Oscar Romero's beatification: Thirty-five years in the making

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people will descend upon El Salvador to celebrate the beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero. There's been a lot written about Oscar Romero these last few days but here are a few highlights.

Tommie Sue Montgomery has a post on Oscar Arnulfo Romero Remembered /Recordando el Arzobispo Oscar Arnulfo Romero.

I had the privilege and honour of meeting, interviewing, and getting to know “Monseñor”—as he was affectionately called.  He was one of the moral giants of the late 20th century—up there with Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and other Latin American Catholic bishops who spoke truth to power during the dark years of military dictatorships.  I have never known anyone as humble, as clear in his faith, as courageous and unflinching. 

Carlos Dada of El Faro has The Beatification of Óscar Romero in The New Yorker.

The Church has now declared that Romero was killed because of his faith. Yet the death squads, the military, and the wealthy financiers of his killing all professed to be followers of Christ. Some of them, still alive, are active members of church communities, give lots of money to Catholic conservative organizations, send their kids to Catholic schools, and never miss a Sunday Mass. They say that they have God to thank for all their possessions (never mind their corruption, exploitation of the poor, repression, impunity, and historical position as the effective owners of the state). On religious grounds, they firmly oppose abortion, gay marriage, and birth control. They were not opposed to killing thousands of people who challenged their point of view. And, during the reigns of John Paul and Benedict, they also had leverage in Rome.

Rep. Jim McGovern published Time to Answer Romero's Call to Action in The Huffington Post.

I am hopeful that the power of Romero's message can inspire new activism on behalf of the poor and a better understanding of their plight and struggles -- in El Salvador, the United States and around the world. Romero reminded us, "There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried." With the beatification of Romero, we have an opportunity to renew our commitment and honor his legacy by giving a voice to the poor and neglected in every nation. Now is the time to stand on the right side of history and help those who need it most.

I submitted a post as well and will post it here tomorrow if I don't here back from anyone. In case you can't wait, here are my thoughts from 2010.