Archdiocese of El Salvador commemorates anniversary of death of Archbishop Romero

San Salvador, El Salvador, Mar 22, 2007 / 07:42 am

Archbishop Fernando Saenz of San Salvador announced that next Saturday, March 24, the Church in El Salvador will commemorate the 27th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero.

Calling the assassination of “terrible sacrilege,” Archbishop Saenz told reporters the day would begin with pilgrimages to the crypt of the Cathedral where Archbishop Romero is buried and that the central act would be a Mass at midday, concelebrated by priests from around the country.

In addition, he said another Mass would be celebrated at the Cathedral in the evening by Bishop Alvaro Ramozzino of San Marcos, Guatemala.  

Asked about the state of Archbishop Romero’s cause of beatification, which was opened in 1984, Archbishop Saenz said, “It is in the early stages, as I understand the case has not yet been released from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and sent to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.”

“The way to accelerate this process,” he said, is “to not hinder it with political maneuvering or by politicizing his figure, and secondly, the most important thing is to ask for extraordinary favors, miraculous cures, even with much faith in God our Lord through Archbishop Romero.”

Archbishop Romero was assassinated on March 24, 1980 by a paid assassin during the civil war that shook the country until 1992, when the government and the guerrilla signed a peace agreement mediated by the United Nations.