Oscar Romero

El Salvadorian ecclesiastic, an activist Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador and martyr. A tireless worker for the poor and deeply devoted to justice, he was a gentle man considered a cautious nebbish who would cause difficulties for anyone. But when his friend and colleague, Father Grande, was murdered in 1977 for espousing liberation theology, the scales fell from his eyes. He denounced the military regime. He came close to militant political activism, frowned upon by Pope John Paul II, making it difficult for the Vatican to appraise him.

On 4 March 1980, he was murdered in front of the altar, shot to death through the heart while saying mass, one of 70,000 victims of the civil war. He became a martyr for much of the country, including the leftist front. A U.N. sponsored investigation blamed Romero's death on the far right. The case presented difficulties for the Vatican. While a church martyr, Romero also came close to militant political activism, which is frowned upon by Pope John Paul II.

Locals are pressing a petition to beatify Romero in 1996. When the pope visited on 8 February, a delegation of young Salvadorans gave him 10,000 signatures urging his help in beatifying Monsignor Romero.