Leonidas Proaño

Leonidas Proaño
Bishop of Diocese of Riobamba
Church Roman Catholic Church
See Diocese of Riobamba
In office 1955 - 1985
Predecessor Alberto Maria Ordóñez Crespo
Successor Victor Alejandro Corral Mantilla
Orders
Ordination 29 June 1936
Consecration 26 May 1954
by Cardinal Opilio Rossi
Personal details
Born 29 January 1910
San Antonio de Ibarra,  Ecuador
Died 31 August 1988
Quito,  Ecuador
Nationality  Ecuadorian
Coat of arms
Styles of
Leonidas Proaño
Reference style The Most Reverend
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Monsignor
Posthumous style none

Leonidas Eduardo Proaño Villalba (1910 in San Antonio de Ibarra, Ecuador – 1988 in Quito, Ecuador) was an Ecuadorian priest and theologian. He served as the bishop of Riobamba from 1954 to 1985. He was a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize and is considered one of the most important figures in Ecuadorian liberation theology.[1]

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").[2]

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.

In 1985, he renounced the bishopric and was named president of the Pastoral Indígena.[3]

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, Pedro Casaldáliga, Ed. El Conejo

References

  1. ↑ "Leonidas Proaño Villalba". diccionariobiograficoecuador.com. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Il marxismo, la teologia della liberazione e l'effetto di sdoppiamento". lacinarossa.net. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Taita Proaño". santantonio.org. Il Messaggero di Sant'Antonio. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Alberto Maria Ordóñez Crespo		 Bishop of Bolívar
1954-1955 -		 Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
-		 Bishop of Riobamba
1955 - 1985		 Succeeded by
Victor Alejandro Corral Mantilla
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