Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Montevideo (Agenzia Fides) – Alberto Methol Ferre, South American Catholic intellectual, has passed away in Montevideo. He was 80 years old, born March 31, 1929. He started his studies in Montevideo, then studied law and philosophy at the University of the Republic. Studied in depth the great Fathers of the South America: San Martín, Artigas, Bolivar. Adhered to the cause of the "Generation of 1900s,' supporting the idea of building a Great Catholic Latin American nation. He was called to work as Secretary of the Department of Laity, then was a member of the steering group of CELAM Pastoral Theology from 1974 to 1982. He collaborated formulating and drafting the so-called Puebla Document. At that time, he also traveled throughout Latin America, giving lectures, invited by the various centers of Catholic formation. He criticized liberation theology, but also criticized the position of those Catholics who, after having abolished this theology, have forgotten the poor. He was a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity from 1980 to 1984.
He published several works, including: "La Crisis del Uruguay y el Imperio Británico, El Uruguay como problema", "Geopolitics de la Cuenca del Plata" "Historia de la Iglesia en América Latina", "Perón y la alianza argentino -Brasileña "," La América Latina del Siglo XXI ". Just 2 weeks ago, he had presented his latest work "Continentales Los Estados y el Mercosur" in Montevideo. Here is an excerpt from a speech given by A. Methol Ferré in 2002: "Every generation needs to leave a new message, responding to a new historical need, and I want to propose this idea: the intellectual and moral unity of Latin America. ...Looking at history, we can see that the whole of South America was the Spanish colony (Virreinato) of Peru. Those of us from Uruguay were Peruvians until 1776, something which we have for the most part forgotten. Back then we were all Peruvians, from north to south." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 18/11/2009)
