Archbishop Óscar Romero
“But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord.
I have said, "You are my God.
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
Make your face to shine upon your servant,
and in your loving-kindness save me.”
Psalm 31:14-16
March 24 is the day set aside in the church calendar to honor Óscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador. Óscar Romero was an outspoken priest and became Archbishop in El Salvador, fighting for human rights. He began a ministry speaking on behalf of the poor and victims of the country’s civil war, which put him at odds with the government and the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.
He was assassinated in 1980, shot during a mass while he consecrated the Eucharist. The previous day, he had preached a sermon calling on soldiers to disobey orders that violated human rights. He said, “A bishop will die, but the Church of God which is the people will never perish.”[i] His death provoked an international outcry for human rights reform in El Salvador.
The process of canonization began in 1997 and he was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church in 2018.[ii] He is also recognized by other Christian denominations, including the Episcopal Church in “Lesser Feasts and Fasts.” He is often referred to as San Romero.
I am sure that Óscar Romero knew Psalm 31 and read the verses many times. He trusted in the Lord, and we might say, “God did not rescue him — he was assassinated.” Yet, he was rescued and God saved him.
The salvation that we read about in Scripture and that we know to be promised to us is the eternal salvation of our souls. God’s eternal salvation is not for our temporal, earthly bodies, it is for our souls. I believe that Óscar Romero knew that and was confident in the hope of eternal salvation given to each of us by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Collect for the Feast Day of Óscar Romero
Almighty God, you called your servant Óscar Romero to be a voice for the voiceless poor, and to give his life as a seed of freedom and a sign of hope: Grant that we, inspired by his sacrifice and the example of the martyrs of El Salvador, may without fear or favor witness to your Word who abides, your Word who is Life, even Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be praise and glory now and forever. Amen.[iii]
[i] “Lesser Feasts and Fasts,” 2018, page 148.
[iii] “Lesser Feasts and Fasts,” 2018, page 149.
