Pope decrees slain Salvadoran Archbishop Romero a martyr

[Good_Tidings]

VATICAN CITY – Thirty-five years after he was gunned down by a right-wing death squad as he celebrated Mass, Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero moved a step closer to possible sainthood Tuesday when Pope Francis declared he was a martyr killed out of hatred for his Catholic faith.
The decree by the first Latin American pope ended decades of debate over whether Romero – a hero of the liberation theology movement – was slain for his politics or his preaching. It opens the way for Romero to be beatified as early as this year, though no date has been set.

nwherald.com/2015/02/04/pope-decrees-slain-salvadoran-archbishop-romero-a-martyr/abod8za/?page=1

 

[christofirst]

I am happy to hear this news, as I have long admired Archbishop Romero’s life and ministry.

I guess the issue here is that it was common to expect that one declared a martyr would die directly in defense of the faith. You know what I mean, the whole “convert or die” or “renounce the faith or face the sword” sort of scenario. This seems to broaden our understanding of martyrdom, at least based on my understanding, but I have no problem with it. Archbishop Romero was murdered for his faith, unyielding in the face of great pressure to condone or ignore the injustice going on around him. At least, that’s how I see it (and apparently Pope Francis and the Vatican commission too).

I wonder how this decision will effect the cause of the seven Trappist monks of Tibhirine, killed in Algeria in 1996. Have they officially been declared martyrs yet? They should be.

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

A noble servant of our Lord. It is truly tragic that he was killed by a death squad for having the courage to state that death squad killings are wrong. May we all strive to, in his words :be prepared to die for God, even in the event that the Good Lord does not call us to that".

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I am happy to hear this news, as I have long admired Archbishop Romero’s life and ministry.

I guess the issue here is that it was common to expect that one declared a martyr would die directly in defense of the faith. You know what I mean, the whole “convert or die” or “renounce the faith or face the sword” sort of scenario. This seems to broaden our understanding of martyrdom, at least based on my understanding, but I have no problem with it. Archbishop Romero was murdered for his faith, unyielding in the face of great pressure to condone or ignore the injustice going on around him. At least, that’s how I see it (and apparently Pope Francis and the Vatican commission too).

I wonder how this decision will effect the cause of the seven Trappist monks of Tibhirine, killed in Algeria in 1996. Have they officially been declared martyrs yet? They should be.

Yes they should be! I’ve never read anything about the status of their cause in Rome, however.