Oscar Romero , born on August 15, 1917 , commonly known as Monseńor Romero or Padre Romero, was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in El Salvador . He later became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador , succeeding the long-reigning Luis Chávez y González . He died from an assassin's bullet on March 24, 1980, in San Salvador while celebrating Mass. One well-aimed shot, fired with professional precision, was enough to bring down the small, wiry archbishop. A last mouthful of blood was the final offering of someone who throughout his sixty-three years, but especially during his last three as an archbishop, had given his entire being over to the service of the people of El Salvador, particularly to the service of the poor and the oppressed. As Archbishop of San Salvador, Father Romero was a source of strength and hope for the poor and for the oppressed of his country, working with and for them, taking their struggles as his own. Romero wrote and spoke passionately and publicly of the need for Christians to work for justice, frequently faced with threat and danger from those who opposed his ideas.
During a terribly violent time in the Central American Country, this humble and courageous man stood up for the many poor and oppressed Salvadoran peasants who were victims of government, persecution, torture, and mass killings. Romero knew he was taking a dangerous path that could lead to his own death.He was a big advocate in eliminating the poverty in his country. Over time, Oscar began to get noticed, and in 1979 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize . Later on in the year to follow Oscar went to the Vatican to speak with the Pope. In a very surprising turn of events Romero actually got into an argument with the Pope about the Vatican’s support of the government of El Salvador. Romero argued that it was not right to support a government that supports assassination and torture. When he returned Oscar continued his work in human rights and trying to improve the condition of El Salvador for his people. When Oscar returned the revolutionaries had assumed power. This was assisted by the American government, who supplied them with weapons. Oscar disapproved this and sent a letter to Jimmy Carter about it, but he did not change the situation. Then on March 24, 1980 while celebrating mass, an assassin came and killed him. When he was killed Oscar was speaking about the assassins, and the injustices done to the people. His last words were, “May God have mercy on the assassins.” It is believed that the assassin was trained at the School of the Americas . Oscar was 62 years old.
Sources Used:
www.victorshepherd.com
www.silk.net
www.salsa.net
"The Violence of Love" by Oscar Romero pg.114
"The Word Remains: The life of Oscar Romero" by James R. Brockman pg.42
Cool Archbishop Oscar Romero Article
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