Óscar Romero

The Archbishop of San Salvador who spoke out for the poor and was shot dead while celebrating Mass; he was canonized as a saint in 2018.

Life

Conservative priest

Romero was originally a conservative cleric and became Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977. Soon afterward his close friend Father Grande, a Jesuit priest who served the peasants, was murdered, and from then on he was transformed.

Radio sermons

In weekly radio sermons he publicly listed killings of civilians by the military and paramilitary groups and called on soldiers to stop the killing.

Martyrdom

On March 24, 1980, he was shot dead by a gunman while celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel. Shooting broke out again at his funeral, leaving dozens dead, and the Salvadoran Civil War soon erupted in full, lasting twelve years.

Legacy

Romero is regarded as a symbol of human rights in Latin America, and the United Nations designated March 24 as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.

Major works & achievements

• Radio homilies

Did you know? In 2018, Pope Francis canonized him as a saint.

Key dates

• 1977Becomes archbishop
• 1979Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
• 1980Assassinated while saying Mass
• 2018Canonized as a saint