Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, champion of the poor, dies aged 96

Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez, who has died aged 96, challenged the Church to reconsider its role in a world marked by social inequality and commit more fully to the defence of the weak.

By Joseph Tulloch

Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez was a pioneer of liberation theology, a movement advocating for social justice and the liberation of the poor.

He died during the night of Tuesday, October 22, at the age of 96.

Emerging in the 1960s as a response to massive social inequalities in Latin America, liberation theology emphasised that the Christian faith must tackle social issues of poverty and exclusion in order to remain credible.

Fr. Gutiérrez's 1971 book A Theology of Liberation was foundational to this movement and has deeply shaped theological thought in Latin America and beyond.

Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez

'Poverty is death'

Fr. Gutiérrez was born in Peru in 1928, and initially studied medicine before turning to philosophy, psychology, and theology.

He was ordained a priest in 1959 and entered the Dominican Order in 1999.

For decades, he taught at the Catholic University of Lima, focusing on the social challenges facing people in his homeland and across Latin America.

In an interview with Vatican Radio in 2015, Fr. Gutiérrez stressed that care for the poor is central to the Christian message.

"Poverty is death", he said, "it destroys people and families. The Church understands this better than in the past."

Listen to the interview with Fr Gutiérrez

'One of the greatest theologians of our time'

One of the most charming stories about Fr. Gutiérrez was his friendship with the German theologian Cardinal Gerhard Müller, one-time head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith—the same office that had once voiced its concern about aspects of liberation theology.

Cardinal Müller spoke to Vatican News about the death of his friend, whom he called “one of the great theologians of our time.”

Listen to the interview with Cardinal Müller

A challenge to the Church

Liberation theology had a far-reaching impact on the Catholic Church and on society. It challenged the Church to reconsider its role in a world marked by social inequality and commit more fully to defending the weak.

In this and in many other ways, Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez's legacy lives on.