The Pastoral Action of Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns in the Light of the Medellín Conference

Abstract

The Second General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate (CELAM) was held in Medellín, Colombia, from August 24 to September 6, 1968. It was convened by Pope Paul VI to apply the teachings of the Second Vatican Council to the needs of the Church present in Latin America. The central theme was about “the presence of the Church in the current transformation of Latin America, in the light of the Second Vatican Council”. However, more than applying the Council to Latin America, the Episcopate of CELAM makes a reinterpretation of Vatican II from the subcontinent, touching on major social and ecclesial issues of this diverse reality. Bishop Paulo Evaristo Arns (1921-2016) is elected Bishop after the Council and appointed Archbishop of São Paulo after Medellín. In this context, the following question arises: What ecclesial model Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns implanted in the Archdiocese of São Paulo based on the conclusions of Medellín? The main historical and theological elements of this Conference are recovered, highlighting its reception of the Second Vatican Council and how it was translated to the local Churches, alluding to the episcopate of Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns.