Former San Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero moves to sainthood with his beatification on May 23 in ceremonies to be held in San Salvador’s Plaza Divino Salvador del Mundo.
It was in 1997 when Romero was declared Servant of God by then Pope John Paul II. The cause for the murdered archbishop’s sainthood gained another momentum in 2005 after the head of the Congregation for the Faith Joseph Ratzinger (who later on became Pope Benedict XVI) gave the green light after a theological audit.
Under Francis, the first Latin American pope, the process took on some speed but not before Church officials sifted through thousands of documents which reviled Romero as a “political bishop” and a “follower of liberation theology”. The process of sainthood has taken a political or ideological hue in the secular media but in San Salvador, he is a revered icon for human rights.
During Romero’s time as Archbishop of San Salvador, the Vatican was swamped by “kilos of hate mails” but according to promoters of his cause for sainthood led by Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, this was amply countered by “a mountain of testimony just as big to prove that Archbishop Romero heroically lived a Christian faith and was killed out of hatred for his words and actions as a Christian pastor”.
Anti-Marcos activists will remember that in the late 70s, a revolutionary junta seized power in San Salvador and plunged the tiny Latin American country in a civil war. Archbishop Romero spoke courageously against the military-controlled regime and called on the United States to stop giving military aid to the repressive rule. The US spurned his pleas owing to fears that San Salvador will become communist like its neighbor, Nicaragua.
The killings from 1977 to the early 80s had been described as a persecution of the Church because many priests and nuns were slain alongside thousands of anti-government elements. Archbishop Romero was assassinated by a liquidation squad while celebrating mass in the chapel of Divine Providence Hospital in March 24, 1980.
A Maryknoll priest, the Rev. John Spain who personally knew and worked closely with Archbishop Romero from 1971 until his death in 1980 recounts that Romero spoke about the importance of journalists and the need for a free press to alleviate the suffering of the poor. At the time he was assassinated, he was celebrating an anniversary Mass for the widow of a publisher of an independent newspaper that had been bombed for publishing investigative stories critical of the military junta.
Romero was killed by a single shot from a rifle fired through the open chapel doors by a sniper in the back seat of a Volkswagen parked out front. It is said the bullet pierced his heart while lifting up the host in consecration, spilling blood on the altar.
Like many victims sacrificed in the altar of human rights and social justice, Romero’s killer was never caught. No one was also prosecuted but death squads sponsored by the military regime have long been suspected to be responsible. An estimated 75,000 people were believed to have been killed in El Salvador’s bloody civil war, and the most high profile of all is none other than Archbishop Romero.
I believe Romero’s blood watered the seeds of the movement against the military dictatorship in 1980. It took another three and a half years and the death of former senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. for people to openly denounce the dictatorial regime.
Because our country has much to thank Archbishop Romero for his shining example of moral courage and champion of social justice, we join our prayers and celebration with the people of San Salvador for elevating “San Romero” to the elect in heaven.
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The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) has endorsed “The Storytelling Power of Co-ops” to information officers and designated communications staff in all CDA regional extension offices. I gathered this piece of welcome news from Administrator Mercedes “Ched” Castillo who represents the Visayas in the CDA board of adminstrators. The endorsement is covered by official memo dated May 4, 2015 and signed by CDA Executive Director Ray R. Elevazo.
This may be just coincidence but the CDA direction comes under the leadership of chairman Orlando Ravanera who has significant media orientation and exposure. Victo National which is organizing the training course wishes to thank CDA for the seal of approval. It can’t get better than this.
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