Enrique Alvear Urrutia

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Enrique Alvear Urrutia

Enrique Alvear Urrutia (born January 31, 1916 in Cauquenes , † April 29, 1982 in Santiago de Chile ) was a Chilean bishop who was known as the "Bishop of the Poor".

Life

Enrique Alvear Urrutia was born the eighth of eleven children of Clorindo Alvear Zurita and Teodorinda Urrutia Pérez. He attended elementary school in his hometown and then the Luis Campino humanistic high school in Santiago de Chile . From 1934 he studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC). During a retreat with Carlos Casanueva Opazo, the rector of the PUC, he recognized his calling to the priestly service and entered the seminary of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile in 1936 . He was ordained a priest on September 20, 1941. Archbishop José María Caro Rodríguez appointed him spiritual , first at the Minor Seminary , then, as successor to Emilio Tagle Covarrubias , at the seminary of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile.

On March 4, 1963, Pope John XXIII appointed Enrique Alvear Urrutia at the request of the Bishop of Talca , Manuel Larraín Errázuriz , as auxiliary bishop in Talca and titular bishop of Columnata . He was ordained a bishop on April 21, 1963. As a motto he chose a verse from the Gospel of Luke ( Lk 4.18  EU ): “The Lord has sent me so that I may bring glad tidings to the poor.” (Spanish: El Señor me envió a evangelizar a los pobres ). He attended the second, third and fourth sessions of the Second Vatican Council . On June 7, 1965 he was appointed Bishop of San Felipe . After a serious pneumonia and a long recovery period, he was only able to carry out his duties with restrictions.

On February 9, 1974, he was relieved of duty as Bishop of San Felipe and appointed auxiliary bishop in Santiago de Chile and titular bishop of Sita . Archbishop Raúl Silva Henríquez entrusted him as Episcopal Vicar with responsibility initially for the eastern area ( Zona Oriente ), later for the western area ( Zona Oeste ) of the extensive archdiocese. He impressed his compatriots with his simple lifestyle, his commitment to the poor and his clear language that the "common people" understand. He defended the inhabitants of the slums, whose huts and houses should be "cleared" to make way for a modern Santiago. In the suburbs of the metropolis, he promoted the establishment of neighborhood committees, unemployed and homeless initiatives and human rights groups. During the rule of the dictator Augusto Pinochet , he called his crimes by name. When it became known that women and men were arbitrarily arrested, tortured, murdered or "disappeared", he made it public.

Enrique Alvear Urrutia died in 1982 at the age of only 66.

Commemoration

Enrique Alvear Urrutia is venerated by many Christians in Chile as an advocate for the poor and justice. Streets, schools, institutions and associations are named after him. During his 2018 visit to Chile , Pope Francis prayed at the bishop's tomb.

Beatification process

On March 9, 2012, Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati opened the process of beatification for Enrique Alvear Urrutia.

Fonts

  • The illegality of the Chilean military regime. A critical analysis of the Solidarity Vicariate of Santiago . In: Nuestra América. Journal for Latin American Culture and Politics , Vol. 1 (1976), No. 1, pp. 23-26.

literature

  • Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, Vicaría de la Solidaridad: El Señor me envió a evangelizar a los pobres. In memoriam Mons. Enrique Alvear Urrutia (= Colección Educatores para la Justicia , Vol. 2). Santiago de Chile 1983.
  • Ronaldo Muñoz: Nueva conciencia cristiana en un mundo globalizado: hermandad sin fronteras, desde los pobres, a contracorriente de la dominación del consumismo individualista y excluyente (De Medellín a Aparecida) . LOM ediciones, Santiago de Chile 2004, ISBN 978-956-00-0064-4 , therein Chapter 5: El Obispo de los pobres: la Iglesia y su misión en los escritos de D. Enrique Alvear , pp. 61-99.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, Vicaría de la Solidaridad: El Señor me envió a evangelizar a los pobres. In memoriam Mons. Enrique Alvear Urrutia . Santiago de Chile 1983, p. 13.
  2. ↑ Ronaldo Muñoz: Nueva conciencia cristiana en un mundo globalizado: hermandad sin fronteras, desde los pobres, a contracorriente de la dominación del consumismo individualista y excluyente (De Medellín a Aparecida) . LOM ediciones, Santiago de Chile 2004, p. 61.
  3. ↑ Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, Vicaría de la Solidaridad: El Señor me envió a evangelizar a los pobres. In memoriam Mons. Enrique Alvear Urrutia . Santiago de Chile 1983, p. 88.
  4. ↑ Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, Vicaría de la Solidaridad: El Señor me envió a evangelizar a los pobres. In memoriam Mons. Enrique Alvear Urrutia . Santiago de Chile 1983, pp. 90-117.
  5. ^ José Aldunate: Signos de los tiempos. Crónicas de una década en dictadura . LOM ediciones, Santiago de Chile 2004, ISBN 956-282-639-2 , p. 10.
  6. ↑ Enrique Alvear Urrutia: The illegality of the Chilean military regime. A critical analysis of the Solidarity Vicariate of Santiago . In: Nuestra América. Journal for Latin American Culture and Politics , Vol. 1 (1976), No. 1, pp. 23-26.
  7. ↑ Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, Vicaría de la Solidaridad: El Señor me envió a evangelizar a los pobres. In memoriam Mons. Enrique Alvear Urrutia . Santiago de Chile 1983, pp. 154-215.
  8. ↑ Solemne apertura del proceso de beatificación de obispo Enrique Alvear , accessed on January 15, 2018.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Alvear Urrutia, Enrique
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chilean bishop
DATE OF BIRTH January 31, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Cauquenes
DATE OF DEATH April 29, 1982
Place of death Santiago de Chile