Oscar Romero Analysis

Going against powerful, wealthy people to perform the just action is challenging and unfortunately, most individuals choose to deal with the abuse rather than actively change it. Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador, fought for the Salvadoran people and even lost his life to those oppressing. Analyzing Romero’s spiritual and theological transformation can witnessed to how he viewed God’s role in the world before and after his turning point. Romero, a Jesuit, grew up in the early 20th century giving him an extremely different view of God compared to when passes on. A quasi and deistic God that plays a private role in the world is the theology he grew up with from his parents. Hill writes,

...taught his son the standard prayers and

On March 12, 1977 Romero “woke up” to the unstable and corrupt political entities when Father Rutilio was assassinated along with another man and child. The reason for his murder, performed by the military police, was due to the accusation of being a communist (which is false). Wealthy members of in El Salvador were abusing and misusing the money, their political influence, weapons, and the immense power they held. Prior to Father Grande’s assassination, Romero believed that there was no corruption, and that the Church should remain neutral in matters concerning politics. Hill states, “He may have hoped that the violence and oppression was coming from mavericks and renegades, whom the government would eventually bring under control...Grande had been cut down along with two innocent people by the military police” (Hill 168-9). His theology transformed and he became a strong supporter of the social gospel and to change his domain, similar to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hill describes Romero’s God as: “He saw the dominion of God, not as some ideal world in the sky, but as God’s loving and saving rule within human society, a kingdom where all classes of people live in harmony and peace” (Hill 174). No longer did his God solely side with the rich, but the wealthy and the poor live together peacefully and in balance with nature. God lived with the men and women on earth, and thus hurting each other hurt him. Romero’s liberation theology meant that God is among the poor and outcast and nonviolent. Romero moved from a deistic theology, to total theism and helped save his district from the harsh forms of oppression before dying