Remembering Romero

Twenty-five years ago, assassins sent by the right-wing government and army
killed Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero as he celebrated Mass. That was
March 24, 1980. This year, on March 24, Christians celebrate the institution
of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday. It is fitting to remember Archbishop Romero
during this Holy Week, to remember his martyrdom and his faith.

"I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me, I
will be resurrected in the hearts of the Salvadoran people."

Archbishop Romero had reason to believe he was targeted for death. He preached
the Gospel in concrete and immediate terms. His life and words challenged Christians
to involvement in political affairs and to action for social justice.

"No one should take offense when the light of the words of God illuminates
the social, political and economic realities. Because not to do this would not
be Christianity for us. And it is in this way that Jesus Christ chose to be
incarnated so that this light that He brought from His Father, could bring life
to individuals and to peoples."

He challenged the government, denouncing it for oppression and for the reign
of terror it imposed on the Salvadoran people.

"When someone makes power an absolute and an idol and turns against
God’s laws, against human rights, violating the people’s rights, then
we cannot say that such authority comes from God."

As he denounced idolization of power and wealth, he challenged El Salvador’s
ruling elite. We, in the United States, are the ruling elite of the world today.
As citizens of the richest country in the world, a country which nonetheless
leaves its schools under-funded and its health care system controlled by insurance
companies and inaccessible to large numbers of its people, what can we learn
from his words?

"I denounce especially the absolutizing of wealth. This is the great
evil in El Salvador: wealth, private property, as an untouchable absolute."

As citizens of the country that repudiates international environmental treaties
and pollutes our own skies, we hear his call to responsible stewardship.

"You know that the air and water are being polluted, as is everything
we touch and live with, and we go on corrupting the nature that we need. We
don’t realize we have a commitment to God to take care of nature."

Archbishop Romero’s El Salvador was torn by civil war and terror. His
country’s army was trained to torture and to kill the "enemies"
of the regime. The United States supported the government and army of El Salvador.
Today the United States is a country at war. Some of our soldiers stand convicted
of torture. The Bush Administration has talked of choosing "the Salvador
option" for Iraq. Archbishop Romero’s words resound with power.

"I want to make a special appeal to soldiers, national guardsmen and
policemen: each of you is one of us. The peasants you kill are your own brothers
and sisters. When you hear a man telling you to kill, remember God’s words,
‘thou shalt not kill.’ No soldier is obliged to obey a law contrary to the law
of God. In the name of God, in the name of our tormented people, I beseech you,
I implore you; in the name of God I command you to stop the repression."