7 notable Latin American Christians: saints, a pope, an evangelist

Oscar Romero

Born in El Salvador in 1917, Oscar Romero became archbishop of San Salvador in 1977 and was known for his widely listened to sermons on a multitude of social and political issues.

Archbishop Romero garnered controversy over his outspoken support for the poor and denunciations of state-sponsored repression in El Salvador at the time.

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“There, in a society of cover-up and lies, he spoke the truth of what was happening in the countryside; he denounced the killings, the torture and the disappearances of community leaders,” explained the United Kingdom-based Archbishop Romero Trust.

“[Romero] demanded justice and recompense for the atrocities committed by the army and police and he set up legal aid projects and pastoral programmes to support the victims of the violence.”

His views led to a violent backlash in 1980, when, while officiating mass, Romero was assassinated by gunmen. In 2018, he was canonized as a saint.