Bishop, Theologian Debate "Indian Theology" in Mexico
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 8, 01 (CWNews.com) - A Mexican bishop and
a theologian engaged in an unexpected debate on Thursday
when they expressed opposing views regarding the history of
evangelization during the 11th Conference of Indian Pastoral
Agents.
Father Eleazar Lopez Martinez, president of Mexico's
National Center for Support to Indian Missions (CENAMI) and
a strong supporter of "Indian Theology," said: "The Church
has completely forgotten the Indian people in the past 500
years."
Addressing the 450 priests, religious, and catechists from
Mexico, the US, Guatemala, and Bolivia, Father Lopez
Martinez also said that the Church "has taken an active
role in offending, stealing, oppressing, and exterminating"
Native Americans.
Bishop Carlos Suarez Cazares of the Mexican Diocese of
Zamora, responded, saying: "Despite its limitations and
sins, the first evangelization of the people in America is
a universal model," and recalled Catholic personalities
such as Bishops Vasco de Quiroga, Bartolome de las Casas,
and Toribio de Mogrovejo, who "willingly gave their lives
for bringing the Gospel to the needy."
"The first missionaries discovered the way to integrate
this culture with the Christian perspective," he said. "No
one, neither those in the past nor us now, can preach
another Gospel than the one of Jesus Christ," he added.
The so-called "Indian Theology" has been a source of
controversy among Catholic leaders. Even Pope John Paul II
took part in the controversy when he said during his trip
to Mexico in 1999: "Many today think to replace Liberation
Theology with Indian Theology, which would be another
version of Marxism. But I think that the solution is in
solidarity."
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February 11, 2001
volume 12, no. 42
News from the Universal Church
www.DailyCatholic.org
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