Evocation of the intellectual and religious trajectory of an exemplary teacher: Francisco Pérez Gutiérrez

Abstract

This obituary pays tribute to Francisco Pérez Gutiérrez. The article summarizes three fundamental phases of his life: the period of formation at the University of Comillas (1940-1954), the stage of Santander: teaching and pastoral action (1954-1969) and Madrid: full dedication to teaching and research (1970-2017). In its first stage, theology courses awaken its vocational concerns: that of writer, teacher and priest. In a speech commissioned by him, he dismantles the sectarian image of Menéndez Pelayo that the national Catholicism had appropriated, while offering an inclusive and open image; reason why he becomes the intellectual leader of a large group of young priests. Also, in the literary field his works stand out: El problema religioso en la generación de 1868, Renan en España y La juventud de Marañón.