Oscar Romero: A faith that does justice

Thirty-five years ago, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated by right-wing death squads in El Salvador. The failure of the first junta that came to power in the October 1979 coup and the murder of Archbishop Romero marked the "official" beginning of the country's civil war. Romero had supported the October coup but withdrew his support when the new government could not, or would not, get control over the military and its repressive campaign.

The US believed that extending military assistance to the Salvadoran military and government would help it to gain leverage over its more repressive elements. Romero thought that was naive and partly a consequence of US personnel who had little knowledge of the country. Instead, he wrote President Jimmy Carter and encouraged him not to increase US military to the country. Increased US assistance would only make matters worse. Romero criticized the Left who saw revolutionary violence as a potential solution to the violence of the government. The Archbishop also condemned the actions of the military and told its soldiers that they should not obey an unjust law or order that goes against the laws of God. While some on the left also seemed to have considered killing the Archbishop, Roberto D'Aubuisson and the right-wing pulled the trigger, as they did on most advocates for justice at the time.

Archbishop Romero was at the forefront of what those of us who teach in the Jesuit tradition call a faith that does justice. His understanding of the Bible led him to become actively engaged in the world around him. He didn't just speak from the pulpit to call for an end to the violence.

He worked with the women of Co-Madres and actually encouraged their organization as a group, individuals across the political spectrum in El Salvador searching for a solution to the country's violence and poverty, and diplomatic representatives from other countries interested in the country's developments, including US Ambassador Robert White.

In case you are in the area, the Education for Justice program that I direct will be screening Monseñor: The Last Journey of Oscar Romero tonight at 7pm in Brennan 228 on the University of Scranton campus.