30 years ago today Oscar Romero was assassinated while leading a communion service in his country, El Salvador. He took a strong stance for social justice and asked the dictator of the country and the army to stop killing the poor indiscriminately. In the midst of enormous disparity of wealth between rich and poor he said, ""When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises (8/6/78)." When Marxist rebels thought he was backing their war he wrote,
"There can be no true liberation until people are freed from sin. All the liberationist groups that spring up in our land should bear this in mind. The first liberation to be proposed by a political group that truly wants the people's liberation must be to free oneself from sin. While one is a slave of sin – of selfishness, violence, cruelty, and hatred – one is not fitted for the people's liberation."
MARCH 2, 1980
As we approach Holy Week, may we heed Romero's call to seek the forgiveness of sins that comes from Jesus. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will free us from sins that overpower our human weakness. May God free us all.
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