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Wednesday November 7, 2007

Commemoration of XXV Anniversary of the murder of Msgr. Romero

Susana Barrera, SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, February 4, 2005

Diverse civil society organizations and Catholic and Protestant Churches are preparing to commemorate the 25th Taxi Heathrow Airport anniversary of the martyrdom of Msgr. Oscar Arnulfo Romero.

The official commemoration will begin next March 24, which is also Holy Thursday, with a visit to the sepulcher of Msgr. Romero who was murdered March 24, 1980 by a paramilitary commando.

That day there will be a silent pilgrimage called "The Living Prophet" from the Sagrado Corazon basilica in the center of San Salvador to the pastor´s crypt in the Metropolitan Cathedral.

March 26 and 27 will be days dedicated to youth. There will be vigils and  pilgrimages from the Salvador del Mundo Plaza, a monument dedicated to the  national patron, where there is also a bust of Romero, to the Cathedral.

Romero is the maximum symbol of Church persecution during the civil war that wracked El Salvador from 1980 to 1992, which left 75,000 dead in its wake and 8,000 disappeared. During the civil war, 28 priests and the Catholic bishop were assassinated.

Romero was murdered March 24, 1980 at 6:45 in the afternoon while offering mass in the Divina Providencia chapel in a cancer hospital on the outskirts of San Salvador. A shot fired from a sharpshooter hit him in the heart. However, diverse reports point to the founder of ruling ARENA party, Roberto D´Abuisson as the intellectual author of the crime.

The main celebration will take place on April 2. It will begin with a celebration in the Plaza Civica, in front of the Cathedral. Here, 13 years ago, peace was signed. There will be different events from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The Vatican is studying a request to beatify Msgr. Romero. Born August 15, 1917 he was consecrated Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977.