Archbishop Romero concluded his sermon on the Parable of the Grain of Wheat: “Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ will live like the grain of wheat that dies. If it were not to die, it would remain a solitary grain. The harvest comes because of the grain that dies…. We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us.”
This was the last homily of a man of God who will be canonized today, October 14.
The making of God’s servant
Archbishop óscar Arnulfo Romero was born on August 15, 1917, in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador, to Santos Romero and Guadalupe de Jesus. His father is in charge of the telegraph office in the city and óscar helped deliver telegrams.
The young Romero excelled in making chairs, tables and doors so his father wanted him to specialize on the trade. But he wanted to be a priest.
At 13, he entered San Miguel Seminary, and continued his studies at the National Seminary of San Salvatore. He completed his schooling at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a Licentiate in Theology, Cum Laude in 1941.
Since he has not reached the required age, he waited for a year before he was ordained on April 4, 1942, in Rome. His family members were not able to attend the occasion because of travel restrictions due to World War II.
He continued his studies in Rome and obtained a doctorate degree in ascetical theology and Christian perfection.
Kelogg Institute of Notre Dame University disclosed that, in 1943, Romero was summoned by his bishop. With Father Valladares, a friend who was completing his doctorate work, he was apprehended and detained by Cuban police “perhaps for having come from fascist Italy.”
Martyrdom Files 2015, in Oscar Romero Odyssey in Cuba, published that they were detained in camps. When Father Valladares got sick after several months in prison, the Redemptorist helped for their transfer to a hospital. Released from Cuban custody, they sailed to Mexico then traveled by land to El Salvador.
Romero was assigned parish priest in Anamores, then to San Miguel, where he stayed for 20 years. He promoted activities of apostolic groups and devotion to Our Lady of Peace, the construction of San Miguel Cathedral and became rector of the Inter-Diocesan Seminary.
In 1966 he was assigned secretary of the Bishops Conference for El Salvador. He was also director of Orientacion, the newspaper of the archdiocese, which became “fairly conservative when he was editor.”
No greater love
Romero was assigned as bishop of Santiago de Maria in 1974. When soldiers raided a village in his diocese, searched houses for weapons and killed innocent people, he was horrified.
He did not only assuage the feelings of the bereaved but even wrote the president of El Salvador about the security forces’ murderous acts.
On February 23, 1977, he was appointed archbishop of El Salvador. Some rich people were happy with the thought that he could stop priests from encouraging the poor to rally for their basic rights.
However, the leaders of Marxist ideology were disappointed. Progressive priests believed that his conservative beliefs would affect his commitment to help the poor.
Jesus Delgado, his biographer and postulator of the cause for canonization, said: “He gave the lowest priority to Liberation Theology among the topics he studied.”
Three weeks after his appointment as archbishop, Romero’s friend, Father Rufino Grande, SJ, was murdered. The following Sunday, only one Mass in the entire diocese was celebrated, where he spoke against the murder. And he excommunicated the murderers.
Archbishop Romero saw that peaceful protests were answered by death squad killings. While he demanded justice and recompense for atrocities of the police and army, he rejected the violence of the left and rightist groups. He set up legal and projects to support victims of violence.
When a military junta seized control of the national government, Romero publicly criticized the US government for supporting it.
His weekly radio sermons that were broadcasted throughout the country were regarded as the most trustworthy source of news.
Military leaders warned him that “cassocks are not bulletproofs.” But he was unstoppable in advocating justice for the suffering people.
The night before his assassination he appealed to members of the army, National Guards, and the police to stop the killings. He emphasized that they kill their brothers on the order “given by a man. The law of God says, ‘Do not kill should prevail’…. No one has to comply with an immoral law.” He ended his appeal—“I command you in the name of God: Cease the repression.”
Single shot
On March 24, 1980, he was invited to celebrate Mass at the Carmelite chapel of Hospital de la Divina Providencia. He was preparing the gifts for the offertory when a single shot was heard. He fell at the foot of the big cross. A few minutes after, he died. The time, 6:26 of a Monday afternoon.
A faithful servant of the Lord for 37 years, 11 months and 20 days is added to the list of saints.
****
Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons