St Oscar Romero

Posted on 25. Oct, 2018, in Achievement, Charity, Christian Values, Gospel Values, Humanitarian Aid, SaintsComments Off on St Oscar Romero

play pause stop

mute unmute

Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

Oscar Romero, the murdered archbishop of San Salvador who spoke up for the poor and oppressed was declared a saint on Oct 14th of this year. The ceremony featured seven new saints altogether, including Pope John Paul VI and, as the Vatican put it, “five other lesser-known blessed.”

Romero, who stood up to a violent regime, was killed by a right-wing death squad on a church altar in 1980. He was a strong influence on Pope Francis, who as soon as be became pope, authorised Romero’s canonisation process.

In the ceremony at the Vatican, Francis said, Romero “left the security of the world, even his own safety, in order to give his life according to the gospel — close to the poor and to his people.”

Here Miriam Gormally talks with Michael O’Sullivan,  who worked in Chile under a similar brutal regime and who has written and spoken extensively about Oscar Romero.

He also chaired and co-organised the first conference in Ireland on Liberation Theology and his inspiring struggle on behalf of the people of Chile has become the subject of a documentary film. Entitled “A Jesuit with the People”

Miriam began by asking Michael if he was always expecting his canonisation.