Archbishop Oscar Romero recognized a martyr by Pope Francis

As I am sure you have heard by now, Pope Francis has signed off on recognizing Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero a martyr. The decision follows last month's ruling by a Vatican panel on that same issue. I have no doubt that Oscar Romero was killed because of his faith.

His faith caused him to speak out on behalf of the poor and the suffering. He spoke out against right-wing and left-wing violence. He spoke out against US support for the country's military. He supported Co-Madres and other groups that sought to promote human dignity. It was not leftist ideology that caused Romero to act and speak in this way, but his understanding of the Bible.

However, a concern that is often left out of a discussion of Romero's politics is his involvement with the October 1979 coup. He counseled those who participated in the removal of the old and establishment of the new government. He encouraged those who wavered to support the new government because it was, in many ways, the last opportunity to avoid full-scale civil war. However, he encouraged them to support the new government and to push it in a more positive direction, warts and all, because it was the Christian thing to do. The Christian faith required them to find a nonviolent solution to the escalating violence between the left and the right.

As a result, he received death threats from both the revolutionary left and the ultraright.

He supported the first junta but spoke out against the violence of the military. As the first junta became the second junta, Romero continued to speak out against the violence of the military and the US support for it. The US spoke publicly in favor of the military but privately it pushed for reform. The US also hoped that increased aid to the military would give it greater leverage over the Salvadoran military. Romero's continued outspokenness against military repression and criticism of US aid caused great friction between Archbishop Romero and the US government.

It is possible that our new Ambassador Robert White would have been able to find common ground with the Archbishop in order to avoid all out war, possible, but Romero was assassinated by right-wing assassins shortly after White's arrival in the country as Ambassador.