Monsignor Arnulfo Romero, Biography Of A Contemporary Saint

Monsignor Arnulfo Romero is the first Salvadoran and Central American to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. He was also the first Catholic to be consecrated as a martyr, after the Second Vatican Council. It is honored not only by Catholics, but also by Anglicans, Lutherans, and even non-believers.

The name of Monsignor Arnulfo Romero was proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize , in 1979, by the British Parliament. However, eventually, the award fell into the hands of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The priest was canonized in 2018 by Pope Francis.

Monsignor Arnulfo Romero was a legend in life and continues to be so after his death. He was noted for his kindness and for his courage. From the pulpit, he vigorously defended human rights and denounced with his own name those who passed over them. His murder, in the middle of Sunday mass, is considered one of the triggers of the bloodiest phase of the Civil War in El Salvador.

Archbishop Arnulfo Romero: an early vocation

Monsignor Arnulfo Romero was born in Ciudad Barrios, Department of San Miguel, in El Salvador, on August 15, 1917. He came from a  very humble family ; his father was a telegrapher and his mother, a domestic worker. His childhood friends claim that his religious devotion began very early; He always started the day by entering the chapel to pray for his family.

When he finished primary school, he turned to carpentry and music. At just 13 years old, he spoke with a priest and expressed his interest in entering the seminary. His family’s low resources were an obstacle, but thanks to the collaboration of the Claretian community, he was soon able to make his dream come true.

Although he had great difficulties to continue in the seminary, due to the poverty of his family, he stood out there for his commitment and his intelligence. As a result, he was selected to travel to Rome and continue his studies there. In Italy, he had as his teacher who would later become Pope Paul VI.

A life full of ups and downs

There is a little known episode in the life of Monsignor Arnulfo Romero, which took place during the trip back to his homeland. He left Spain in a boat called the Marqués de Comillas. It was the year 1943, and Europe was mired in the middle of World War II.

For this reason, when the ship made a stopover in Cuba, the priest was arrested and taken to a “concentration camp. ” He was mistrusted, since he came from Mussolini’s Italy and Franco’s Spain. He remained in captivity for 127 days, until they were convinced that he was not a spy for the German Axis.

In 1944, he finally returned to El Salvador, after a stay in Mexico. Back in his homeland, he devoted himself with fervor to working for the most vulnerable. He also undertook a successful ecclesiastical career, which led him to become Archbishop of San Salvador on February 3, 1977. By then, his country was already experiencing great internal political tension.

A martyr for America

In fact, many think that Monsignor Arnulfo Romero was conservative when it comes to religion. However, he was also a truly committed Catholic, who did not allow himself to remain silent in the face of the injustices that were being committed in his country. For this reason, he turned his pulpit into a platform from which he denounced human rights violations.

During that time, many religious were assassinated in El Salvador, almost always for the same reason: to position themselves on the side of the poorest. The murders remained in total impunity, but Romero, from his church, repeatedly denounced what was happening. He had an audience with Pope Paul VI to denounce the situation and received the support of the Supreme Pontiff.

However, later on, he went to the new Pope, John Paul II, and he refused to listen to him. In the Vatican, Romero was rumored to be a revolutionary priest and his presence was not welcome. In fact, the Holy Father questioned their claims.

After that episode, Monsignor Romero returned to El Salvador completely dejected. On March 24, 1980, while he was saying mass in his parish, several armed men entered and shot him.

The event shocked the country and is considered the start of a Civil War that left more than 75,000 dead and around 7,000 missing. Today, San Arnulfo Romero is one of the great legends of America.