A Prophetic Bishop Speaks to his People (Vol. 1) Volume 1 - Complete Homilies of Oscar Romero

by Romero, Oscar Arnulfo

• ISBN13: 9781934996584
• ISBN10: 1934996580
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-04-10
• Publisher: Convivium Press

Summary

This volume is the first in an ambitious initiative by the Romero Trust and Convivium Press to provide English translations of a series of books about the martyred Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. Romero has been attracting a growing interest worldwide because of his prophetic words and his option for the poor, which he faithfully lived out until his assassination at the altar. With an integrity and authenticity rare in the contemporary church, Romero managed to find an extraordinary synthesis between orthodoxy and the way it is practiced, and he exhibited a beautiful blend of deep prayerful spirituality and effective action for justice. Because of these achievements, he has become an increasingly attractive ecclesiastical figure for the twenty first century and a genuine icon for our skeptical times. The United Nations has recognized him, and the Anglican Communion has virtually canonized him by including him with a special collect prayer in its annual liturgical calendar. From the time Romero was named archbishop of San Salvador on February 22, 1977 until he was murdered at the altar on March 24, 1980, he delivered 193 homilies that were broadcast to the nation by radio. These homilies were later transcribed and published in six volumes in El Salvador. The homilies are the impassioned voice of a prophetic pastor addressing his people and his nation at a time of unprecedented crisis and violence. Romero unrelentingly condemns the repression of the people at the hands of the powerful and resolutely commits the Church to the difficult and dangerous struggle for justice and human rights. The homilies offer an unsparing indictment of the harsh political reality of El Salvador but never cease to summon Salvadorans to respond courageously to the Gospel precepts of peace, love, and social equality. Presented in a style suitable for both specialists and the general readership, the present volume is an English translation of the first 46 homilies, delivered between March 14th and November 25th, 1977, corresponding to the first volume of the original Spanish edition. Besides the regular Sunday homilies, this volume includes others given at the funeral masses of Fr. Rutilio Grande, Fr. Alfonso Navarro, and Foreign Minister Mauricio Borgonovo, all victims of death squads. Editor and Translator, Joseph V. Owens, is a Jesuit who has spent most of his active career working in the Caribbean and Central America. His various ministries have included grass-roots organizing, pastoral work, radio apostolate, and teaching.

Author Biography

Oscar Romero, born in Ciudad Barrios, on August 15th 1917, studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained priest in 1942. He served the diocese of San Miguel for 25 years. In 1967 he moved to San Salvador as Secretary General of the National Bishops Conference. With little pastoral involvement he lived in the Jesuit run seminary and became speechwriter to the Nuncio. In 1970, appointed Auxiliary Bishop, he expressed frequent criticism of the social involvement of the clergy that had come in the wake of the Medellin Conference of the Continent s Bishops. In 1974 he was named to the rural diocese of Santiago de Maria and found himself once more caught up in the rural people s struggle for survival. In 1977 he was the surprise choice as San Salvador s new archbishop. Over three years he became the voice of the voiceless poor, speaking the truth about the violations of human rights and the exploitation of the poor. His weekly sermons were legendary and gave hope to the communities suffering terrible repression. He saw six of his priests and dozens of lay leaders assassinated by the security forces before he himself was gunned down at the altar as he celebrated a requiem mass on Monday March 24th 1980. He is venerated in Latin America and throughout the world as a Vatican II Bishop who made a fundamental option for the poor and gave his life for his people. He is already Servant of God Romero, the first step on the ladder to Sainthood. The cause for his Beatification was accepted in Rome in 1997. Ten years later Pope Benedict XVI stated that Romero himself merits beatification, I do not doubt. In that light the official recognition of Archbishop Romeros sanctity will surely be forthcoming.