If They Kill Me I Shall Rise Again in the Salvadoran People safe strict
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Por Hans Egil Offerdal
Número nineteen
�Thus, the poor have shown the church the true mode to get.
A church that does non join the poor
in guild to speak out from the side of the poor
against the injustices committed against them
is not the truthful church building of Jesus Christ.�
Archbishop Oscar Romero, February 17, 1980[one]
A new way of being bishop
Oscar Arnulfo Romero (1917-1980) is one of the most important symbols of Christian love and solidarity. During his time as archbishop of San Salvador he developed into a brave advocate of justice, and a source of forcefulness and hope for poor people in El Salvador. This bishop, that refused to carelessness his people, was killed during a mass in a small-scale chapel in San Salvador March 24, 1980. Romero was paying the price for being on the side of the poor people and defending them.
For Romero the poor was the key to sympathize the Christian organized religion. He reformulated the maxim �Gloria Dei, vivens homo� � the celebrity of God is the living person � of St. Irenaeus, into �Gloria Dei, vivens pauper� � the glory of God is the living poor person.[2] The coming together with the poor of El salvador also made Romero redefine what it meant to be a bishop in the church. In 1 of his most important homilies spoken on June 19,1977, after retaking the possession of an occupied church building in the village of Aguilares he said:
�Information technology has go my job to tend all the wounds produced past the persecution of the Church building � to record all the abuses and pick up the bodies.�[3]
This is a totally new mode of seeing the office of a bishop in the church. To pick upwardly dead bodies turned out to exist the job of the archbishop of San Salvador � not only to hold mass, to requite communion and to preach, but too to pick up dead corpses. Says Jesuit theologian and one of Romero´south ghostwriters, professor Jon Sobrino at UCA[4]:
�That is a symbolic statement, just that is a new definition of a bishop. In time of repression, war and tragedy, he felt that his...obligation was to pick up corpses, to exist incarnated in reality.�[5]
This incarnation into reality was going to be a characteristic of Romero´s ministry as bishop. When he was named archbishop in Feb 1977, replacing the progressive Luis Chávez, the bulk of the church of Republic of el salvador were deeply distressed and saw the nomination as a disaster. At that time Romero was known as a strongly conservative bishop, more or less out of impact with the reality of the country. He was near certainly a compromise between the wide-minded bishop Arturo Rivera who was the preferred pick of the Salvadoran clergy and the ultra-bourgeois military vicar, Eduardo Alvarez.[six] While the priests and faithful in the church of Republic of el salvador were discouraged and upset, the Vatican and the Salvadoran oligarchy were convinced that they at present had a bishop that would strengthen the relations between regime, military and the church. Information technology was well known that Romero had very good relations with government representatives, and people in ability thought that Romero would get the church �back on runway� after archbishop Chávez, who was labelled as a communist past the Salvadoran press. However, both the church building and the government were in for a surprise when judging the new archbishop. Romero turned into a leader that nobody had foreseen. Slained Jesuit professor Ignacio Martín-Baro expressed information technology in the following fashion:
�To the delight of the poor, however, and to the fury of the powerful, to the amazement of the government of El Salvador, the discomfiture of the Vatican, and the disquiet of the United States State Department, Romero became simply Monseñor loved and cherished past the masses.�[seven]
The importance of human life
From existence looked upon as a disaster by the progressive wing of the Salvadoran church building, Romero developed into the most loved (and hated) archbishop of San Salvador. Romero became more than than anything the defender of the poor, or the voice of the voiceless every bit is often said nigh him. Courageously he took the side of the poor people, and fabricated them the focus of his faith. As mentioned previously, he saw the poor as the celebrity of God, or in other words:
�Zippo is and so important to the church every bit man life, as the human being person, above all, the person of the poor and the oppressed, who beside being human beings, are also divine beings, since Jesus said that whatever is washed to them he takes as washed to him. That bloodshed, those deaths, are beyond all politics. They impact the very heart of God.�[8]
Expressed in this statement is the interpretation of Jesus as so present in the people that it is impossible to separate the suffering, crucified people and the Saviour sent past God.[9] It goes back to the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, where he states that what is done to the marginalized people in club is done to him (Matt. 25:35-46). Concretely this ways that when human being beings walk by a poor person without helping him or her, they not simply pass a fellow human being, just also Jesus himself.
This presence of Jesus among poor people is commonly acknowledged by well-nigh (Latin American) so-called liberation theologians.[10] Through the Gospels information technology can be seen how Jesus is in solidarity with the poor people, and that he has come up to give the skilful news to the poor (Luk. 4:eighteen, Luk. 7:22, Matt. 11:5). When Jesus performs his public ministry building he goes to the poor and marginalized, he is attacking the rich and powerful, and in the cease Jesus is killed past the dominant and influent groups. Too, the majority of the offset Christians were poor people and when the church preached the Gospel of Jesus it went out in a world were a great number of the people were poor and downtrodden. The poor are thus seen as a theological source to understand Christian truth and praxis, and the physical identify where to discover God. The Latin American bishops at their coming together in Puebla in 1979 likewise affirmed this. According to the bishops extreme poverty has concrete faces such as the face of kids breathing in poverty, young people who does not discover a place in society, indigenous people who are marginalized and alive in inhuman conditions as the poorest of the poor, and unemployed persons. These are faces where, according to the Latin American bishops, the suffering Christ can exist found.[11] It is in this calorie-free that the importance of the poor for Romero should be seen.
A man of the church
Here we also touch upon some other important characteristic of Romero, he was not a �left-fly theologian�, but outset of all a man of the church building. When Romero identified Jesus with the poor and marginalized of gild, he did it, not simply based upon a personally interpretation of the organized religion, simply also supported by his fellow bishops in the Latin American church. What was special with Romero was that he took the texts and the teaching of the church (whether it was the conclusions from the bishops coming together in Medellín in 1968, Puebla in 1979 or papal encyclicals) seriously. At that place were various bishops in the church building that were personally uncomfortable with this pastoral line and tried to translate it away, or simply overlook information technology.
All the same, Romero was non alone. The (preferential) option for the poor is an old tradition in the church of Latin America. Romero is 1 of many bishops, priests, theologians and lay people that have seen that the church building has to be a church of the poor. He belongs to a tradition of Latin American bishops, from Bartolomé de Las Casas in the sixteen century up to the modern days bishop emeritus Don Samuel Ruiz, that have sided with the poor. Even though the history of the church in Latin America can exist described every bit a holocaust, with participation in mass-murder and destruction, information technology is of import to recognise that at that place also exists a historical tradition of defending the poor. During the centuries many of the church�south men and women accept raised their voice against the injustices committed during the ongoing colonisation of Latin America. Monseñor Romero and Don Samuel are non the only bishops that accept brought forward the legacy of Bartolomé de Las Casas. Outstanding examples include: bishop Cristobal de Pedraza, Honduras (+1547); Mons. Antonio de Valdevieso, Nicaragua (murdered February 26, 1550); bishop Pablo Torres, Panamá (+1554); bishop Tata Vasco de Quiroga, Mexico (+1565); St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, Peru (+1606); bishop Juan del Valle, Colombia (+1562). In our century memorable bishops are archbishop Victor Sanabria, Costa Rica; Mons. Manuel Larrain, Republic of chile; Mons. Gerardo Valencia Cano, Colombia; Mons. Enrique Angelelli, Argentine republic; (assassinated August 4, 1976); Don Hélder Câmara, Brazil; Mons. Raul Silva, Chile; Mons. Leonidas Proaño, Ecuador; Mon. Sergio Méndez Arceo, Mexico and Mons. Juan Gerardi, Republic of guatemala (assassinated April 26, 1998).[12]
It is impossible to empathize the praxis and theology of Romero (and the other bishops mentioned above), without taking into consideration the social situation they were living in. The inhuman social conditions that the majority of the population of El Salvador was suffering opened the optics of Romero. Like many others in Latin America, he felt that the church building had to have an opinion about the globe that it existed in, and with this incarnation into reality taking sides with the poor was the only possible solution for Romero if he should exist faithful to the teachings of Jesus and of the church. This became a source of intense conflict between the Salvadoran church building and the government. People in power, and the U.South. State Department, did not similar that the church was entering into the political loonshit. But for Romero this was not about meddling into politics. It was simply preaching the Gospel and defending human life. The church´s defence of the poor lead to a persecution of bishops, priests, religious and lay people, that were more faithful to the teaching of Jesus and the church building that to various Latin American governments, i.e. the U.Southward. State Department. At Romero´southward fourth dimension handouts with the text Be a Patriot. Kill a Priest. were circulated in front of churches in Republic of el salvador.[xiii] It is crucial to notice that Romero was a traditional theologian and archbishop loyal to the teachings of the church, but in his performance he became a radical, one tin can characterization him a conservative insubordinate.
The risen Romero
Some weeks earlier his death, Romero is believed to have said to the Mexican paper Excelsior:
�I have oft been threatened with death. I must tell you, every bit a Christian, I exercise not believe in a expiry without resurrection. If am killed, I shall arise again in the Salvadoran people...You may say, if they succeed in killing me, that I pardon and anoint those who do it. Would , indeed, that they might be convinced that they will waste their time. A bishop will dice, but God´s church, which is the people, will never perish.�[14]
In March 2000, 20 years after the assassination of Romero, about 40 000 people were celebrating his retentiveness in the streets of San Salvador. People of faith from all over the earth came to honour this 20th century saint. The �Romero bishops�, equally U.Due south. based church commentator Gary McEoin has labelled them[15], Mons. Samuel Ruiz from United mexican states and the poet Mons. Pedro Casaldaliga from Brazil were enthusiastically greeted by thousands of faithfuls. Representing the Roman curia, Cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger K. Mahoney celebrated an outdoor mass for more than thirty 000 people and declared that �we would be betraying the church building if nosotros did not continue working for the poor and for the legitimate struggle to get a more simply social club�.[16] As the commemorations through the by xx years accept showed, Romero has certainly risen in the Salvadoran people, but he has also touched the centre of millions of Christians all over the world. As Jesuit professor Dean Brackley at UCA told me, he is the near universal of all Salvadorans.
Why do people accept this love for Romero? It is hard to give a precise reply to the question, but perhaps a recollection from a poor Salvadoran thinking of Romero every bit his father, might serve as an explanation:
�He made me feel like a person. Considering he loved people like me, and he didn´t act like we made him sick. He talked to united states of america, he touched u.s., he asked us questions. He had conviction in us. You could come across information technology in his eyes that he cared nigh me.�[17]
Romero saw people as human beings, created in the prototype of God, and many people have seen the face of Jesus in this timid archbishop that gave hope to thousands of Salvadorans and continues to requite hope to people all over the world. Mayhap in that location is no need of an official canonisation of Romero, considering in the heart of the poor people he is already San Romero de América.
© Hans Egil Offerdal
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[1] Oscar Romero: The Violence of Beloved. The Words of Oscar Romero, London: Fount Paperbacks, 1989, p. 224
[2] Jon Sobrino: Archbishop Romero. Memories and Reflections, New York: Orbis Books, 1990, pp.15-sixteen
[3] Quoted past Jon Sobrino in María López Vigil: Oscar Romero. Memories in Mosaic, Washington, D.C.: EPICA, 2000, p.170
[4] Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, the Jesuit directed university of San Salvador. On Nov 16, 1989, rector of UCA, Fr. Ignacio Ellacuría was murdered together with Fr. Segundo Montes, Fr. Ignacio Martín-Baró, Fr. Amando López, Fr. Juan Ramón Moreno and Fr. Joaquin López y López. Like archbishop Romero they were murdered because they told the truth virtually what was happening in the country. Jon Sobrino escaped death that night because he was in Thailand. For a detailed description/analysis of the massacre of the half dozen jesuit priests, see Jon Sobrino, Ignacio Ellacuría and Others: Companions of Jesus. The Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador, New York: Orbis Books, 1990
[5] Authors interview with Jon Sobrino, April 15, 1993 at UCA.
[vi] Arturo Rivera had a long history of bug with the Vatican, and was as well, equally auxiliary bishop of Chávez, the brain behind nigh of the pastoral line of activity in the Salvadoran church building, strongly disliked by the rich and powerful in El Salvador. Eduardo Alvarez, on the other hand, was peradventure almost famous for his blessing of war machine helicopters before they went on their missions in the Salvadoran jungle (Ann Daly: Oscar Romero. Martyr for the poor, Dublin: Veritas Publications, 1989, p.12). After taking part equally archbishop Romero sent a letter to Cardinal Baggio, perfect of the Congregation of Bishops in the Vatican, describing Alvarez as a man that was highly unpopular in his diocese considering of his love of the military. Co-ordinate to Romero the Salvadoran Bishop´south conference judged Alvarez to be ineffective and dissentious as military vicar, and wanted to abolish the vicariate. (James Brockman: Romero. A life, New York: Orbis Books, 1989, p.74)
[7] Ignacio Martín-Baro, Oscar Romero: Voice of the downtrodden, i Archbishop Oscar Romero, Voice of the Voiceless. The Four Pastoral Letters and Other Statements, Orbis Books, New York, 1985, p. 1
[8] Oscar Romero: The Violence of Love. The Words of Oscar Romero, London: Fount Paperbacks, 1989, p. 236
[9] For a broader treatment of the concept of �the crucified people�, see Jon Sobrino: Jesus in Latin America, New York: Orbis Books, 1987, pp. 159-165, Jon Sobrino: Jesus the Liberator. A Historical-Theological View, New York: Orbis Books, 1993, pp. 195-271, and peculiarly Jon Sobrino: The principle of mercy. Taking the crucified people from the Cross, New York: Orbis Books, 1994.
[10] Run into, amongst others, Jon Sobrino: The True Church and the Poor, New York: Orbis Books, 1984, Gustavo Gutiérrez: The Power of the Poor in History, London: SCM Press, 1983 and José Miguez Bonino (ed.): Faces of Jesus. Latin American christologies, New York: Orbis Books, 1984.
[11] Conferencia General del Episcopado Latinoamericano: La evangelizacion en el presente y en el futuro de America Latina: Puebla, conclusiones de la III Conferencia General del Episcopado Latinoamericano, Montevideo: Ediciones Paulinas, 1979, # 31-39
[12] For a cursory recapture of some of the mentioned bishops, see leaflet Secretariado Internacional Cristiano de Solidaridad con America Latina: Monseñor Romero no esta solo, Mexico D.F.: SICSAL, no date.
[13] For an excellent handling of this outcome, run into Penny Lernoux: Cry of the people. The struggle for human being rights in Latin America. The Catholic Church in conflict with U.Southward. policy, New York: Penguin Books, 1991
[fourteen] Quoted in James Brockman: Romero. A life, New York: Orbis Books, 1989, p.248
[fifteen] Gary McEoin: �Romero Presente�, in National Catholic Reporter, Kansas Urban center: National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company, April 14, 2000, p.5
[16] Teresa Malcolm: �El Salvador celebrates Romero´s legacy�, in National Catholic Reporter, Kansas Urban center: National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company, April 7, 2000, p.ix
[17] Recollected by Regina Garcia in María López Vigil: Oscar Romero. Memories in Mosaic, Washington, D.C.: EPICA, 2000, p.423
Hans Egil Offerdal
Visiting professor, ITESM-CEM
Source: http://www.razonypalabra.org.mx/anteriores/n19/19_hegil.html
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