An open letter to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Latin America (known by the Spanish acronym CELAM) released in June by Father Clodovis Boff spurred controversy among clergy members and theologians in Brazil.
Newsroom (03 July 2025, Gaudium Press ) An open letter penned by Father Clodovis Boff, a former luminary of Latin America’s Liberation Theology movement, has ignited a firestorm of debate among Brazil’s clergy and theologians. Released on June 13, the letter sharply criticizes the Episcopal Conference of Latin America (CELAM) for what Boff perceives as an overemphasis on social issues at the expense of spiritual and evangelical priorities.
The controversy erupted following CELAM’s general assembly in Rio de Janeiro in late May, where bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean issued a final message emphasizing the need for a “synodal Church” that fosters unity in a politically polarized region. The statement highlighted pressing challenges such as violence, poverty, inequality, corruption, democratic erosion, and secularization—issues that have long dominated the region’s ecclesiastical discourse.
Boff, once a leading figure in Liberation Theology alongside his brother Leonardo Boff, has since become a vocal critic of the movement. In his letter, he expressed frustration with CELAM’s focus, writing, “What good news did I read there? Forgive me for being so frank: None. You gentlemen, bishops of CELAM, always repeat the same old story: Social, social and social. And you have been doing so for 50 years.” He questioned when the bishops would proclaim “the good news from God, from Christ and from His Spirit,” urging a return to themes of grace, salvation, conversion, prayer, and devotion.
Boff argued that the secular world craves spirituality, yet the Church remains fixated on social activism. He contrasted the visibility of lay Catholics—who proudly display religious symbols like crucifixes—with clergy who, he claims, often eschew distinctive signs of their vocation. “Governments and NGOs are there to respond to ‘social outcries,’” Boff wrote. “The Church’s proper field of action is another and higher: responding precisely to the ‘outcry for God.’”
The letter also pointed to a perceived crisis in the Latin American Church, noting that several countries no longer have a Catholic majority. Boff criticized CELAM for neglecting vibrant spiritual movements, particularly the Charismatic Catholic Renewal, which he described as a beacon of hope filling churches and engaging youth. “While those expressions of spirituality and evangelization constitute the ecclesial group that most fills our churches, they did not deserve a single ‘hello’ in the Episcopal Message,” he lamented.
Boff’s letter has resonated widely, particularly among conservative and traditionalist Catholics, who hailed it as a bold call to refocus on “Christ-centrism.” However, it has also drawn sharp criticism, notably from Romero Venâncio, a professor at the Federal University of Sergipe and a former student of Boff’s. In a widely circulated essay, Venâncio accused Boff of abandoning Liberation Theology for a narrower, conservative worldview. He described Boff’s letter as appealing to “a select group of right-wing extremists” who oppose synodality, Pope Francis, and progressive ecclesiastical trends.
Venâncio also challenged Boff’s portrayal of the Charismatic Catholic Renewal, arguing that the movement has become fragmented over theological and administrative disputes, such as those affecting Brazil’s Canção Nova community. He further noted that CELAM’s current leadership, including Archbishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre, is seen as moderate and unaligned with Liberation Theology, undermining Boff’s characterization of the conference.
Sociologist Francisco Borba Ribeiro Neto, former head of São Paulo’s Pontifical Catholic University’s Faith and Culture Center, offered a more sympathetic view. He described Boff as a “naturally mystic man” seeking to restore the Church’s mystical dimension, which he believes has been lost to both traditionalist formalism and progressive sociopolitical focus. “He’s not saying that [the bishops] are too sociological,” Ribeiro Neto told Crux. “He’s saying that they’re lacking the mystical dimension.”
Ribeiro Neto also suggested that Pope Francis, often associated with social justice, shares a mystical vision that is widely misunderstood. He argued that Boff’s critique stems from frustration that the Church has not fully embraced Francis’s efforts to balance spiritual and social priorities.
The debate over Boff’s letter underscores deeper tensions within Latin America’s Catholic Church, as it navigates its role in a region marked by rapid secularization and social upheaval. While some see Boff’s call for spiritual renewal as a necessary corrective, others view it as a rejection of the Church’s historic commitment to justice and the poor. As the dust settles, CELAM’s bishops face the challenge of addressing these divergent visions while maintaining unity in an increasingly divided landscape.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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