Ernesto Cardenal
Encyclopedia
Reverend Father Ernesto Cardenal Martínez (born January 20, 1925) is a Nicaraguan
Catholic priest
and was one of the most famous liberation theologians
of the Nicaragua
n Sandinistas, a party he has since left. From 1979 to 1987 he served as Nicaragua's first culture minister. He is also famous as a poet
. Cardenal was also the founder of the primitivist art community in the Solentiname Islands
, where he lived for more than ten years (1965–1977).
, Cardenal is a first cousin of Pablo Antonio Cuadra
. He studied literature first in Managua
and from 1942 to 1946 in Mexico
. Later, from 1947 to 1949, he continued his studies in New York
and traveled through Italy
, Spain
and Switzerland
between 1949 and 1950.
In July 1950, he returned to Nicaragua, where he participated in the 1954 "April Revolution" against Anastasio Somoza García
's regime. The coup d'état failed and ended with the deaths of many of his associates. Cardenal subsequently entered the Trappist
Monastery of Gethsemani (Kentucky
, United States
), under the other poet-priest Thomas Merton
, but in 1959 he left to study theology
in Cuernavaca
, Mexico.
Cardenal was ordained a Catholic priest in 1965 in Granada.http://www.curbstone.org/authdetail.cfm?AuthID=39 He went to the Solentiname Islands
where he founded a Christian, almost monastic, mainly peasant community, which eventually led to the founding of the artists' colony. It was there that the famous book El Evangelio de Solentiname ("The Gospel of Solentiname") was written. Cardenal collaborated closely with the Marxist Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional
(Sandinista National Liberation Front, or FSLN), in working to overthrow Anastasio Somoza Debayle
's régime.
Many members of the community of Solentiname engaged with the process of the Revolution, in the guerrilla warfare that the FSLN had developed to strike at the regime. 1977 was a crucial year to Cardenal's community since Somoza's National Guard, as a result from an attack to the headquarters stationed in the city of San Carlos
, a few miles from the community, raided Solentiname and burned it to the ground, with Cardenal fleeing to Costa Rica
. On 19 July 1979, immediately after the Fall of Managua
, he was named Minister of Culture by the new Sandinista regime. He occupied this office until 1987, when his ministry was closed owing to economic reasons. When Pope John Paul II
visited Nicaragua in 1983, he openly scolded Cardenal, who knelt before him, on the Managua airport runway, for resisting his order to resign from the government. The Pope
admonished Cardenal: Usted tiene que arreglar sus asuntos con la Iglesia ("You must make good your dealings with the Church").
Cardenal left the FSLN in 1994, protesting the authoritarian direction of the party under Daniel Ortega
but insists that he has retained his leftist opinions. He is a member of the Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista (or MRS / Sandinist Renovation Movement) that participated in the 2006 Nicaraguan General Elections (the formula was Edmundo Jarquín
, president / Carlos Mejía Godoy
, vicepresident). Days before the election, Cardenal stated, in a clear reference to his dispute with Ortega, that "I think it would be more desirable an authentic capitalism, as Montealegre's (Eduardo Montealegre
, the presidential candidate for Alianza Liberal Nicaragüense
) would be, than a false Revolution".
He is also a member of the board of advisers of the pan-Latin America
n TV station teleSUR
.
Cardenal has been for a long time a polemical figure of Nicaragua's literature and cultural history. He has been described as "the most important poet right now in Latin America", politically and poetically, he's been a very vocal figure of Nicaragua, and a valid key to analyze and understand the contemporaneous literary and cultural life of Nicaragua.
During a short visit to India he came in touch with a group of writers called the Hungry generation
হাংরি আন্দোলন and had a profound influence on them.
in 1980.
He won the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in November 1990.
He was nominated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in May 2005.
He participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions
project in 2007.
Nicaraguan
Nicaraguans are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage from Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans live in Nicaragua, although there is also a significant Nicaraguan diaspora, particularly in Costa Rica and the United States with smaller communities in other countries around the world...
Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and was one of the most famous liberation theologians
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
of the Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n Sandinistas, a party he has since left. From 1979 to 1987 he served as Nicaragua's first culture minister. He is also famous as a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. Cardenal was also the founder of the primitivist art community in the Solentiname Islands
Solentiname Islands
The Solentiname Islands are an archipelago towards the southern end of Lake Nicaragua in the Nicaraguan department of Río San Juan...
, where he lived for more than ten years (1965–1977).
Early life
Born into an upper class family in Granada, NicaraguaGranada, Nicaragua
Granada is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department. With an estimated population of 110,326 , it is Nicaragua's fourth most populous city. Granada is historically one of Nicaragua's most important cities, economically and politically...
, Cardenal is a first cousin of Pablo Antonio Cuadra
Pablo Antonio Cuadra
Pablo Antonio Cuadra was a Nicaraguan essayist, art and literary critic, playwright, graphic artist and one of the most famous poets of Nicaragua.-Early life and career:...
. He studied literature first in Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
and from 1942 to 1946 in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Later, from 1947 to 1949, he continued his studies in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and traveled through Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
between 1949 and 1950.
In July 1950, he returned to Nicaragua, where he participated in the 1954 "April Revolution" against Anastasio Somoza García
Anastasio Somoza García
Anastasio Somoza García was officially the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1937 to 1 May 1947 and from 21 May 1950 to 29 September 1956, but ruled effectively as dictator from 1936 until his assassination.-Biography:Somoza was born in San Marcos, Carazo Department in Nicaragua, the son of...
's regime. The coup d'état failed and ended with the deaths of many of his associates. Cardenal subsequently entered the Trappist
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
Monastery of Gethsemani (Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), under the other poet-priest Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
, but in 1959 he left to study theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
, Mexico.
Cardenal was ordained a Catholic priest in 1965 in Granada.http://www.curbstone.org/authdetail.cfm?AuthID=39 He went to the Solentiname Islands
Solentiname Islands
The Solentiname Islands are an archipelago towards the southern end of Lake Nicaragua in the Nicaraguan department of Río San Juan...
where he founded a Christian, almost monastic, mainly peasant community, which eventually led to the founding of the artists' colony. It was there that the famous book El Evangelio de Solentiname ("The Gospel of Solentiname") was written. Cardenal collaborated closely with the Marxist Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
(Sandinista National Liberation Front, or FSLN), in working to overthrow Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle was a Nicaraguan leader and officially the 73rd and 76th President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was de facto ruler of the country from 1967 to 1979...
's régime.
Many members of the community of Solentiname engaged with the process of the Revolution, in the guerrilla warfare that the FSLN had developed to strike at the regime. 1977 was a crucial year to Cardenal's community since Somoza's National Guard, as a result from an attack to the headquarters stationed in the city of San Carlos
San Carlos, Río San Juan
San Carlos is the capital city of the municipality of San Carlos and of the Río San Juan Department of Nicaragua. The city proper has a population of roughly 12,174, while the city and surrounding communities contain 37,461 as of 2005. San Carlos is positioned on the confluence of Lake Nicaragua...
, a few miles from the community, raided Solentiname and burned it to the ground, with Cardenal fleeing to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. On 19 July 1979, immediately after the Fall of Managua
Nicaraguan Revolution
The Nicaraguan Revolution encompasses the rising opposition to the Somoza dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s, the campaign led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front which led to the violent ousting of that dictatorship in 1979, and the...
, he was named Minister of Culture by the new Sandinista regime. He occupied this office until 1987, when his ministry was closed owing to economic reasons. When Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
visited Nicaragua in 1983, he openly scolded Cardenal, who knelt before him, on the Managua airport runway, for resisting his order to resign from the government. The Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
admonished Cardenal: Usted tiene que arreglar sus asuntos con la Iglesia ("You must make good your dealings with the Church").
Cardenal left the FSLN in 1994, protesting the authoritarian direction of the party under Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
but insists that he has retained his leftist opinions. He is a member of the Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista (or MRS / Sandinist Renovation Movement) that participated in the 2006 Nicaraguan General Elections (the formula was Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín is a Nicaraguan politician. He was the vice presidential running-mate of Herty Lewites, who was the presidential candidate for the MRS Sandinista Renovation Movement in the 2006 elections until his death on July 2, 2006. Edmundo Jarquín became the presidential candidate for the...
, president / Carlos Mejía Godoy
Carlos Mejía Godoy
Carlos Mejía Godoy is a Nicaraguan musician, composer and singer. He was born in Somoto, Madriz. Son of Carlos Mejía Fajardo and María Elsa Godoy, his brother Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy, three years younger than he is, is also an acclaimed and much-loved musician. Carlos and Luis Enrique were...
, vicepresident). Days before the election, Cardenal stated, in a clear reference to his dispute with Ortega, that "I think it would be more desirable an authentic capitalism, as Montealegre's (Eduardo Montealegre
Eduardo Montealegre
Eduardo Montealegre is a Nicaraguan politician. He ran for president in the 2006 general election as the candidate of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance a spin-off of the Constitutional Liberal Party in alliance with other liberal parties and the Conservative Party...
, the presidential candidate for Alianza Liberal Nicaragüense
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
The Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance is a political party in Nicaragua. It was started in 2005 by Eduardo Montealegre and other members of the Constitutional Liberal Party who opposed former President of the country Arnoldo Alemán's continued control of the PLC even after he had been found guilty of...
) would be, than a false Revolution".
He is also a member of the board of advisers of the pan-Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n TV station teleSUR
TeleSUR
La Nueva Televisora del Sur is a pan-Latin American terrestrial and satellite television network headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela. TeleSUR was launched with the objective of providing information to promote the integration of Latin America....
.
Cardenal has been for a long time a polemical figure of Nicaragua's literature and cultural history. He has been described as "the most important poet right now in Latin America", politically and poetically, he's been a very vocal figure of Nicaragua, and a valid key to analyze and understand the contemporaneous literary and cultural life of Nicaragua.
During a short visit to India he came in touch with a group of writers called the Hungry generation
Hungry generation
The Hungry Generation was a literary movement in the Bengali language launched by what is known today as the Hungryalist quartet i.e. Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roychoudhury and Debi Roy alias Haradhon Dhara, during the 1960s in Kolkata, India...
হাংরি আন্দোলন and had a profound influence on them.
Recognition
Cardenal received the Peace Prize of the German Book TradePeace Prize of the German Book Trade
The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade is an international peace prize given yearly at the Frankfurt Book Fair in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main, Germany...
in 1980.
He won the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in November 1990.
He was nominated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in May 2005.
He participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions
Stock Exchange of Visions
The Stock Exchange of Visions is a project initiated in 2006 by Fabrica, Benetton's research center. It gathers visionaries from diverse nationalities and cultures, who hail from a wide range of specialties, to provide insight into their vision for the future....
project in 2007.
Poetry
- Gethsemani Ky
- Hora 0 ("Zero Hour")
- Epigramas ("Epigrams")
- Oración Por Marilyn Monroe ("Prayer for Marilyn Monroe")
- El estrecho dudoso ("The Doubtful Strait")
- Los ovnis de oro ("Golden UFOs")
- Homenaje a los indios americanos ("Homage to the American Indian")
- Salmos ("Psalms")
- Oráculo sobre Managua ("Oracle on Managua")
- Con Walker en Nicaragua ("With Walker in Nicaragua and Other Early Poems")
- Cántico Cósmico ("Cosmic Canticle")
- El telescopio en la noche oscura ("Telescope in the Dark Night")
- Vuelos de la Victoria ("Flights of Victory)
- Pluriverse: New and Selected Poems
External links
- About Ernesto Cardenal - comprehensive bibliography
- Ernesto Cardenal en MarcaAcme.com
- Bishop Geoffrey Rowell on Cardenal, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. - Stock Exchange Of Visions: Visions of Ernesto Cardenal (Video Interviews)
- Poem set to music