Ética de la alteridad en la gestualidad litúrgica: una lectura desde Adela cortina

Abstract

This article analyzes three Catholic liturgical gestures, the nuptial joining of hands, the breaking of bread, and the sign of peace through the lens of Adela Cortina’s Ethics of Cordial Reason. It argues that, beyond their religious dimension, these gestures constitute fundamental ethical acts that embody the recognition of the other and the “obligatio” derived from the human bond “ligatio”. The liturgical gestures are therefore interpreted as ethical expressions that promote the acknowledgment of the other as a dignified being, rather than as a means or instrument. A critical hermeneutic approach is adopted as the research methodology, allowing for the interpretation of texts and social phenomena within their cultural and historical contexts in pursuit of a deeper understanding. In addition, the study employs a practical ethics perspective, arguing that these liturgical gestures transcend ritual formalism by enacting fundamental values such as empathy, respect, and solidarity. Finally, it proposes a complementary relationship between a religious ethics of maximums and a civil ethics of minimums, showing that both can coexist without contradiction in the construction of a plural and solidaristic citizenship