Leonidas Eduardo Proaño Villalba (1910 in

San Antonio de Ibarra San Antonio de Ibarra is a city in northern Ecuador that lies at the foot of the Imbabura Volcano and on the left bank of the Tahuando River in Imbabura Province. It is about from the provincial capital of Ibarra and about northeast of Ecuad ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

– 1988 in

Quito Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley on ...

, Ecuador) was an Ecuadorian

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

and

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 ...

. He served as the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

Riobamba Riobamba (, full name San Pedro de Riobamba; Quechua: ''Rispampa'') is the capital of Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador, and is located in the Chambo River Valley of the Andes. It is south of Ecuador's capital Quito and located at an ele ...

from 1954 to 1985. He was a candidate for the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...

and is considered one of the most important figures in Ecuadorian

liberation theology 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". I ...

Biography

Proaño was ordained as a priest in 1936 and soon became interested in the latest trends Catholic social doctrine. Within the Ibarra diocese, he created the Juventud Obrera Cristiana (Christian Youth Workers). He was named bishop of Riobamba in 1954. From his cathedral in Riobamba, he fought constantly to introduce social justice in relations with indigenous people and to promote indigenous access to public life and political power (he thus became known as "''the bishop of the Indians''"). He enthusiastically adopted the thesis of liberation theology. In 1960, he created the Escuelas Radiofónicas Populares, with a clear educational goal. In 1962, he created the Center of Studies and Social Action to aid the development of indigenous communities. In 1973, he was accused of guerrilla warfare and had to stand trial in Rome, but he was cleared of all charges. In 1976, he was jailed during the dictatorship of

Guillermo Rodríguez Lara Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People * Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player *Guillermo Ar ...

. In 1985, he renounced the bishopric and was named president of the Pastoral Indígena.

Writings

* ''Rupito'' (1953) * ''Creo en el Hombre y en la Comunidad'' (1977) * ''El Evangelio Subversivo'' (1987) * ''Concienciación, Evangelización y Política'' (1987).

Bibliography

* ''Leonidas Proaño: el obispo de los pobres'', 1989, Francisco Enríquez Bermeo,

References

External links

Profile of Mons. Proaño
''www.catholic-hierarchy.org''
''Leonidas Proaño: una obra emancipadora desde el territorio''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proano, Leonidas 1910 births 1988 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ecuador Liberation theologians People from Ibarra Canton Roman Catholic bishops of Riobamba