Romero At 100 . . . The Background Of A Modern Catholic Icon
By RAY CAVANAUGH When hearing of Blessed Oscar Romero, one tends to think of his assassination and martyrdom. With good reason, the former Salvadoran archbishop’s violent 1980 death has received thorough coverage. Neglected by comparison, however, has been the earlier part of his life, which began 100 years ago this August 15. Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was born in the early hours of the morning in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. Located about ten miles from the Honduran border, the town, which sits at about 3,000 feet above sea level, was so remote that “until the 1940s it could be reached only on horseback or by foot from the rest of El Salvador,” as related by Jesuit author James R.…Continue Reading