Oscar Romero: A life dedicated to helping the poor

In his sermons, Romero, who was beatified in 2015, repeatedly condemned security forces' attacks on El Salvador’s civilian population. He was murdered by a gunman on March 24, 1980, while holding mass. His death marked the beginning of El Salvador’s civil war (1980-1992).

In El Salvador, Oscar Arnulfo Romero is revered as a national hero and advocate of peace and justice. In 2011, then US President Barack Obama knelt before the grave of the "Bishop of the Poor." The UN declared March 24, the date of Romero’s assassination, "International Day for the Right to the Truth ."

After the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States at the end of 2014, Pope Francis set an example of reconciliation by declaring that Romero was no longer regarded as a "revolutionary" or "communist," but as a defender of human rights. "Someone who defends the poor with his life is also a saint," liberation theologian Leonardo Boff told DW.

A UN commission named Roberto D'Aubuisson, founder of El Salvador’s right-wing conservative party ARENA, as the mastermind behind Romero’s murder. However, an amnesty law passed in 1993 prevented him from being tried even posthumously for the crime. Romero is counted as one of the more than 70,000 victims of the Salvadoran civil war.

According to the Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador, Gregorio Rosa, "something strange is happening" with Oscar Romero. "The more time passes, the more people are enthusiastic about him, follow him, love him, are moved by his story, by his person." Romero is already considered a "saint of America" throughout Central America.

Romero has left his traces even in Germany and inspired the foundation of organizations such as the Christian Initiative Romero (CIR). "He is an example of solidarity with the poor. His legacy is to give them a voice and to support the demands of countries of the south," CIR’s Anne Nibbenhagen told DW.

About 7,000 Salvadorans traveled to Rome to witness Oscar Romero’s canonization. Already beatified, Romero was to be canonized together with Pope Paul VI and German nun Maria Katharina Kasper and three others.

"My greetings and my blessing to the young people who have gathered for Monsignor Romero’s canonization," Pope Francis declared. And, addressed to Romero: "Please do not forget to pray for me." In his own way, Francis was pointing to the great difficulties behind achieving Romero#s canonization, which was long opposed at the highest ranks of the Church.