Oscar Romero, Martyr

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Archbishop Oscar Romero



Pope Francis recently declared Oscar Romero a martyr, soon to be beatified. The Salvadoran people and many others already honor him as a saint. On March 24, 1980, he was gunned down while offering Mass in the chapel of the hospital where he lived. The previous Sunday he had asked the soldiers to lay down their arms and stop the killing of innocent people during the civil war in the 1970's and 1980's.
While on a mission trip to El Salvador in the 1990's, I saw the place where he died and his small room. I also saw the garden where the six Jesuits and their housekeeper and daughter were murdered by the Salvadoran military. They are all martyrs who died for defying the slaughter of thousands of Salvadoran people.Today as we hear of beheadings and torture by ISIS and Al Qaeda, we know that civilians continue to be killed in the name of Allah. President Obama recently reminded us that Christians in the past put non-believers to death, especially during the Crusades. Even today the United States has permitted the torture of prisoners. While we need to condemn torture and killing by radical groups, we must also acknowledge our own country's guilt. May Archbishop Romero and other modern martyrs give us the courage to stand up to evil.

Comments

  1. Dee14 February 2015 at 09:57

    Dear Barb, yes, I so agree with you. It takes courage to live a life committed to justice and mercy. I'd like to hear more from you about Archbishop Romero and your visit to El Salvador. Peace, Dee

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