On October 14, 2018, Pope Francis officiated at a ceremony declaring that Oscar Romer, the fourth Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador, is a saint. During his beatification ceremony in 2015, the Pope said, "His ministry was distinguished by his particular attention to the most poor and marginalized." Today is a time to remember and celebrate his life and witness.
Romero was born on August 15, 1917. He began pursuing a life of ministry at age 13 and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1942. Although he started out as a conservative priest and theologian, his faith deepened over the years and took a radical turn in response to the anguish of the Salvadoran people. The question that burned in his heart and eventually turned his life around was "How do we speak of God in the midst of unjust suffering?"
Over 60,000 people died in the civil war which raged in El Salvador during the 1980s. The right-wing government, with financial aid from the United States, carried out a vicious campaign against leftist guerillas, and many civilians were caught in the crossfire. Romero, then the Archbishop of San Salvador, tried to prevent this by speaking truth to those in power, calling them to conversion and a change of their ways. He was assassinated while celebrating mass in a hospital chapel.
Quotes
Here are some quotations from the sermons, speeches, and writings of this Catholic martyr to inspire you to speak truth to power where you are and to seek justice.
Do Not Hate
"Do not let the serpent of rancor nest in your hearts. There is no greater misfortune than a vindictive heart, even though it be turned against those who have tortured your children, against the criminal hands that have placed them among the missing. Do not hate."
— The Violence of Love complied by James R. Brockman
The Purpose of Our Life
"The purpose of our life is God's glory. However lowly a life is, that is what makes it great."
— The Violence of Love complied by James R. Brockman
Seeking the Child Jesus
"We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed tonight with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways."
— The Violence of Love complied by James R. Brockman
On the Poor
"I am glad, brothers and sisters, that our church is persecuted precisely for its preferential option for the poor and for trying to become incarnate on behalf of the poor. And I want to say to all the people, to rulers, to the rich and powerful: If you do not become poor, if you do not concern yourselves for the poverty of our people, as though they were your own family, you will not be able to save society."
— Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints by Scott Wright
The Struggle for Justice
"Everyone who struggles for justice, everyone who makes just claims in unjust surroundings is working for God's reign, even though not a Christian. The church does not comprise all of God's reign; God's reign goes beyond the church's boundaries."
— Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints by Scott Wright
Wealth
"I denounce the absolutizing of wealth. This is the great evil in El Salvador: wealth, private property, as an untouchable absolute. Woe to the one who touches that high tension wire. It burns."
— Oscar Romero: Reflections on His Life and Writings edited by Marie Dennis, Renny Golden, and Scott Wright
Peace
"Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.
Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity.
It is right and it is duty."
— Peace Prayers edited by Carrie Leadingham, Joann E. Moschella, and Hilary M. Vartanian
Resurrection
"I have often received death threats. I must tell you that, as a Christian, I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me I will rise again in the Salvadoran people."
— Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints by Scott Wright
Films
Read our review of the 1989 movie Romero starring Raul Julia and rent it or stream it from Netflix or Amazon.
Book Excerpts
Read an excerpt on the beauty of the image of God that resides in every person; it is from The Violence of Love complied by James R. Brockman