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Archbishop Oscar Romero Saint of El Salvador  March 24th was the 30th anniversary of Archbishop Romero’s assassination. For years many Catholics, familiar with the life of Romero and his relentless efforts to combat the oligarchy of wealthy families in El Salvador crushing the poor, believed he was indeed a saint, awaiting Rome’s formal blessing. Some of his fellow bishops in Latin America felt he was too engaged in politics and didn’t qualify as a martyr because he was assassinated by Christians, members of his church and country. However we have good news, Pope Francis is prepared to officially recognize the archbishop as a saint. Archbishop Romero died as a martyr! Alleluia! A Salvadoran priest, Placido Erdozain, friend and companion of Romero, describes in his book, Archbishop Romero Martyr of Salvador, his evolution from a quiet, academic bishop to the fearless advocate on behalf of the dispossessed farmers and laborers. There was not unanimity among Romero’s priests with his vision for the Church. Some viewed him as too radical. Other priests created basic Christian communities and were seen as revolutionaries; a few even took up arms and others were labeled Marxists. Romero condemned violence by either government or revolutionaries. The president of Salvador, a former army general named Romano, along with the other conservative powers of the state intended to subdue these advocates, especially during the years of 1977 to 1980. In 1977 the killing of two priests had a profound effect on Archbishop Romero. One a close friend and outspoken advocate for the poor, Rutillo Grande SJ, was murdered by the military in May of 1977. In June, Alfonso Navarro, like Grande a fearless advocate for the disenfranchised, was murdered by the security forces. Romero at Navarro’s funeral said, “Alfonso is like a Bedouin in the desert who says to travelers ‘not this way’ but they pay no attention and they kill him.” Romero’s priest friend Erdozain notes “Our bishop now knew that the ruling classwas capable of anything. He began to discover the intrinsic evil of the economic system, how this evil system pitted the poor against the poor, the peasant in army uniform against the worker peasant.” The 3/17/2015 National Catholic Reporter described the amazing gift of communication Romero possessed. “In a country where the major media refused to report on the unbridled military violence, Romero refused to be silent … despite getting death threats, his radio station bombed. The archbishop was not only the most trusted, but frequently the sole source of news about what was happening in the country… His often hours long homilies were the most popular program in the country.” After a retreat with all the priests of the Santiago diocese, Romero spoke to the press, “My life has been threatened many times. I have to confess that, as a Christian, I don’t believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people … As a shepherd, I am obliged by divine law to give my life for those I love, for the Salvadoran people, including those Salvadorans who threaten to assassinate me.”
Amidst the chaos of El Salvador, the archbishop wrote to President Carter on 2/17/1980:
Archbishop Romero … Pg. 2 When the archbishop’s letter to President Jimmy Carter was publicized, Jim Wallace of Sojourners and a Franciscan priest Richard Rohr called for a demonstration in Washington condemning military aid to Salvador. Six of us CPFers joined the protest at the Capitol Rotunda. With others we knelt in a huge circle with crosses and signs. The Capitol Police allowed us ten minutes and then arrested us and shipped us to a D.C jail. Men and women were in separate cells, a lot of singing. The next morning, we were set free. On March 24, providentially, Archbishop Romero was shot while celebrating Mass and died on the altar. A prophet and saint in our own life time. I would be remiss if I failed to remember four exceptional American missionaries who were also murdered by Salvadoran security forces. They shared the archbishop’s total commitment to the poor. Because of their work they were very aware their lives were constantly at risk. On the night of December 2, 1980 the four were torn from their van, raped and murdered. The four were: Maura Clark and Ita Ford, Maryknoll missionaries, Jean Donovan, lay missionary, and Dorothy Kazel, Ursuline missionary. Amen! Archbishop Romero, Martyr of Salvador, Fr. Placido Erdozain, 3/1981 Amazingly the 4/10-23/15 issue of the National Catholic Reporter includes an article stating that Gen. Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova, head of the National Guard from 1979 – 1983 and Minister of Defense from 1983 to 1989, who’s been living in Florida for 25 years is a step closer to deportation …
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The words he spoke to the soldiers sealed his fate. “I want to make a special appeal to soldiers, national guardsmen, and policemen. Brothers, each one of you is one of us. We are the same people. The campesinos you kill are your own brothers and sisters. When you hear the words of a man telling you to kill, remember instead the words of God, ‘Thou shall not kill’ … No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God. It is time you come to your senses and obey your conscience rather than follow out a sinful command.”