Gustavo Gutiérrez Honored with Peace Award

 “The denunciation of injustice implies the rejection of the use of Christianity to legitimize the established order.”

“[Neighbor is] not he whom I find in my path, but rather he in whose path I place myself, he whom I approach and actively seek.”  Father Gustavo Gutiérrez

Dominican Father Gustavo Gutiérrez, pioneer of the Liberation Theology movement, recently received the Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) award at a ceremony at Christ the King Chapel at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. The award was created in 1964 to commemorate Pope John XXIII's 1963 encyclical letter Pacem in terris (Peace on Earth). The award honors individuals for their achievements in peace and justice, not only in their country but in the world."

Rev. Gutiérrez, the 44th recipient of the Pacem in Terris award since its inception,is considered by many to be the father of liberation theology, based on his 1971 work, A Theology of Liberation.

The award was  first given to author John Howard Griffin and posthumously to President John F. Kennedy.

It is not enough for for people to simply serve the poor, one must be in a relationship with the poor," the Peruvian native said  after accepting the award. "To truly serve the poor, one must be in a relationship with the poor," he said.    Read more excerpts of his reflections in GoodReads

Father Gutiérrez had been approved for the honor for two years, but for various reasons he was not able to travel to Davenport until now, the Rev. Chuck Adam, chaplain and director of campus ministry at St. Ambrose, told The Quad City Times.