AMERICA/EL SALVADOR - Celebrations for Archbishop Romero on the “International Day for the Right to the Truth”

San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) – On the evening of 24 March, 31 years ago, the Archbishop of San Salvador, Archbishop Oscar A. Romero, was killed by death squads while celebrating Mass in the Hospital of Divine Providence. In 2010 the authorities in El Salvador made this day the “National Day for Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdámez” (see Fides 12/03/2010). Last year, with the same goal of paying homage to the Bishop martyr, the UN General Assembly also proclaimed 24 March the “International Day for the Right to the Truth about grave violations of human rights and victims' dignity”.
Diverse celebrations and initiatives have been organised over these days by institutions in El Salvador, such as the Archbishop Romero Foundation, the Central American University, the Ministry of Culture for El Salvador and the Archdiocese of San Salvador. Among the most important events to distinguish the anniversary is the visit by the President of the United States of America, Barak Obama, to the grave of Archbishop Romero. Barack Obama, accompanied by the President of El Salvador Mauricio Funes, and by the current Archbishop of San Salvador, Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas, went to the Cathedral. Archbishop Escobar Alas led the group to the grave of Archbishop Romero, where Obama paused for a brief prayer in silence and lit a candle.
Among this year's program highlights is the photographic exhibition “Romero, voz e mirada” (voice and gaze) at the David J. Guzmán National Museum of Anthropology, open to the public until 9 May. The National Choir and Symphonic Orchestra of El Salvador are putting on two concerts in memory of the Archbishop, on 23 and 25 March at the National Theatre of St Anna.
The international community is also celebrating Archbishop Romero today. In fact in many countries Catholic Church communities celebrate with a day of prayer and fasting in memory of missionary martyrs and all those who are killed each year for their faith in Jesus Christ. This date was chosen in 1993 by the Youth Missionary Movement of the Italian PMS, in remembrance of Archbishop Romero, to remember all those who were killed for the Gospel. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 24/03/2011)