Federico José Pagura

Federico José Pagura (February 9, 1923 – June 6, 2016) was an Argentine religious leader and champion of human rights. He was born on February 9, 1923 in Arroyo Seco, Santa Fe, Argentina. Converted to Methodism in his adolescence, became a normal school teacher and graduated from the Facultad Evangélica de Teología in Buenos Aires. He did post-graduate studies in the United States and was ordained a Methodist pastor in 1950.[2]

Frederico Jose Pagura
Bishop
ChurchEvangelical Methodist Church of Argentina
In office1977–1989
Orders
Ordination1950
Personal details
BornFebruary 9, 1923
Arroyo Seco, Santa Fe, Argentina
DiedJune 6, 2016 (2016-06-07) (aged 93)[1]
Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
BuriedRosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
NationalityArgentine
ResidenceRosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Occupationreligious leader

Pagura was elected bishop at the final session of the Latin America Central Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1969 and served as Methodist bishop of Costa Rica and Panama until 1973.[3] Returning to Argentina and to seminary teaching, he distinguished himself as a champion of human rights and ecumenism. Pagura served as president of the Latin American Council of Churches (1972–92).[3] He helped refugees from the political persecution in Chile after the 1973 coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power.[4] He was subsequently one of the founders of the Ecumenical Movement for Human Rights in 1976.[2][3] During the Argentine dictatorship (1976-1983), Bishop Pagura joined in the silent vigils of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to protest the abduction of thousands of children.[5]

Pagura was elected Bishop of The Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina and served from 1977 to 1989.[2] In 1998, he was elected to a six-year term as one of 10 co-presidents of the World Council of Churches.[5] He has retained the title of Methodist Bishop Emeritus.[6]

Interested in poetry and music since his adolescence, he was the president of the editorial committee which published in 1962 an interdenominational hymnal, Cántico Nuevo,[7] for which he contributed 77 Spanish translations of hymns together with 5 original hymns.[8] He has many written positive tangos, as opposed the fatalistalism characteristic of the genre, which speak of life and the Gospel,[4] such as the tango Tenemos Esperanza (1979), which is emblematic of the trend among Argentine Christians to adapt popular music for religious purposes.[9][10]

In 2003, the Argentine Congress included Bishop Pagura in their list of "Most Noteworthy" of the country.[6]

He died on 6 June 2016 at the age of 93.[11]

See also
  • List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church

References
  1. Falleció el obispo metodista Pagura, reconocido defensor de los derechos humanos. La Capital, de Rosario. June 6, 2016 (in Spanish)
  2. "Reconocen laboral Pastoral a Federico Pagura" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-11-30.
  3. Young, Cartlton R. Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. ISBN 0-687-09260-4.
  4. Paz, José Aurelio. "Federico Pagura: ¿Un teólogo arrabalero?" (in Spanish). Observador Juvenil, 19 Sep, 2009.
  5. Maeda, Sharon. "Bishop Federico Pagura: Champion of Human Rights". New World Outlook, Sept/Oct 1999. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04.
  6. "Argentine Congress lauds Bishop Pagura". ALC News Service Noticias 18 Aug 2003. Archived from the original on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  7. Sosa, Pablo D (ed.). Cántico Nuevo: Himnario evangelico. Buenos Aires: Methopress Editorial y Gráfica, 1962.
  8. McConnell, Cecilio. Comentario sobre los himnos que cantamos. El Paso, Texas: Casa Bautista de Publicaciones, 1985. ISBN 0-311-32433-9.
  9. Cavallo, Eduardo E. "La fe y el tango" (in Spanish). Parte de la religión.
  10. "Tenemos Esperanza: Why We Have Hope". Iglesia Descalza: A Voice from the margins of the Catholic Church, July 6, 2010. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  11. Condolences on the death of Federico Pagura
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