Landázuri Ricketts, Juan (1913–1997)

Juan Landázuri Ricketts (b. 19 December 1913; d. 16 January 1997), archbishop of Lima and primate of Peru (1955–1988), cardinal (1962–1997). Landázuri led the Peruvian Catholic church through a period of transformation in that institution's understanding of its mission in society. A Franciscan, and considered a Church moderate, Landázuri championed the Church's commitment to the reform of social and economic structures. Enjoying great prestige among fellow bishops, he copresided over the Second Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) at Medellín, Colombia, in 1968 and served as the vice president of the Latin American Bishops' Council at the time of its third general conference in Puebla, Mexico (1979). Under his leadership, the Peruvian church distanced itself from the state and traditional elites, democratized church decision-making procedures, and turned its attention to organizing the poor. Though famous for his mediation skills, Landázuri's defense of the Liberation Theology of Gustavo Gutiérrez, a Peruvian priest, culminated in the 1980s in clashes with the Vatican and division among an increasingly conservative Peruvian hierarchy.

See alsoCatholic Church: The Modern Period; Conference of Latin American Bishops; Liberation Theology.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Catalino Romero, Iglesia en el Perú: Compromiso y renovación (1958–1984) (1987).

Penny Lernoux, People of God (1989), esp. pp. 98-102, 114-115.

Additional Bibliography

Figari, Luis Fernando. Horizontes de reconciliación. Lima: Vida et Espiritualidad, 2004.

                               Matthew J. O'Meagher