Pope Francis received a a group of bishops and pilgrims from El Salvador that traveled to the Vatican to give thanks for the beatification of fours martyrs who were killed before and during the Salvadoran civil war in the 1970's.
God that is all love and mercy has allowed us to be here in front of you again.
The Pope told them that he has two relics of Salvadoran martyrs in his study: of Oscar Romero and of the Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande, and that they inspire him to fight injustice as shown in the Gospel.
POPE FRANCIS
They remind me that there are injustices that need to be fought for, and they showed the way.
And this project of journey, of spiritual journey, of prayer, of struggle, sometimes must take they form of denunciation, of protest, not political, never, but always evangelical.
After their audience with the Pope, the Salvadoran community celebrated Mass in Rome, displaying portraits of their martyrs. Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez, presided over the beatification ceremony of the four new blesseds in Januray, and said the pilgrims traveling with him were greatly impacted by their meeting with Pope Francis.
CARD. GREGORIO ROSA CHÁVEZ
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus, San Salvador, El Salvador
They admired how the Pope took time to meet with each person, that's not common in his daily schedule. It is such a great act of love for this people that has suffered so much and that is in memory of the martyrs. This evening, we have a gallery of martyrs here with us. We are very pleased with our meeting with the Holy Father.
In his homily, Archbishop José Luis Escobar said that although they were killed, the Salvadoran martyrs have been immortalized through their efforts to advance the cause of justice that ultimately cost them their lives.
ABP. JOSÉ LUIS ESCOBAR ALAS
Archdiocese of San Salvador, El Salvador
Our martyrs have been glorified, when they were murdered, the murderers thought they would finish with them.
Our martyrs live, they live gloriously, it is they, the killers, that hide, that don't show their face or name, that live in darkness.
Several other Salvadoran martyrs are in the canonization process. Among them so far, only Óscar Romero, the former Archbishop of San Salvador who was killed in 1980 while celebrating Mass, has been declared a saint.
JM
