Archbishop Oscar Romero Midterm essay PDF

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Essay on Archbishop Romero and his impact on the Civil war in El Salvador and how he fought against the government and inevitably died ...

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Geovanni Botticella 10/09/19 CAS 368 Archbishop Oscar Romero

Bishop Oscar Romero was an important person during the civil war in El Salvador. As archbishop of El Salvador he spoke out against the government and the military for the violent crimes against the people. He continuously spoke out against these violent actions until he was gun downed in his own church during a mass session. This subsequently made him a martyr to the revolutionary cause and brought international attention to the civil war. Bishop Romero was born on August 15th, 1917 in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. He was the 2nd oldest of 8 children (one of which whom died during infancy). According to the book “Liberators, Patriots and Leaders of Latin America” by Jerome R Adams; Romero went to a public school in his village until the 3rd grade. After which he was privately taught until the age of 13. While he was taught his father taught him carpentry hoping he could use this as his future career. However, to his father’s dismay Romero was attracted to the studies of priesthood. Romero left to study at a seminary in San Miguel. Around 1934 during the great depression he had to leave schooling to be with his mother who had grown ill. He worked with 2 of his brothers in mines to help pay medical bills until 1937 when he returned to his studies. Because of his scholarly efforts he was sent to Rome to continue his studies and eventually become an ordained priest. While in Rome though he was given news that his father and one of his brothers had died and their family’s farm had been lost. This did not draw him away from his studies and in 1942 he was officially ordained. Romero attempted to stay in Rome to study ascetical theology but was forced to return to El Salvador because of the 2nd World War.

In January of 1944 Romero gave his first sermon in a small hilltop village and then was later called to San Miguel where he lived with and cared for his mother until her death in 1961. As a priest in San Miguel he led sermon that were broadcasted on radio. He was considered a very conservative priest adhering to the catholic code consistently. On the 23rd of February 1977 Romero was appointed as the Archbishop of San Salvador. According to the book “Truth and Memory: The Church and Human Rights in El Salvador and Guatemala” by Michael A. Hayes, his appointment made many liberal priests very concerned. They feared that Romero would not support the liberation movements or Marxist ideals. However, few weeks after his appointment, Romero’s close friend Rutilio Grande was assassinated. After Grande’s death Romero retaliated against the Salvadorian government by boycotting all state occasion and even stopped meeting with the president until an official investigation was made, according to Michael A. Hayes. An investigation was never made, and more priest were being killed and attacked. At this point Romero closed all the Churches in the capital except the main Cathedral where he had one mass with all his priest. An estimate of 150 priest and 100,000 people attended the mass to protest the killings of his friend, other priest. This moment marked Romero as a threat to the government. Romero famously used a radio to broadcast his sermons at church. Using his radio he was able to denounce the actions of the government and condemn the violent actions of the military. He would often list the people who were murdered and disappeared. He often pleaded with soldiers as well; often asking them to stop what they are doing and do god’s work instead.

He also spoke out against the US at times, having called out the US for supplying the Salvadorian government with weapons and money. He continued to write his diocesan weekly paper “Orientación”. According to reporter Peadar Kirby of the Irish times Romero had listed cases of torture and people disappeared in his paper. Romero become a full activist for the liberation movement. His outspoken gave a voice to many of the people who were overcome with violence. His speeches brought light of the violence in El Salvador to other countries. According to Hayes Christian churches the UK sent him donations and helped pay for the repairs to his radio station which was blown up twice. In 1978 he was even nominated by the UK and the US for a Nobel peace prize for his action. Romero’s outspokenness toward the government was a constant thorn in the side of the government. It had attempted to silence him by sending threat and blowing up his radio station. According to Hayes other bishops had even attempted to remove Romero from his position. They had gone to the Vatican saying that Romero was a corrupted individual who was looking out for himself and attempting to gain power. However, none of this worked. Romero wasn’t removed as Archbishop, continued to denounce the government, and refused to attend state ceremonies. This all lead to Romero’s assassination Hayes stated that on March 23rd Romero had spoken out to police officers and soldiers in El Salvador. Appealing to them to stop following the orders of the government once more and to obey God’s higher order. The following day while offering mass at a small chapel at the Divine Providence hospital; a lone gunman enter the chapel and shot Romero in the heart, killing him. An investigation was made on his assassination but was never completed.

An article titled “Life of Oscar Romero: in his own words” written Michael Campbell Johnston explained that Romero had always admitted his mistakes. He often sought out help from other and was always seeking advice. “But once his mind was made up, he was fearless in speaking out, denouncing corruption and evil with no regard for his own personal safety. As he put it, ‘if I denounce and condemn injustice, it is because this is my duty as pastor of an oppressed and downtrodden people. The Gospel enjoins me to do this and, in its name, I am ready to go before the courts, to prison and to death.’ (Johnston “Life of Oscar Romero). Romero was a brave man and didn’t fear what would happen to him. Its likely her knew that he would be harmed in some way or killed, but he spoke out anyway. This, however, didn’t stop him from becoming a martyr in the eyes of the Salvadorian people. On March 30 th hundreds of thousands of people gathered at his funeral: to mourn the man himself and to protest the government killing him. According to the BBC and the Washington Post during the funeral bombs went off and soldiers dressed as civilians began shooting at the crowd from rooftops. People attempted to flee the area and began to stampede over each other. In the end this led to the death of 40 people and the injury of hundreds. This act of terrorism rang across El Salvador. The Salvadorian government wanted to silence the man and silence the people who believed in him, but it didn’t work. Many people continued to view Romero as a Martyr and a hero of Salvador. People continued to protest under his name and use him and the terrorist attack at his funeral as a model of what the Salvadorian government has done and is willing to do.

In terms of my beliefs on Romero’s effectiveness as a revolutionary leader I believe just might be the if not one of the most impactful leaders in Central America. He was able to use his influence and power as Archbishop to send a message to the Salvadorian government. He was also a voice to people who had none. He talked about issues that most people would be killed for to a mass medium and spread the word of what was happening to other countries. By listing the people disappeared and killed, he was making sure that these people were not lost nor forgotten. Romero’s death also spoke volumes and exposed how violent the Salvadorian government was, and how the US was helping them. A major example of this would be the protest at the school of America. According to the book “Wisdom through Failure: A Journey of Compassion, Resistance and Hope” written by Larry Rosebaugh, American people had no idea what the SOA was or what they did until Romero’s assassination. After his death news got of how the US were using tax payers money to train death squads to kill innocent people, and priest. Protest began to form around the military base, and as more people died more protestors joined outside the base. By 1990 a priest by the name of Roy Bourgeois started the “School of America Watch” with thousands of members who continue to invite protest of the school. Archbishop Romero’s work and sacrifice is still honored today. On 2015 Pope Francis labeled Romero as a martyr of the catholic religion and of the people in El Salvador. In 2018 Pope Francis canonized Oscar Romero officially making him a saint of the Catholic religion. Romero was a great man that did everything in his power to protect the people and stop the killings.

Work Cited 1) Adams, Jerome R. Liberators, Patriots, and Leaders of Latin America: 32 Biographies. McFarland & Co., Publishers, 2010. 2) Hayes, Michael A., and David Tombs. Truth and Memory: the Church and Human Rights in El Salvador and Guatemala. Gracewing, 2001. 3) Johnston, Michael C. “Legacy of Oscar Romero: In His Own Words.” Spero News, 24 Mar. 2011, www.speroforum.com/a/50902/The-Legacy-of-Oscar-Romero-in-his-Own-Words. 4) Peadar Kirby, 'A Thoroughgoing Reformer', 26 March 1980, The Irish Times 5) Rosebaugh, Larry, and Kateri Hellman. Pino. To Wisdom through Failure: a Journey of Compassion and Resistance. Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean (EPICA), 2006....