Leonardo Boff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonardo Boff
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Boff in 2003
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Genézio Darci Boff
14 December 1938 Concórdia, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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| Spouse(s) | Márcia Monteiro da Silva Miranda |
| Relatives | Clodovis Boff (brother) |
| Awards | Right Livelihood Award (in 2000) |
Leonardo Boff is a famous Brazilian thinker, writer, and former Catholic priest. He was born on December 14, 1938. He is well-known for supporting "liberation theology". This idea connects faith with helping poor and oppressed people.
He used to be a professor at the Rio de Janeiro State University. There, he taught about ethics, religion, and the environment. In 2001, he won the Right Livelihood Award. He received it for his work showing how human spirituality, social fairness, and caring for the Earth are all connected.
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Becoming a Priest
Leonardo Boff was born in 1938 in Concórdia, a city in Santa Catarina, Brazil. In 1959, he joined the Franciscan Order. This is a group of Catholic priests. He became a Catholic priest himself in 1964.
After that, he spent several years studying. He earned a special degree called a doctorate in theology and philosophy. He got this degree from the University of Munich in 1970. His brother, Clodovis Boff, is also a theologian.
What is Liberation Theology?
Leonardo Boff became one of the most important supporters of Latin American liberation theology. This idea started in Latin America. It tries to link religious faith with fighting against poverty and unfairness.
Boff believes that the Church should help people who are poor and treated unfairly. He has sometimes criticized the leaders of the Catholic Church. He believes their strict rules can be too harsh.
His Political Views
Boff also shares his opinions on politics. He has criticized the power of governments. He also disagreed with the American foreign policy. For example, he was against the Iraq War.
He has also spoken out against leaders in the Middle East. He said that some of these leaders are unfair to their people. Even if they are very rich, their people often live in poverty.
Boff supports a group that wants to create a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. This group wants the United Nations to be more democratic. They want a fairer international political system.
Leaving the Priesthood
The leaders of the Catholic Church did not always agree with Boff's ideas. They thought his support for liberation theology was too political. They also felt he was too close to Marxism, a political idea.
In 1985, a part of the Catholic Church called the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith told him to stop teaching for a year. This was because of his book Church: Charism and Power. The head of this group was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He later became Pope Benedict XVI. Boff later said Ratzinger used "religious terrorism" against him.
In 1992, the Church almost silenced him again. This was to stop him from joining a big environmental meeting. This meeting was called the Eco-92 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Because of this, Boff decided to leave the Franciscan religious order. He also stopped being a priest.
Even after leaving the priesthood, Boff continued to teach. He worked as a professor in Brazil and gave talks at many universities around the world. These included universities in Lisbon, Barcelona, and Oslo.
In March 2013, Pope Francis was elected. Boff said he was happy about this choice. He saw it as a sign for a simpler church. He also hoped it would be a church that cares more about the environment.
His Books
Leonardo Boff has written many books. Here are some of them:
- The Tao of Liberation: Exploring the Ecology of Transformation (2009)
- Evangelio del Cristo cósmico (2009)
- Ecología: grito de la Tierra, grito de los pobres (2006)
- El cuidado esencial. Ética de lo humano, compasión por la Tierra (2002)
- Fundamentalismo. La globalización y el futuro de la humanidad (2003)
- Ecclesiogenesis: The Base Communities Reinvent the Church (1986)
- Church: Charism and Power (1985)
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo Boff para niños
