Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero has been Raised to Sainthood

October 14th, 2018
A crowd of 70,000 faithful huddled in St. Peters Square witnessed as Pope Francis elevated Oscar Arnulfo Romero to Sainthood. Among them were five thousand Salvadorans who made the pilgrimage to Vatican City to venerate their prophet, El Salvador’s cherished archbishop who was martyred (español) by the Salvadoran army on March 24, 1980.

The Pope, wearing the blood-stained rope belt that Romero wore when he was shot, also bestowed sainthood to Pope Paul VI, Nazaria Ignacia of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Francesco Spinelli, Vincenzo Romano and Mary Caterina Kasper and Nunzio.

Across El Salvador, and in many latin American countries, tens of thousands held vigils and over the night watched the Mass live on giant TV screens in public squares.

ESA01. SAN SALVADOR (EL SALVADOR), 22/05/2015.- Cientos de devotos del mártir salvadoreño Óscar Arnulfo Romero inician una procesión hoy, viernes 22 de mayo de 2015, en el marco de las actividades previas a la beatificación, mañana, del asesinado monseñor en San Salvador (El Salvador). Se espera la presencia de cerca de 300.000 personas en el acto de beatificación, programado para las 10:00 hora local (16:00 GMT) de este sábado. EFE/Oscar Rivera

ES3009. SAN SALVADOR (EL SALVADOR), 10/10/2018.- Representantes de varias organizaciones sociales de El Salvador se manifiestan hoy, 10 de octubre de 2018, en San Salvador (El Salvador). Los activistas de derechos humanos, pidieron al juez instructor del proceso penal por el asesinato de monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero “acelerar” las diligencias del caso y garantizar un “pronto juicio”. EFE/Rodrigo Sura

Nuns take part in the “pilgrimage of light” in San Salvador, on the eve of blessed Monsignor Oscar Romero’s canonization on October 13, 2018. – Hundreds of churchgoers from around Central America paraded in San Salvador Saturday to celebrate the impending canonization of slain Salvadoran cleric Oscar Romero. (Photo by MARVIN RECINOS / AFP)

Romero, after witnessing the constant repression by the Salvadoran government towards its own people, preached nonviolence and denounced injustices, amid an escalating civil war that would go on to displace over 1,000,000 Salvadorans and cost the lives of an estimated 80,000 people.

Cecilia Flores de Rivas is recognized by the highest authorities of the Catholic Church as the living miracle that allows the canonization of Archbishop Romero.

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