Archbishop Romero on sainthood track: 'Overwhelming joy' in El Salvador

[Judi Lynn]

10. Why it’s such a big deal that Oscar Romero was declared a martyr by Pope Francis

Why it’s such a big deal that Oscar Romero was declared a martyr by Pope Francis
By Elahe Izadi February 5 at 1:38 PM

Pope Francis's declaration of Archbishop Oscar Romero as a martyr has been met with an outpouring of emotions in the slain priest's native El Salvador, where he is a revered figure and where wounds of a war that started soon after his 1980 assassination remain fresh.

In Romero's home town, Ciudad Barrios, churches blasted music and people set off fireworks upon this week's announcement, La Prensa Grafica reported.

"It is an overwhelming joy,” said Gregorio Rosa Chavez, a Romero disciple and auxiliary bishop of San Salvador, the Los Angeles Times reported. "A lot of us said, 'We’re never going to see this happen.'. . . Well today, we’re seeing it happen, bendito sea Dios (thank God)."

For many Salvadorans, the designation had been a long time coming. Francis made the declaration after years of theological questioning as to whether Romero died for his religion or for political reasons, as well as opposition among some in the church.

Romero's path to becoming an outspoken advocate of the poor ended with his 1980 assassination, ordered by right-wing officials. He had been celebrating Mass when a gunman shot him in the heart. His death became a pivotal point at the start of El Salvador's bloody 12-year civil war, which left about 75,000 people dead.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/05/why-its-such-a-big-deal-that-oscar-romero-was-declared-a-martyr-by-pope-francis/?tid=hpModule_04941f10-8a79-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e