|
Description: Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador, was martyred twenty years ago, killed by the security forces of the oppressive right-wing regime in El Salvador during its war against leftist guerrillas. This book briefly tells his life story, although it by no means qualifies as a biography. Its primary goal is rather to reflect on Romero's theology - a theology shaped by his experience of violence and poverty in El Salvador. Romero preached and indeed enfleshed what is called the "theology of liberation," a movement in Catholic theology which was born in Central and South America in countries like El Salvador, where the landed rich collude with oppressive regimes, and where "liberation theologians" have begun to argue that the Gospel demands that the Church take the side of the poor in its struggles for justice, even if this means the Church risks being labled "subversive" or "communist." The book quotes Romero extensively as well as the works of liberation theologians like Jon Sobrino who have reflected on his life. The book is eloquent in its presentation of Romero's theology, moving in its portrayal of his "conversion" to the poor and martyrdom on their behalf, but somewhat repetative and thin on biographical details. A reader wishing for a biography will have to turn elsewhere, although there is no "Further Reading" section to give help here, or to provide guidance for readers wanting to read liberation theology. With these qualifications, I recommend the book.
|
|
Review Summary: Oscar Romero,Friend of the oppressed,martyr, Saint,hero |
Date: 2000-10-20 |
|
| |
|
Details: Obviously, i have a great affection for the martyred archbishop of san salvador.Reading and re-reading theses essays,one can only marvel at the man.For anyone who does not know his story, the bare bones are like this; A studious,fastidious young cleric slowly moves his way up the ladder,never negelecting the poor and outcasts, though never being thier champion. At the age of 60, when all of our mindsets are firmly entrenched, he becomes archbishop of san salvador{1977].After a close friend{and Jesuit priest] and two companions are brutally executed, he undergoes a transformation ,a dark night of the soul if you will,and emerges chnged ,transformed,the only true and popular hero El Salvador has known.Champion of the poor, the dissappeared, he begins to read the names of the dead each sunday from the pulpit of the cathedral. The 8 families[a collective name for the oligarchic powers that rule El Salvador]would have none of this. as atrociites piled up from left and right, Romero went along,going from shanty town to village, baptising, comforting listening praying exhortingin his harsher and harsher ministry. he wrote letters to President carter begging him to stop the military aid that was killing so many of his people.{interesting in regards to the former presidents championing of human rights] abandoned by the bishops conference{save for Rivera y damas,his immediate successor] ostracised by the vatican {Pope John Paul had decided to replace him with a more pliable soul], Romero trudged on, towards his obvious martyrdom[which he dreaded]. Finally, In march 1980, two days after his final homily from the catherdral when he demanded, pleaded ORDERED the repression to stop, he was shot through the heart while saying Mass in a chapel for cance patients. The Civil war which he worked so hard to dispel was to go on with over 80000 deaths,countless wounded,and the ultimate indifference of the Us afetr the immediate threat of communist takeover diminished. These wirings about not by Romero, tell the story well,and movingly. I once saw a quote bu m.k. gandhi"my life is my message'tHE WORDS COULD BE THOSE OF oSCAR aRNULFO ROMERO. |
| |
|
Review Summary: A Moving Testimony to a Heroic Roman Catholic Martyr |
Date: 2000-06-05 |
|
| |
|
Details: Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador, was martyred twenty years ago, killed by the security forces of the oppressive right-wing regime in El Salvador during its war against leftist guerrillas. This book briefly tells his life story, although it by no means qualifies as a biography. Its primary goal is rather to reflect on Romero's theology - a theology shaped by his experience of violence and poverty in El Salvador. Romero preached and indeed enfleshed what is called the "theology of liberation," a movement in Catholic theology which was born in Central and South America in countries like El Salvador, where the landed rich collude with oppressive regimes, and where "liberation theologians" have begun to argue that the Gospel demands that the Church take the side of the poor in its struggles for justice, even if this means the Church risks being labled "subversive" or "communist." The book quotes Romero extensively as well as the works of liberation theologians like Jon Sobrino who have reflected on his life. The book is eloquent in its presentation of Romero's theology, moving in its portrayal of his "conversion" to the poor and martyrdom on their behalf, but somewhat repetative and thin on biographical details. A reader wishing for a biography will have to turn elsewhere, although there is no "Further Reading" section to give help here, or to provide guidance for readers wanting to read liberation theology. With these qualifications, I recommend the book. |
| |
|
out of 7 Reviews
