Leonidas Eduardo Proaño Villalba (1910–1988) was an Ecuadorian

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

who was born in San Antonio de Ibarra and died in

Quito Quito (; ), officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city, capital and second-largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha Province, P ...

. He served as the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

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 located south of Ecuador's capital Quito and situated at ...

from 1954 to 1985. He was a candidate for the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

and is considered one of the most important figures in Ecuadorian liberation theology.

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 Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People * Guillermo Amador (born 1974), American musician *Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanis ...

. 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