Encuentro Nacional Hispano de Pastoral (1972-1985): An Historical and Ecclesiological Analysis

Degree awarded: S.T.D. Systematic Theology. The Catholic University of AmericaThis dissertation presents a history of, and ecclesiological reflections on, the three Encuentros Nacionales Hispanos de Pastoral (1972, 1977, 1985) sponsored by the U.S. Roman Catholic bishops. The historical section, consisting of six chapters, devotes two chapters to each Encuentro: the first chapter of each pair is a historical presentation of the antecedents, planning, and implementation of that particular Encuentro; the following chapter discusses the recommendations and describes the subsequent impact of that Encuentro. The historical analysis of the Encuentros--which utilized published material, archival texts, and interviews with seventeen participants--highlighted the grassroots participation that was an important part of the Encuentros as well as the involvement and response of U.S. bishops. At the time of the Encuentros, many U.S. bishops expressed their interest in shared responsibility in the Church, as exemplified in Call to Action (1975-1976) and the proposed creation of a National Pastoral Council. This dissertation also identified several significant ecclesiological themes that surfaced during and following each Encuentro: a Church committed to evangelization, missionary work, justice and community; a Church promoting ecclesial coresponsibility, dialogue, and synodality through a pastoral de conjunto; a Church concerned for the ecclesial formation of Hispanics as well as for the family, the poor, young people, and women. The Encuentros exemplified a communion ecclesiology that balances the Church's unity and diversity in accord with Hispanic cultural pluralism; the Encuentros utilized an inductive methodology that focused on the sensus fidelium as expressed in religiosidad popular and on a U.S. Catholic Church where Hispanics seek not only responsibility, but also formation, evangelization, and conversion.Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T16:22:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tampe_cua_0043A_10487display.pdf: 14327078 bytes, checksum: b1b055e9f894c9ec93efc4bdb2c2da76 (MD5