On this day (March 24th) in 1980, Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador, was assassinated by a US funded right wing terrorist group while preaching at Mass. Here are five quotes from the man whose statue stands with nine other twentieth century martyrs (including Maximilian Kolbe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Martin Luther King) above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, Martyrs Corner.
“Do you want to know if your Christianity is genuine? Here is
the touchstone: Whom do you get along with? Who are those who
criticize you? Who are those who do not accept you? Who are those who flatter you?”
“Even when they call us mad, when they call us subversives and communists and all the epithets they put on us, we know we only preach the subversive witness of the Beatitudes, which have turned everything upside down.”
“A church that suffers no persecution but enjoys the privileges and support of the things of the earth - beware! - is not the true church of Jesus Christ. A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel’s call.”
“Before an order to kill that a man may give, the law of God
must prevail that says: Thou shalt not kill! No soldier is obliged to
obey an order against the law of God.”
“Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty.”
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
DH 03.24.09 at 5:13 pm
Sorry Kim, the US didn’t know the leadership were as bad as they were till these incidents. Also, when Jesus said the Beatitudes it wasn’t in support of Communism. Jesus never supported Communism. When one reads the parable of the talents it is clear that He never supported the attitude of a forcible stealing that Robin Rood did. Also, the definition of the Hebrew of kill is actually “murder”. So when Scripture says “Thou shalt not kill” it means “Thou shalt not murder.” especially if one sees all of the times where God told the Israelities to kill the “ites” who happened to be in idolatry and other forms of perversion.
Is being confident and being secure the same thing? If so then I give you this verse: “Being confident in this very thing. That He which begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” It seems this goes againt the statement made by Romero. I will say that the rest of that particular quote is perfect. I really like this statement: “A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel.” that includes homosexuality and any other sin that is condoned by people, Christians and the like.
On the last statement by Romero. I rather look at God’s definition of “good” as opposed to man’s definition of good. Many times we think something is “good for all” but in fact is not.
Kim 03.24.09 at 5:58 pm
You’ve outdone yourself on this one, DH, with an unbelievably sustained farrago of mischievous, even monstrous flapdoodle. The gratuitous reference to homosexuality was the last straw. After that, it would be generous, and perhaps extenuating, to call you the village idiot of Connexions.
Rachel 03.24.09 at 6:34 pm
A brave and inspiring man, before whose words and actions I feel deeply humbled.
(Lest there be any mistake, I’m talking about OR - not DH or Kim!)
DH 03.24.09 at 6:44 pm
What was mischievious or idiotic with regard to what I said? All I was trying to do was point out where I agree and disagree with Romero and showing from Scripture how one can be consistent with what Scripture specifically says with regard to the issues he discusses.
In my opinion fascism and communism are both wrong. What would be great is if people could humbly go against the fascist’s in such a way that is not Communism. Why the need to support Communism in reaction to the problems therein? Again I’m not denying the problems and atrocities in Chile. To me neither are the answer and neither are “for the good of all” nor does God see these things as “for the good of all” for the reason I discussed. What would truly be brave would be for people to pursue the answers to these things with a true heart of God which is neither Fascist or Communist.
Kim 03.24.09 at 6:51 pm
Speaking personally, Rachel, you needn’t have worried about “any mistake”: the closest I’ve come to “brave and inspiring” is “ill-behaved and perspiring”!
DH 03.24.09 at 6:55 pm
Amen Kim. I totally agree.
Chris 03.24.10 at 1:41 pm
OSCAR ROMERO PRESENTE!