Policy Agenda'' of the Department of State, are ...
. He opposed the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
and considered
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and
Ariel Sharon's leadership to be similar to that of "fundamentalist terrorist states". He also criticizes despotic rulers in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...
, saying: "Those
mirs and kingsare despotic, they do not even have a constitution. Though extremely rich, they maintain the people in poverty."
Boff has voiced his supported for the
, an organisation which advocates for democratic reform in the United Nations, and the creation of a more accountable international political system.
Secularisation
Authorities in the Roman Catholic Church did not consider Boff's views of the Church's leadership acceptable. They also saw his support of liberation theology as having "politicized everything" and reproached his proximity to
Marxism
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectica ...
. In 1985, the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible f ...
, directed at that time by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...
), silenced him for a year for his book ''Church: Charism and Power''. He later accused Ratzinger of "religious terrorism".
Boff was almost silenced again in 1992 by
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (Romulus and Remus, legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
...
, this time to prevent him from participating in the Eco-92
Earth Summit
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992.
Earth Su ...
in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, which finally led him to leave the
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
religious order and the priestly ministry.
Boff joined the international group of Catholic Scholars who in 2012 issued the
Jubilee Declaration on reform of authority in the Catholic Church.
For most of his life Boff has worked as a professor in the academic fields of
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
,
ethics
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some s ...
throughout Brazil and also as lecturer in many universities abroad such as
University of Lisbon
The University of Lisbon (ULisboa; pt, Universidade de Lisboa, ) is a public research university in Lisbon, and the largest university in Portugal. It was founded in 2013, from the merger of two previous public universities located in Lisbon, th ...
,
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities ...
,
University of Lund
, motto = Ad utrumque
, mottoeng = Prepared for both
, established =
, type = Public research university
, budget = SEK 9 billion [University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...]
,
University of Torino
The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...
and others.
Boff commented on the election of
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
in March 2013: "I am encouraged by this choice, viewing it as a pledge for a church of
simplicity
Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple. Something easy to understand or explain seems simple, in contrast to something complicated. Alternatively, as Herbert A. Simon suggests, something is simple or complex depending on the way we c ...
and of
ecological
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps w ...
ideals." He said the new pope was conservative in many respects but had liberal views on some subjects as well.
Works
* ''Evangelio del Cristo cósmico''. 2009.
* ''El águila y la gallina. Una metáfora de la condición humana''. Cuarta edición 2006.
* ''Ecología: grito de la Tierra, grito de los pobres''. Cuarta edición 2006.
* ''Femenino y masculino. Una nueva conciencia para el encuentro de las diferencias''. 2004.
* ''La voz del arco iris''. 2003.
* ''El cuidado esencial. Ética de lo humano, compasión por la Tierra''. 2002.
* Fundamentalismo. La globalización y el futuro de la humanidad. 2003.
* ''Mística y espiritualidad'', junto a
Frei Betto. Tercera edición 2002.
* ''Ética planetaria desde el Gran Sur''. 2001.
* ''Gracia y experiencia humana''. 2001.
* ''El despertar del águila''. 2000.
* ''La dignidad de la Tierra. Ecología, mundialización, espiritualidad''. 2000.
* ''La opción-Tierra: la solución para la tierra no cae del cielo''. 2008.
* ''Ecclesiogenesis: The Base Communities Reinvent the Church''. 1986.
* ''Church: Charism and Power''. 1985.
* ''Los sacramentos de la vida''. 1977.
References
External links
Official home page*
(in Portuguese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boff, Leonardo
1938 births
People from Concórdia, Santa Catarina
Brazilian people of German descent
Brazilian Friars Minor
20th-century Brazilian Roman Catholic priests
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni
Brazilian male writers
Catholic philosophers
Living people
Brazilian socialists
Dissident Roman Catholic theologians
Laicized Roman Catholic priests
Former members of Catholic religious institutes
Brazilian Christian socialists
Brazilian anti-poverty advocates
Liberation theologians
Christian radicals
Rio de Janeiro State University faculty
Catholic socialists
Christian socialist theologians
Catholicism and far-left politics
Brazilian people of Italian descent
Brazilian people of Venetian descent