Óscar Romero was the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, known for his outspoken criticism of poverty, social injustice, assassinations, and torture during the Salvadoran Civil War. He became a voice for the voiceless and was assassinated while celebrating Mass, becoming a martyr for his faith and advocacy.
Rose at 4:30am daily for 2 hours of prayer before Mass, prayed rosary while walking
Simple diet in solidarity with the poor, often skipped meals to give food to others
Daily Scripture meditation, based homilies on Gospel readings
Romero faced immense pressure and threats from the Salvadoran government, military, and wealthy elite, who viewed his advocacy for the poor as subversive. He endured isolation from some within the Church hierarchy who disagreed with his confrontational stance. The constant violence and assassinations of his fellow priests and parishioners weighed heavily on him, forcing him to live under constant threat of death.
Initially, Romero was perceived as timid and conservative, struggling with a desire to avoid conflict and maintain order within the Church. His personal pain stemmed from witnessing the brutal suffering and oppression of his people, the betrayal by those in power, and the loss of friends and colleagues to violence. He also grappled with the burden of leadership during a deeply fractured and violent period.
Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was born on August 15, 1917, in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. He entered the seminary at age 13 and was ordained a priest in 1942 in Rome. After returning to El Salvador, he served in various pastoral roles, including parish priest, seminary rector, and diocesan secretary. Initially seen as a conservative, Romero was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador in 1970 and then Bishop of Santiago de María in 1974. His appointment as Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977 was initially welcomed by the government and the wealthy elite, who expected him to maintain the status quo. However, his perspective dramatically shifted after the assassination of his close friend, Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande, who was a vocal advocate for the poor. This event, coupled with the escalating violence and repression against the poor and clergy by the military government and right-wing death squads, transformed Romero into a fervent defender of human rights. He began to use his weekly homilies, broadcast nationally, to denounce the atrocities, call for justice, and criticize the government's abuses. He urged soldiers to disobey immoral orders and appealed to the United States to cease military aid to the Salvadoran regime. His courage and unwavering commitment to the poor earned him the title 'Voice of the Voiceless' but also made him a target. On March 24, 1980, he was assassinated by a sniper while celebrating Mass in the chapel of a hospital. His funeral was met with further violence, and his legacy continues to inspire social justice movements worldwide. He was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis in 2018.