Mariano Puga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mariano Puga |
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Puga speaking at a protest at Villa Grimaldi in 2019
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1959 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 25, 1931 Santiago, Chile |
| Died | March 14, 2020 (aged 88) Santiago, Chile |
| Nationality | Chilean |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Occupation | priest, human rights activist |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
Mariano Puga Concha (born April 25, 1931 – died March 14, 2020) was a special kind of Catholic priest from Chile. He was also a strong human rights defender. People often called him the "worker priest." This was because he worked as both a priest and a construction worker at the same time! He helped many people, including students and workers, and spoke up for human rights during a difficult time in Chile's history, when the country was ruled by a military government.
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Early Life of Mariano Puga
Mariano Puga was born in Santiago, Chile, into a wealthy family. He was one of seven brothers. His family had important ancestors, including Mateo de Toro Zambrano. His father, Mariano Puga Vega, was once Chile's ambassador to the United States. His mother, Elena Concha Subercaseaux, was related to the founder of the famous Chilean wine company, Concha y Toro.
Mariano spent some of his childhood in London, England, where his family lived for a while. When he returned to Chile, he went to a special school called The Grange School. Later, he studied architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
A New Path: From Architecture to Priesthood
While studying architecture, Mariano and his friends helped people in a very poor area of Santiago. This experience showed him how much extreme poverty existed. It made him want to help others in a different way.
Because of this, Mariano decided to stop studying architecture after he graduated. Instead, he chose to become a priest. He joined the Diocesan Seminary and became a priest in 1959. That same year, he went to Paris to study more about church services. He also studied in Italy and Belgium, earning a special degree in Moral Theology. This allowed him to teach theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Mariano Puga and the Military Government
In late 1972, Mariano Puga moved to a mining town called Chuquicamata. There, he worked with miners and saw how some companies treated their workers unfairly. The next year, in 1973, a military coup took over Chile. The president, Salvador Allende, was removed, and Augusto Pinochet became the country's leader.
Mariano Puga strongly believed in helping the poor and supported ideas of Socialism. Because of his strong views, he was asked to leave his role in Chuquicamata. Even though the church leader, Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez, also had some similar ideas, he felt Mariano was too outspoken.
Speaking Up for Human Rights
During the military government, Mariano Puga tried many times to enter the National Stadium in Santiago. This stadium was used as a place where political prisoners were held. However, he was never allowed inside.
In June 1974, Mariano Puga was arrested while he was preaching. He was taken to well-known prisons like Villa Grimaldi and Tres Álamos. He said this was the worst of the seven times he was arrested during the military rule. He spoke about the difficult experiences prisoners faced there.
Many people, even some Catholics, did not want to be associated with Mariano Puga because of his activism. To support himself, he worked part-time as a painter for churches, schools, and hardware stores. This allowed him to continue his important work for human rights.
Meeting with Leaders
In the 1980s, Mariano Puga managed to meet with Augusto Pinochet, the leader of the military government. Mariano bravely told him about the human rights problems happening in Chile. He said, "I have seen tortured victims, missing people, and searches and seizures, general. If I keep my mouth shut on that, Jesus will turn his back on me." Soon after this meeting, Mariano was sent away to Peru for a few months.
When Pope John Paul II visited Chile in 1987, Mariano Puga met with him. He urged the Pope to do more to help the people of Chile and bring attention to their situation.
Death of Mariano Puga
Mariano Puga passed away on March 14, 2020. He had been battling lymphatic cancer for a long time.
See also
In Spanish: Mariano Puga para niños
