Leonidas Eduardo Proaño Villalba (1910 in
San Antonio de Ibarra
San Antonio de Ibarra is a city in northern Ecuador that lies at the foot of the Imbabura Volcano and on the left bank of the Tahuando River in Imbabura Province. It is about from the provincial capital of Ibarra and about northeast of Ecuador ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
– 1988 in
Quito
Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...
, Ecuador) was an Ecuadorian
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
and
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. He served as the
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of
Riobamba
Riobamba (, full name San Pedro de Riobamba; Quechua: ''Rispampa'') is the capital of Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador, and is located in the Chambo River Valley of the Andes. It is south of Ecuador's capital Quito and located at an eleva ...
from 1954 to 1985. He was a candidate for the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
and is considered one of the most important figures in Ecuadorian
liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...
.
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''").
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.
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,
References
External links
Profile of Mons. Proaño''www.catholic-hierarchy.org''
''Leonidas Proaño: una obra emancipadora desde el territorio''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proano, Leonidas
1910 births
1988 deaths
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ecuador
Liberation theologians
People from Ibarra Canton
Roman Catholic bishops of Riobamba