Pope Francis draws inspiration from the Latin American Church and its martyrs

The election of Pope Leo marks a historic moment: the first pope of an English-speaking country and the first pope of the United States. I think that even more important than these "firsts" is the "second": Leo follows Pope Francis' footsteps and is a pastor shaped by the Latin American church.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the new pope served the church in Peru. Francis returned to the bishop of the northern city of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, and today Catholics are happy for one of his own elections, “Un Papa Chiclayano.”

As a Catholic theologian, I believe the decision of the Cardinal College to elect another Pope who has close ties to Latin America reaffirms the continent’s sense of mission for the global church: to be a church that defends marginalization and unites with the oppressed.

This vision is embodied by numerous Catholics on the mainland who have devoted their lives over the past 50 years to fight repression, violence and poverty – the most famous St. Oscar Romero, whom Francis defeated in May 2015.

After a careful study of the puzzles of Latin America, I think Francis’s purpose was inspired at least by the examples of these martyrs. His decision to formally recognize this form of mart difficulty, which adds to the legacy that many Latin American Catholics want Leo to continue.

"The Poor Church"

The Second Vatican Council was a series of bishops' meetings from around the world held between 1962 and 65, and carried out many reforms in the Catholic Church, including greater attention to the poor and the vulnerable. During the Council, a group of bishops gathered in the tomb of San Domitilla and signed an agreement to abandon wealth and privilege and become the "church of the poor."

Many of these bishops came from Latin America, and in 1968, the Latin American Bishops' Conference met to implement the Council's reforms. The documents that appeared in the meeting in Medellín, Colombia encouraged intimacy with those living in poverty and would promote the promotion of justice and peace at the heart of the church’s mission to preach the gospel. They particularly emphasized the church’s appeal to help the oppressed escape the unjust social structures that cause poverty and violence.

An old man in a white robe kneels on the floor, holding a small basin and kissing a young man's feet with shorts and a T-shirt. — Pope Francis, who was then the cardinal, kissed a man in the foot in the crowd, and the young man tried to overcome his drug addiction in 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AP Photos

Not all Latin American bishops have accepted the vision of the church’s mission. However, many attach great importance to the solidarity call that condemns economic injustice and human rights violations. These bishops and other socially dedicated Christians promoted land reform, agricultural cooperatives, workers’ rights, and reasons for access to health care and education.

At that time, inequality in many Latin American countries, military dictatorship and violent political repression. These regimes, many of which are supported by the United States, often label any opposition as "communist" and threatens national security.

Some bishops of Latin America, as well as many pastors, nuns and lay bishops, gave their commitment to justice and peace for the promises inspired by their faith. In the late 20th century, thousands of Christians were assassinated because they fought for the rights of the poor, or they opposed oligarchs by hoarding wealth, land and power. Others condemned the military regime for massacre, torture and “disappear” civilians, and were targeted.

In certain sectors of Latin American Catholicism, these women and men are remembered as “martyrs”: like Jesus of Nazareth, people gave their lives to follow what they saw as God’s empowerment, speak the sympathy of truth and practice, justice and peace.

Pope's approval

During Francis' religious activities, he formally recognized several of the Christians as martyrs, turning their Christmas careers toward victory and obligations. Beatification formally declares that a person is “blessed” and allows them to be respected locally, while the obligation to make them the entire saints of the church around the world.

A group of young men holding bright paintings, each walking outside, each depicting a man wearing a priest's robe. — Students raised art depicting the murdered Archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Romero, who walked to the church in San Salvador and were shot. AP Photos/Salvador Melendez

Bishop Enriqueángel Angelelli, for example, was assassinated in 1976 for poverty and defense of workers' rights during the dirty war in Argentina, a state terrorism campaign against military critics. Francis declared him a martyr in 2018. Angelelli was beaten the following year with two pastors and an uninitiated leader from the same province, who were equally saddened a few weeks ago.

Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero is also committed to defending the poor in El Salvador, amid armed conflicts before the El Salvador Civil War. In his Sunday Homilies, he named those who were imprisoned, tortured and disappeared by military and paramilitary forces and drew challenges in the gospel and church teaching to challenge the violence and oppression of the day.

His promotion of human rights and his demand for military “stop pressure” led to his assassination of him during the celebration of Mass on March 24, 1980. Francis declared Romero a martyr and defeated him in 2015, then approved him in 2018.

A man in a white robe, cloak and skull looked at the poster of a priest in a black robe, held by two other men. — Pope Francis watched the image of Roman Catholic Archbishop Romero in a private audience in the Vatican in 2015. Rome Observer/Pool Photos via AP

These actions gave leaders such as Angelelli and Romero how to embody the mission of the church at their own time and place. But Francis' recognition also goes more broadly about how the church should be linked to the world's "power and principality." Francis continued the promise of these martyrs by standing with the “peripheral” people: washing the feet of prisoners, defending the rights of immigrants and demands of the earth.

martyr

In the 21st century, care for the earth is producing a new generation of martyrs, such as Angelelli and Romero. Land and environmental defenders in Latin America and around the world have been assassinated for mitigating the hazards of industries such as fossil fuel extraction, mining, logging, ranch and more.

In September 2024, Francis expressed his understanding of this phenomenon, when he lamented Juan Antonio López. López is an amateur Catholic leader in Honduras, whose faith inspired him to defend local communities, land and rivers from exploitation from oxidation pits.

The Latin American Bishops' Conference has noticed the revival of this violent persecution. In December 2024, it launched a campaign called Life is hanging on the thread, promoting solidarity with the work of ecological and human rights defenders such as López.

As a former vice president of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, Pope Leo is likely to be aware of the movement and the violence that hopes to disarm.

The new pope has a close relationship with Francis, and Francis' legacy is vaguely visible. However, the main inspiration for this legacy is the testimony of Latin American Christians whose blood bleeds for justice, peace and the environment.

Only time can tell whether the leader of this new pope continues to be with Francis’ words that the world is considered “disposable” people.