The Americas  |  Globalization & the Economy  |  In Memoriam

Whose Romero Did We Celebrate?
 By Richard Bower
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
 


Placards for the procession to the cathedral in San Salvador

In the third century, deacon-martyr St. Lawrence of Rome, when commanded at the point of a sword to surrender to the Roman authorities all of the riches of the church, came to the powers of the day with a multitude of the poor and the lame of Roman, saying, "Here are the riches of the church."

If the poor are the riches of the church, then the Salvadoran Church is rich indeed.

Faith lived out in isolation from life is not true faith. (Romero)

During the week of March 28 - April 2, 2005, over 3,000 foreigners and tens of thousands of Salvadorans remembered and celebrated the Monseñor, the favorite, intimate name of the poor for their dear Archbishop Romero. Many celebrated Romero as the one who walked with the poor and saw in them the riches of the church.

The actual anniversary of the assassination of Monseñor Romero was Thursday, March 24. This year, the 24th fell on Holy Thursday, and the Salvadoran Church did not want to "disrupt" Holy Week with Romero's celebration, so the official celebration began the week of La Pascua, Easter Week.

The 25th anniversary of the assassination of Monseñor Oscar Romero happened in the context of a deep social trauma for El Salvador. The globalization of the economy and the emerging free trade agreements in Central America has left the country poorer than ever.
Even so, on Holy Thursday a large number of people gathered in the crypt of the Metropolitan Cathedral, where the body of Monseñor is laid, to celebrate an ecumenical service in memory of Romero.

We can find the blood of our teachers, workers and campesinos together with the blood of our preachers. This is called communion of love. How sad would it be if, in a country where so horrendous crimes are committed every day, we did not find the preachers as part of the victims. These preachers are the testimony of a church immersed in the problems of the people. (Romero)

But who was celebrated during the official week of remembrance? The church celebrated the pious martyr who is in the process of canonization. The government (mostly silent) did not celebrate, except to say that it would be good for the economy of Romero were made a saint. The press talked only about the death of the pope. The rich hoped to forget Romero, the disturber of the peace. The Left celebrated the anti-government prophet, and the poor remembered the bishop who walked with them.

The 25th anniversary of the assassination of Monseñor Oscar Romero happened in the context of a deep social trauma for El Salvador. The globalization of the economy and the emerging free trade agreements in Central America has left the country poorer than ever. Neoliberal economics locally have lead to the privatization of most of the governmental public services, causing a dramatic rise in the cost of living for the average Salvadoran and fewer basic services. The United States' preoccupation with terrorism has resulted in draconian laws in El Salvador (at the demand of the U.S. government) and a number of troops in Iraq.


Memorial wall in Parque Cuzcatlán, San Salvador, commemorating more than 30,000 civilian deaths during the civil war
The increasing youth gang violence has resulted in "strong hand" laws that are unconstitutional and represent (according to the United Nations Human Rights office) illegal departures from human rights agreements El Salvador has made with the community of nations. The Salvadoran government is trying to solve increasing gang violence by using violence and the violation of human rights. Meanwhile, gang membership and violence increases. It is estimated that over 300,000 gang members operate in El Salvador and Honduras.

The poor are poorer in El Salvador these days, with poverty and violence greater than during the time of the 12-year civil war (1980-1992). All over Latin America the poor and marginalized are protesting, at times electing leftist leaders (Venezuela, Brazil, and Uruguay). Cuba still sustains a liberal government, and Nicaragua is likely this year to reelect a leftist president. The poor are restless.

It is in this context that Oscar Romero, prophet and advocate of the poor was remembered this year.

We are the small David against the giant Goliath who trusts in his weapons, his power and his money. We trust in the name of God. (Romero)

During the early part of the week, it looked like life as usual in the streets of San Salvador. There was a large welcome banner hung over the road from the airport to the city that welcomed visitors who came to remember Romero. But that was all. The streets were silent, as was the press, the church and the government.

The Archbishop of San Salvador, Monseñor Fernando Saenz Lacalle, was absent; so were people from the government. Only "the people" were there, those with memories clear enough to recognize the true Romero, pastor, prophet, voice of the voiceless and martyr for love of his people.
During the week there were small events sponsored by the Jesuit University and by other progressive groups. But attendance at these events was mostly by international guests.

The Fundación Romero had planned activities, as had other ecumenical groups. Youth movements in the Salvadoran Church had prepared a street procession and activity for Easter Day. But the impact of these efforts seemed very little. People locally need to go to work and pay attention to the increasing difficulty of their daily lives.

With silence from the church, government and press, it seemed as though the memory and importance of Romero had passed. Only abroad -- in North America and Europe -- was there interest in Romero, the 20th-century prophet for all people.

I was surprised, then, at the end of the week when things started to happen. On Friday evening a large group of Salvadorans, campesinos, students and ecumenical church leaders, gathered in the cathedral crypt to celebrate Romero. This was a Salvadoran celebration, full of energy and passion. Songs, ceremonials and talks all held up San Romero de la Americas. For over two hours Romero was remembered and honored. His brother, still living, talked about his life with the Monseñor. Young people sang songs. The poor told stories about times when Romero came to be with them. Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, and Mennonites all celebrated together. And the Romero celebrated was Romero the pastor, the prophet, the radical follower of Jesus.

Peace is not the product of terror and fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the product of violence and repression. . . True peace is only achieved through justice . . .by sharing fairly the richness of our country among all Salvadoran men and women. (Romero)


Part of the memorial wall which shows Monseñor Romero's name

On Saturday, the close of the week of commemoration, Eucharist was celebrated in the Plaza Salvador del Mundo, several miles from the Cathedral. About 20,000 people attended this outdoor Eucharist. This was the church's official offering. Mostly it was dull, except for some good music, and the enthusiasm of the crowds. The homily was read by the Papal Nuncio, reading a long text of the Archbishop Cardinal of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, who earlier in the day had flown to Rome at the death of Pope John Paul II.

At about 7:30 p.m., a large group processed from the plaza to the cathedral, down the once grand Alameda Roosevelt. During the almost two-hour procession, songs were sung, chants shouted, and the spirit of the people with the spirit of Romero ignited. By the time the procession reached the Plaza Civica in from of the cathedral, over 30,000 people had gathered. This was the same plaza where the blood of the people was poured out during the civil war, and after the funeral of Romero in 1980. On this day, people gathered in peace and with joy at remembering their padrecito Oscar Romero.

The Archbishop of San Salvador, Monseñor Fernando Saenz Lacalle, was absent; so were people from the government. Only "the people" were there, those with memories clear enough to recognize the true Romero, pastor, prophet, voice of the voiceless and martyr for love of his people. All throughout the night, people shouted chants, especially the one shouting, "We want a bishop who walks with the people!"

The church would betray its own love for God and its fidelity to the Gospel if it stopped being the voice of the voiceless. (Romero)

Monseñor Gregorio Rosa Chavez was on the steps of the cathedral to greet the people. Rosa Chavez, friend of Romero, was passed over twice when a new archbishop was needed in recent years. Yet he remains, among all of the officialdom of the Salvadoran Church, the one bishop loved by the people, and responsive to them. These days Rosa Chavez is pastor of a small urban San Salvador parish.

Words leaking from the Vatican indicated that there was a problem. It seems that a person is only a church martyr if that person is killed because of the faith. But "Christians," not pagans, killed Romero.
The week before the celebration of Romero, officials in Rome had declared, after over six years of study, that there were no theological "errors" in the writings of Monseñor Romero! They either hadn't read very well, or chose not to see words that challenged both governments and the church. But this action by Rome paved the way for the process of canonization of Romero.

Who would be canonized? Romero the miracle worker? Romero the "communist"? Romero, pastor of the people? Romero, paisano of El Salvador, whose sainthood would enrich the economy? Romero, betrayer of the upper classes? Romero, radical follower of Jesus?

Words leaking from the Vatican indicated that there was a problem. It seems that a person is only a church martyr if that person is killed because of the faith. But "Christians," not pagans, killed Romero. Besides, says the Vatican, a person cannot be a martyr for political reasons! In El Salvador (and in the rest of the world) political realities are the dominant causes for injustice, oppression and death . . . things that Monseñor Romero spoke out forcefully against.

Canonization of Romero is not likely in our time. There remain many in the Salvadoran Church, and abroad, who hate Romero, who would like him to fade away. But Romero has become a phenomenon, a worldwide figure for all Christian faiths, as well as for people of other faiths. During the week of commemoration, Jew and Muslims in El Salvador praised Romero as the special gift of this small and poor country, a gift for all of humanity.


Martín Barahona, Episcopal bishop of El Salvador, speaking at an evening rally outside the Metropolitan Cathedral
Romero is a small seed that is just beginning to germinate and flower. "If I am killed, I will rise again in my people," said Romero before his death. During the last week of March 2005, one could almost see this seed sprouting, flowering, spreading it life both in places of welcome and of continued rejection.

[T]his is the risk of any prophetic mission of the Church: to be criticized even by your own people, and even to find yourself alone, but able to feel the satisfaction of having tried to be faithful to the Gospel. (Romero)

Above the tomb of Romero are these words: "If a grain of wheat does not fall into the ground and die, it cannot bear fruit. But if it dies it bears much fruit." The small country of El Salvador is not flowering these days. Nor are the fruits of justice, mercy and peace flowering on our small globe. But seeds are mighty, especially in the hand of God. The seed is germinating, the bread is rising, and saints like Romero will one day have the last word.

Note: Quotations in italics of Monseñor Romero are taken from the collection of his Sunday homilies.


The Very Rev. Richard A. Bower is executive director of Fundación Cristosal, a solidarity ministry with the Anglican/Episcopal Church in El Salvador. He is dean emeritus of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Syracuse, N.Y. Dick now lives in Ludlow, Vermont, and may be reached by email at rabvt@together.net.