Frei Betto The Political-Pastoral Work of a Dominican Friar in Brazil and Beyond

The biography includes a preface by Cuban Commander Fidel Castro Frei Betto’s roles as a revolutionary Christian, popular educator, social movement articulator, and journalist/writer provide insight into the political and religious history not only of Brazil, but of Cuba and former socialist countries of Eastern Europe. His lifepath is one of engagement with the revolutionary struggle against the Brazilian military dictatorship in favor of social transformation. His arrest in 1969 for coordinating the safe departure of political militants from Brazil, and his concern to eliminate hunger and suffering from the poorer classes, were strong credentials as he promoted dialogue between political bodies, the religious establishment and the population at large. Strongly influenced by the propositions of Liberation Theology, a defining thread of its activities was to seek an understanding, an accommodation, between Christianity and socialism. Frei Betto’s biography is an invitation to understand five decades of a personal pursuit of revolutionary ideals through the prism of religious tolerance and the pursuit of socialism. The Portuguese edition was a finalist in the biography section of Jabuti – the prestigious national literary prize granted by the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL).

Evanize Martins Sydow, author of the biography of Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns and curator of the exhibition “Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, 95 Years.” Dr Sydow also coordinates a project on solidarity networks during military dictatorships in Latin America (Caritas Brasileira). Américo Oscar Guichard Freire is associate professor and researcher at the Center for Research and Documentation of Contemporary History of Brazil (CPDOC) of the Getulio Vargas Foundation.