A few days before he was assassinated, Romero told a reporter, “You can tell the people that if they succeed in killing me, that I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realize they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the church of God, which is the people, will never perish.”
Oscar Romero was born in 1917 in Cuidad Barrios, a small town in the mountains of El Salvador. He left school at the age of twelve and became an apprentice carpenter. He wished to become a priest but his family wanted him to continue studying carpentry.
Romero somehow managed to convince his parents that he wanted to study for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest in Rome in 1942 and continued to study there for his doctoral degree in theology. After he worked as a parish priest in El Salvador for several years.
In 1975 he became the bishop of Santiago de Maria and in 1977 he was appointed the Archbishop of San Salvador.
During the 1970’s, El Salvador was wracked by Civil War stemming from a poor economy and a repressive dictatorship. This war between right-wing government and the leftist antigovernment units led to around 30,000 people being killed. The US backed the military dictatorship in spite of its human rights violations. At that time there was a movement of priests who followed Marxist teachings as a solution to El Salvador’s problems and they sided with the poor against the rich landowners and elite of the country.
Romero's fellow bishops and priests considered him to be predictable, conservative and not concerned with political views. This was no doubt the reason he was appointed an Archbishop. It was expected that he would carry on as others had before him and would not cause any political ‘waves’.
However, Romero let it be known that, although he did not support Liberation Theology, he was on the side of the poor. Shortly after being elected as bishop, a Jesuit priest, Father Rutillo Grande and two of his parishioners were killed. One was a seven year old child. When this happened Bishop Romero truly understood what the farmers were facing and promised to be their shepherd.
Romero asked for international intervention but it fell on deaf ears. With one exception, the Bishops of El Salvador turned their back on him and it is said that they sent a letter to Rome accusing him of using politics to seek popularity. In 1980, Romero wrote to the President of the United States asking them to stop sending military aid because he said it was being used to repress the people. They did not stop.
On March 23, 1980 he ended a broadcasted homily with, “Brother, you are from the same people ... No soldier is obliged to obey an order that is contrary to the will of God. In the name of God, in the name of the suffering people, I ask you .... in the name of God to stop the repression.”
The day after that speech as Romero was celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel, as he raised the chalice, he was shot by an assassin. His blood spilled over the altar mixing with the wine from the chalice.
During his funeral Mass on March 30 a bomb exploded and shots rang out. From 30 to 50 people were killed that day. From this, the people recognized the horror of all the killing and violence in El Salvador finally subsided.
In 2012, the United Nations declared the International Day of the Right to the Truth recognizing the contribution of Archbishop Romero.
In March 2015, Pope Francis beatified Oscar Romero bringing him one step closer to sainthood. And on October 14, 2018, Oscar Romero was recognized as a Saint of the Catholic Church.
