The Beatification of Monsignor Romero: A Historical Perspective
Following the Second Vatican Council, the Latin American church was divided between those who favored a traditional ecclesial model and those who preferred a model centered on the church's option for the poor. Archbishop Oscar Romero evolved from a defender of the former model to a proponent of...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
American Catholic Historical Society
[2017]
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| In: |
American catholic studies
Year: 2017, Volume: 128, Issue: 2, Pages: 51-73 |
| IxTheo Classification: | KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBR Latin America NCC Social ethics RB Church office; congregation |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Following the Second Vatican Council, the Latin American church was divided between those who favored a traditional ecclesial model and those who preferred a model centered on the church's option for the poor. Archbishop Oscar Romero evolved from a defender of the former model to a proponent of the latter. But due to a number of factors, his transformation received an unusual amount of international attention, making him the most recognized Latin American bishop of his time. Loved by the poor and despised by the powerful, he became a controversial figure. Following his death, his controversial legacy grew even more, especially when President Reagan chose to make El Salvador a showcase in his Cold War struggle against communism. Those who venerated Romero as a prophetic symbol of the type of church that Vatican II had called for hoped that he would eventually be declared a martyr and officially canonized by Rome. Episcopal traditionalists and political conservatives, however, saw the situation differently and blocked his canonization cause from going forward. Only later, Pope Francis, seeing the importance of Romero's legacy for his vision of a poor church for the poor, intervened and Romero was beatified. A look back into Latin America's past can shed some light on the question: Why is it that so many Catholics, especially Catholic leaders, saw Oscar Romero so differently? |
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| ISSN: | 2161-8534 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: American catholic studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/acs.2017.0031 |