Oscar Romero

Oscar Romero was a Roman Catholic priest and bishop in El Salvador, a country torn by injustice, poverty, and violence from para-military groups. In 1977 Romero was chosen as archbishop in the hope that his moderate views might ease church and state tensions. The archbishop became radicalized, however, when a paramilitary death squad assassinated a friend who was a priest. Romero began to preach against the death squads. In the spirit of liberation theology, he advocated on behalf of the poor and sought peace. His nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize signified his international stature. On March 24, 1980, as Romero officiated at mass, he was shot by an assassin; his death drew world-wide attention to the church in El Salvador.