Jorge Hourton

Jorge Maria Hourton Poisson ( born May 27, 1926 in Saubusse, France, † December 5, 2011 in Santiago de Chile, Chile ) was a French- Chilean priest, theologian and human rights. He was a Roman Catholic bishop.

Life

Jorge Hourton, son of Bernardo Hourton and Juana Poisson, studied at the Seminary of Santiago and the Faculty of Theology at the Catholic University of Chile and received on September 24, 1949 in the Cathedral of Santiago by Cardinal José María Caro Rodríguez, Archbishop of Santiago, the ordination for the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. At the Angelicum in Rome, he received his doctorate of philosophy. He taught at the Catholic University of Chile and the seminar. Hourton 1967 Rector of the Seminary of Santiago, dean of Renca and Vicar for Education in Temuco. In 1969 he was awarded the Chilean citizenship.

He was opposed to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet; during his vicariate him permission was withdrawn to give religious instruction. He lived for a time in France, was in dispute with the Roman Curia, and was committed to human rights. He was a close collaborator of Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez and was called " red bishop".

Pope Paul VI. appointed him on February 5, 1969 Titular Bishop of Materiana and appointed him as Auxiliary Bishop of Puerto Montt. The Archbishop of Puerto Montt, Alberto Rencoret Donoso, donated to him on April 20th of that year, the episcopal ordination; Co-consecrators were Archbishop Emilio Tagle Covarrubias, Bishop of Valparaíso, and Carlos González Cruchaga, Bishop of Talca. On 18 February 1974 he was appointed by Pope Paul VI. appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Chile. On February 11, 1992, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II appointed auxiliary bishop in Temuco. On September 21, 2001, Pope John Paul II accepted his resignation due to age.

He was a professor at the Catholic University of Chile from 1992 to 1998 chairman of the Universidad Católica de Temuco. He was also rector of the Catholic University of Araucania. He has held various positions in the Latin American Episcopal Conference ( CELAM) holds. He wrote several books on theology, politics and democracy.