Records of the Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano de Cristianos por el Socialismo (PELCS), circa 1971 -- 1973
Collection context
- Creator:
- Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano de Cristianos por el Socialismo (Location of meeting: Santiago, Chile). Date of meeting or treaty signing: (1972 :.)
- Abstract:
- The Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano de Cristianos por el Socialismo was a conference organized by a group of 80 Chilean priests (known as "Las Ochenta" and later as "Cristianos por el Socialismo"). The primary goals of the conference were to unite Latin American Christian groups across the church's hierarchical and denominational divides and to foster the integration of Christian and socialist ideologies. The PELCS records consist of reports, correspondence, publications, and other materials relating to the conference, including essays on the conference's 10 themes: 1. Underdevelopment, dependence and the transition to socialism in Latin America; 2. Mobilization of the masses; 3. Conditions for a strategic alliance between Christians and Marxists; 4. Ideology and religion, cultural revolution and the Christian faith; 5. Class struggle, ethical positions and obstacles for Christians; 6. Christian institutions and ideology, a critical evaluation; 7. Political action and faith, liberation theology; 8. Popular parties, unions, and pragmatic Christianity; 9. Field-labor movements and church initiatives; 10. The middle class, women in the revolution, and the Christian factor.
- Extent:
- 1 linear foot 1 linear foot; 2 boxes
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian , English .
- Scope and content:
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This collection contains reports, correspondences, publications, and other materials relating to the PELCS congress. The majority of documents are in Spanish. English translations of the conference's final report are included. The bulk of the materials were created in preparation for PELCS. This includes reports on socialist movements in various Latin American countries; dispatches from the executive secretary of the PELCS, William Redington; and in-depth essays on the ten áreas (themes) of the conference as follows: I. Underdevelopment, dependence, and the transition to socialism in Latin America. II. Mobilization of the masses. III. Conditions for a strategic alliance between Christians and Marxists. IV. Ideology and religion: Cultural Revolution and the Christian faith. V. Class struggle: ethical positions and obstacles for Christians. VI. Christian institutions and ideology: a critical evaluation. VII. Political action and faith: liberation theology. VIII. Popular parties, unions, and pragmatic Christianity. IX. Field-labor movements and church initiatives. X. The middle class, women in the revolution, and the Christian factor.
- Biographical / historical:
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The Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano de Cristianos por el Socialismo (PELCS) represents the concerted efforts of eighty Chilean priests whose socialist commitments drew followers from throughout Latin America. Originally dubbed Las Ochenta (the eighty), this group issued a 1971 manifesto supporting the socialist movements in Chile. One year later, the group had changed its name to Cristianos por el Socialismo and had expanded their group's vision to include laity, women religious, and Protestants. They called for the first "encounter" of Christian socialists to take place in Santiago, Chile in April of that year. PELCS had two primary goals. First, this conference aimed to unite Christian groups across the church's hierarchical and denominational divides. Thus, attendees included Roman Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, laity, and women religious. In doing so, the PELCS sought to create a broad commitment to the liberation of Latin American people from economic dependence on capitalist countries. They argued that such dependence had resulted in Latin America's state of underdevelopment. The second goal of the PELCS concerned the integration of Christian and socialist ideologies. In doing so, conference leaders sought to provide a rationale by which Christians could understand their faith as a basis for participation in the liberation struggles taking place. The PELCS conference was deliberately held at the same time (and across the street from) the United Nation's Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). An article from The Christian Century noted that those attending the PELCS were "constantly aware of the nearby UNCTAD sessions, whose call for developed nations to assist underdeveloped nations sharply contrasted with the socialist Christians' conviction that prolonging dependency and underdevelopment in the Third World is necessary to developed nations, and that development programs serve only to maintain such relations and conditions." The conference drew more than 450 attendees including various organizations such as Third World Priests of Argentina, the Golconda Movement of Columbia, and Church and Society in Latin America (ISAL). Many of the attending laypersons were fieldworkers living in base communities.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
- Terms of access:
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Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
- Preferred citation:
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Item description, MRL 9: Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano de Cristianos por el Socialismo (PELCS) Records, 1971-1973, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
- Location of this collection:
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