Monseñor Romero (1917-1980)
Born in San Miguel, El Salvador, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, lived his life in service to poor and oppressed Salvadorians. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic Priest in 1942, and served the last three years of his life as Archbishop.
Romero spoke out against human rights violations and social injustices. Known as a fearless defender of the poor and suffering, he was looked upon as one of the few people who could keep the violence-ridden society from going to all-out civil war. Romero spoke out against “a military that made war against its own people”. Some even call him the greatest 20th century apostle in Latin America. Romero was loved by the Salvadorians for his ability to recognize their reality, all the while giving them the strength and guidance they needed.
In 1979, Romero was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and on March 24, 1980, he was assassinated while giving mass. The day before his death, he appealed to the Salvadorian Armed Forces to stop the oppression. “You are killing your own brothers. I beg you to stop the oppression.”
