THE FEAST DAY OF ST OSCAR ROMERO - 24TH MARCH 2026
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
In El Salvador in the 1970’s and 1980’s, social tensions erupted into a civil war which lasted twelve years and left over 75,000 people dead. Archbishop Romero set up pastoral programs to assist the victims of oppression. At the same time, he became even more outspoken, condemning human rights violations, and defending the preferential option for the poor.
Archbishop Romero appealed desperately to the Salvadoran military to stop killing their own people. “No soldier is obliged to obey an order that goes against the law of God”, he said. “I beseech you. I beg you. I command you! In the name of God: ‘Cease the repression!’’ It was his last radio broadcast.
At 6.30pm, on Monday 24 March 1980, the Archbishop of San Salvador was celebrating Mass in the chapel of the Divine Providence hospital. A car pulled up outside, and a single gunman fired a single shot from the doorway straight into Oscar Romero’s heart.
Moments earlier, the Archbishop had been speaking about how “Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ, will live like the grain of wheat that dies…”.
Recognized as “a martyr for the faith”, he was beatified on 23 May 2015 in San Salvador. On 14 October 2018, in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis proclaimed Oscar Arnulfo Romero a saint. For the occasion, the Pope chose to wear the same blood-stained belt that Romero was wearing at the altar when he died.
There are two videos below. The first features the man himself and the second is the full film ‘Romero’ about his life. A powerful and moving account of the life of the saint.
“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” – Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero.
Comments