It was a Mass to honor the life of a martyr who will soon be declared a Blessed. Thirty five years ago, on March 24th, Msgr. Oscar Romero was shot to death in El Salvador as he celebrated Mass.
The Vatican has confirmed that he will be declared a Blessed on May 23rd.
MANUEL ROBERTO LOPEZ
El Salvador's Ambassador to the Holy See
'His sacrifice was not in vain. His sacrifice is a beacon of light that illuminates the Universal Church.â?
Msgr. Oscar Romero was shot to death in San Salvador at the age of 62. He was killed at the height of a bloody civil war, after calling for the military to stop killing innocent civilians.
Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia will most likely preside over his beatification Mass, celebrated the Mass in Rome in the Basilica of St. Bartolomeo.
Several ambassador to the Holy See also attended. The international presence of the diplomatic corps, highlights the universal reach of Msgr. Romero life and message.
AIDA LUZ SANTOS DE ESCOBAR
El Salvador's Ambassador to Italy
'The diplomatic corps shows its support and stands with us during this time, but I would like ambassadors to take it even a step further and to promote human rights in their respective governments.â?
MANUEL ROBERTO LOPEZ
El Salvador's Ambassador to the Holy See
'There's a lot of people, even some presidents who have confirmed their attendance without even being invited. This proves, just like the postulator said, that the beatification is not for Msgr. Romero, rather it's a message for us.â?
More than 250,000 Salvadorians attended his funeral Mass, days after he was killed.
The canonization process of Msgr. Oscar Romero was stalled for decades. Many had questioned whether his stance was too political or if he sympathized with liberation theology.
Those accusations were officially cleared on February 3rd when he was declared a martyr by the Vatican.
KLH
MG
-PR
Up: MPI
