Vatican theologians reportedly recognize martyrdom of Oscar Romero

Last updated on: January 9, 2015 at 6:35 pm by CNA Daily News

Vatican theologians reportedly recognize martyrdom of Oscar Romero 2015-01-09T18:35:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Jan 9, 2015 / 11:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- According to Italy's daily Catholic newspaper, the commission of theologians at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has recognized the 1980 assassination of Salvadoran archbishop Oscar Romero as a martyrdom.

“According to canonical practice, all that remains for the beatification is the judgement of the commission of bishops and cardinals and finally the approbation of the Pope, concluding the procedure that would soon lead to beatification” Avvenire's Stefania Falasca wrote Jan. 8.

The theologians unanimously approved a finding that the archbishop was killed for hatred of the faith, and thus that his death was a martyrdom.

Oscar Romero y Galdamez was Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until March 24, 1980, when he was shot while saying Mass. He was a vocal critic of the human rights abuses of the repressive Salvadoran government, and he spoke out on behalf of the poor and the victims of the government.

No one has been prosecuted for his assassination, but right-wing death squads are suspected.

Archbishop Romero's cause of canonization was opened in 1993, but was reportedly held up in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2000 to 2005; as part of the inquiry in a cause of sainthood, the doctrinal dicastery is charged with reviewing the subject's writings to ensure they are free of error.

Both Pope Francis and Benedict XVI hold Archbishop Romero in high regard.

En route to Brazil on May 9, 2007, Benedict told journalists that the Salvadoran “was certainly an important witness of the faith, a man of great Christian virtue who worked for peace and against the dictatorship, and was assassinated while celebrating Mass. Consequently, his death was truly 'credible', a witness of faith.”

“The problem,” he continued, “was that a political party wrongly wished to use him as their badge, as an emblematic figure. How can we shed light on his person in the right way and protect it from these attempts to exploit it?”

Archbishop Romero has been held up particularly by supporters of Marxism, because of his advocacy for the poor and his opposition to the Salvadoran military government.

Benedict continued: “This is the problem. It is under examination and I await confidently what the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will have to say on the matter.”

During his Jan. 7 General Audience address, Pope Francis quoted Archbishop Romero's saying that mothers experience a “martyrdom of motherhood,” and went on to quote extensively from one of the archbishop's homilies, for the funeral of a priest assassinated by death squads.

And while on his flight to South Korea on Aug. 18, 2014, Pope Francis said it is “very important” to “quickly” move forward Archbishop Romero's cause, adding that “for me Romero is a man of God, but the process has to be followed, and the Lord too has to give his sign… If he wants to do it, he will do it.”

“What I would like is a clarification about martyrdom in odium fidei, whether it can occur either for having confessed the Creed or for having done the works which Jesus commands with regard to one’s neighbour. And this is a task for the theologians. They are studying it.”

With the latest news from the theologians of the congregations for saints' causes, it seems the theologians have made the clarification they were asked for.

Vatican

Previous Post

January 9, 2015

Pope: Spend a lot of time looking in the mirror? You might be a narcissist

Next Post

January 9, 2015 The faith that has been in Iraq 2,000 years 'cannot disappear so easily'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What part of the body does the Breastplate of Righteousness protect?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The head The stomach The heart The back