This Week in Christian History: Oscar Romero, Gregorian Calendar, Gutenberg Bible

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, February 18, 2018

Oscar Romero Made Archbishop of San Salvador - February 23, 1977

A 1979 photo of Oscar Arnulfo Romero (1917-1980), former archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador. | (Photo: Public Domain)

This week marks the anniversary of when influential Latin American Catholic cleric Oscar Romero became Archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador.

Previously ordained an auxiliary bishop of San Salvador in 1970, upon becoming archbishop Romero became an outspoken voice for the poor and against the repression taking place in his country.

"From his Cathedral pulpit Archbishop Romero became the voice of the voiceless poor," noted the United Kingdom-based Archbishop Romero Trust.

"There, in a society of cover-up and lies, he spoke the truth of what was happening in the countryside; he denounced the killings, the torture and the disappearances of community leaders; he demanded justice and recompense for the atrocities committed by the army and police and he set up legal aid projects and pastoral programmes to support the victims of the violence."

His denunciations of political violence eventually led to his assassination in 1980. In 2015, Pope Francis officially beatified Romero, putting him one step closer to sainthood.