Latin American theologian in Malta

Although born in the Netherlands in the early 1930s, Carlos Mesters, a Carmelite friar, can claim to be one of the foremost Latin American Biblical theologians.

At 18, still a student in a Carmelite secondary school, he went to Brazil to become a missionary. He studied Philosophy in Brazil, Theology in Rome and Scripture at both the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome) and at the Ecole Biblique (Jerusalem). Since 2001, Fr Mesters has been the counsellor for Latin America to the Prior-General of the Carmelite order.

Fr Mesters sees the Bible as a book born of a people working hard for their liberation, trusting in God's promises. He believes that our interpretation of the scriptures is active and not passive, dynamic and not static. His commentaries on the Scripture reflect the situation of misery and oppression that many people are today suffering in both Latin America and other Third World countries.

Fr Mesters will be the speaker for this year's Discern Annual Lecture which will be held at the Radisson Bay Point Resort tomorrow at 7 p.m. He will lecture (in Italian) on La Parola di Dio nella formazione di Comunità di Base. Entrance is free. This lecture is being sponsored by APS Bank Ltd.