We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas
cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone
to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will
sleep covered with newspapers in doorways.
--Archbishop Oscar Romero, December 24, 1979
Pope Francis has recently expressed interest in expediting
Archbishop Oscar Romero's canonization. We offer some facts about
Romero's dealings with St. Josemaria and Opus Dei.
Recently a number of news stories have spoken of Pope Francis' interest
in moving forward the cause of canonization of Oscar Romero, who was
assassinated on March 24, 1980 while saying Mass.
Oscar Romero was Archibishop of San Salvador from 1977-1980. He met the
founder of Opus Dei in 1970 in Rome. In 1975, after the death of St.
Josemaría, he wrote a letter to Pope Paul VI asking for the
beatification and canonization of Msgr. Escrivá.
In this letter he said that he was grateful for having known Msgr.
Escrivá personally “and for having received from him encouragement and
strength to be faithful to the unchangeable doctrine of Christ and to
serve the Holy Roman Church with apostolic zeal.
"Msgr. Escrivá’s life was marked by a continuous dialogue with God and a
deep humility. One could see that he was a man of God and that he dealt
with people with great refinement, affection and good humor. For many
years I have been acquainted with the activity of the Work here in El
Salvador and can give witness to the supernatural spirit that animates
it and the faithfulness to the Magisterium that characterizes it.
"Personally, I owe deep gratitude to the priests involved with the Work,
to whom I have entrusted with much satisfaction the spiritual direction
of my own life and that of other priests.
"People from all social classes find in Opus Dei a secure orientation
for living as children of God in the midst of their daily family and
social obligations. And this is doubtless due to the life and teaching
of its founder."
Archbishop Romero’s cordial relations with Opus Dei continued right up
to the day of his death. Fernando Sáenz, who eventually succeeded him as
Archbishop of San Salvador, says that after writing this letter,
Archbishop Romero took advantage of being in Rome to pray before the
founder’s tomb, and became visibly moved. “His spirituality, in some
sense, was nourished by the spirituality of Josemaría Escrivá. He read The Way frequently.”
In his September 6, 1979 Diary entry, Archbishop Romero says that
Opus Dei “carries out a silent work of deep spirituality among
professional people, university students and laborers…I think this is a
mine of wealth for our Church—the holiness of the laity in their own
profession.”
The day he was assassinated, Archbishop Romero spent the morning
with Fernando Sáenz at a recollection for priests organized by Opus Dei.
Afterwards the Spanish priest accompanied Romero to the church where he
was to celebrate Mass. Sáenz recalls: “They killed him during the
offering of the bread and wine. It was, as it were, a marvelous external
sign of his having offered his life for his people, for the poor, for
justice, for peace.”
(http://www.opusdei.org.in/art.php?p=53191)
