Staff Editorial: Archbishop Romero’s life holds more lessons than ever

This month brought the thirtieth anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador by a death squad during the civil war of that country. Here at St. Joe's, the occasion was marked with a solemn mass last week.

Romero's legacy is particularly important at institutions like this university, where social justice is an integral part of what we consider a full education. Students at St. Joe's are among the most active in the country in service to the poor, disabled, and disadvantaged. Romero preached service to the poor and a more just society, attitudes that we can see in our own university's Jesuit ideals and institutions. Romero lived out his convictions by refusing to back down from his activities even when death threats began arriving on his doorstep and fellow clergymen began to be assassinated. He would broadcast the names of Salvadorans who went missing during the civil war—who were often union organizers, teachers, or social workers targeted by death squads. He demanded accountability from a tyrannical government and chaotic society, and eventually he was killed for it.

It is especially imperative that we remember his actions and convictions right now, as conservative school boards and populist broadcasters question the value of social activism. In Texas, the Board of Education has finalized new requirements for the state's textbooks. They've decided that Archbishop Romero was not worthy of inclusion, even as Confederate President Jefferson Davis benefits from expanded coverage.

On his talk show a few weeks ago, populist host Glenn Beck told listeners to quit churches that talked of social or economic justice, believing those to be code words for Nazism and communism. While we would not normally give Glenn Beck extra attention by referencing one of his wild views, there are millions of people who believe him.

In our current atmosphere of anger, selfishness, and historical distortion, it is more important than ever to remember the sacrifice of Archbishop Romero and others like him.

The Hawk Staff