Oscar Romero
model of faith

            Oscar Romero was born in Ciudad Barrios, a small town in El Salvador.  At the age of fourteen, he left his home on horse to travel to San Miguel to start his priesthood.  He was ordained in Rome in 1942, and also appointed as Secretary General of the National Bishops’ Conference in 1967.  Later he was appointed as the Jesuit friends, Rutilio Grande, was gunned down in his jeep along with an old man and a sixteen year old boy.  Grande did nothing wrong, he was just helping the people to organize for their own self-determination.  This event was a major changing point in Oscar’s life, and one that helped him really start to stand out in my eyes as a model of faith.  This event was the reason for a Metanoia in him, the event that turned him into not just a priest, but a prophet also.  Romero prayed publicly beside the remains of Grande and the two others and proceeded to bury all three corpses without first securing government permission – a criminal offense.  Romero had no doubts while taking these actions.  He had faith that he would be kept safe by God.

            Shortly after performing that criminal offense, Romero took a trip to visit the Pope and explain his actions to him.  The pope responded to him with “Coraggio – courage.”  This simple reply from the Pope gave Romero a surplus of faith in himself and on his actions.  He continued to criticize priests who wanted to reduce the gospel to political protest without remainder, along with deploring protestor’s violence, even as he admitted they were victims of long-standing institutional violence.  He would not give up in his fight and only wanted peace.  He grew to realize he was on the governments “hit list” and he telephoned his farewell message to Exclesior, Mexico’s premier newspaper, insisting that like the Good Shepherd, a pastor must give his life for those he loves.  This is the biggest sacrifice you can make as a human being and he is making it not because he yearns for glory, but because he wants the world to be a better place.  He has faith that the world can, and will, be a better place with his help.