Oscar's Courage
Children's Story
When Jesus chose that particular passage from Isaiah, he went to the heart of his gospel - an option for the poor. But the existence of large numbers of poor keep comfortable people comfortable, so he was immediately marked out as a dangerous person with dangerous ideas. And he was eventually executed for his beliefs.
Today's story is about Oscar Romero, who suffered a similar fate when he too chose an option for the poor.
The Christian gospel is a dangerous gospel when it's truth is really heard.
(All the information for this story was from the web site: The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation)
About twenty years ago, a young priest was shot and killed on the streets of El Salvador. His "crime" was to speak out against the government, for many people in El Salvador had been executed by death squads, and many more had simply disappeared, and were never heard of again. The priest, Father Grande, denounced these death squads and the terrible cruelty encouraged by the government. People were very poor and lived in great fear, for nobody knew who would be executed next. Father Grande preached the Christian gospel of love for everybody, and said the government was wrong in the way it treated the people. And so he was shot.
Father Grande's great friend, bishop Oscar Romero, had just been appointed Archbishop in El Salvadore. There were two types of church people in El Salvadore at the time. Those like Father Grande, who spoke out against the government, and those who kept quiet, who tried not to upset the government, so that no-one else would be killed. Bishop Oscar was chosen to be archbishop because the authorities thought he was one of those who would keep quiet.
But Archbishop Oscar changed after his friend's death. He was so angry and upset at the way his friend had been killed just because he preached the gospel, that he too began to speak against the government. He saw the poverty and injustice and sorrow of the people, and was determined to make the Church a beacon of hope and light for the people.
And so Archbishop Oscar became a defender of the poor and began to denounce from the pulpit the evils of state-supported death squads. As a gesture of solidarity with the preachings of Father Grande, Archbishop Oscar refused to appear in any public ceremonies with any Army or Government personnel until the true nature of his friend's murder was brought out and true social change began. Never before had such a high-ranking church leader made such a bold movement.
Archbishop Oscar soon became the voice and conscience of El Salvador. His words and actions were heard throughout the whole world, so that soon, everybody knew what was happening in El Salvadore. Archbishop Oscar's fight for human rights led to his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. He spoke words of peace, but they were a threat to the government, for when the whole world is watching, it's harder to terrorise, torture and murder.
On March 24, 1980 at 6:25 p.m. Archbishop Oscar was leading a communion service. As he prepared the Eucharist, a shot from the back of the church struck him in the chest, killing him instantly. So Archbishop Oscar died for the gospel of Christ, but his words, deeds, and actions remained very much alive.
Today El Salvador remains a country of misery and injustice. Yet Oscar Romero's spirit lives on and his teachings remain. Let us remember him and continue to strive for the realisation of his gospel dream: truth, justice, dignity, and human rights for all the people of the world.
Today's story is about Oscar Romero, who suffered a similar fate when he too chose an option for the poor.
The Christian gospel is a dangerous gospel when it's truth is really heard.
(All the information for this story was from the web site: The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation)
About twenty years ago, a young priest was shot and killed on the streets of El Salvador. His "crime" was to speak out against the government, for many people in El Salvador had been executed by death squads, and many more had simply disappeared, and were never heard of again. The priest, Father Grande, denounced these death squads and the terrible cruelty encouraged by the government. People were very poor and lived in great fear, for nobody knew who would be executed next. Father Grande preached the Christian gospel of love for everybody, and said the government was wrong in the way it treated the people. And so he was shot.
Father Grande's great friend, bishop Oscar Romero, had just been appointed Archbishop in El Salvadore. There were two types of church people in El Salvadore at the time. Those like Father Grande, who spoke out against the government, and those who kept quiet, who tried not to upset the government, so that no-one else would be killed. Bishop Oscar was chosen to be archbishop because the authorities thought he was one of those who would keep quiet.
But Archbishop Oscar changed after his friend's death. He was so angry and upset at the way his friend had been killed just because he preached the gospel, that he too began to speak against the government. He saw the poverty and injustice and sorrow of the people, and was determined to make the Church a beacon of hope and light for the people.
And so Archbishop Oscar became a defender of the poor and began to denounce from the pulpit the evils of state-supported death squads. As a gesture of solidarity with the preachings of Father Grande, Archbishop Oscar refused to appear in any public ceremonies with any Army or Government personnel until the true nature of his friend's murder was brought out and true social change began. Never before had such a high-ranking church leader made such a bold movement.
Archbishop Oscar soon became the voice and conscience of El Salvador. His words and actions were heard throughout the whole world, so that soon, everybody knew what was happening in El Salvadore. Archbishop Oscar's fight for human rights led to his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. He spoke words of peace, but they were a threat to the government, for when the whole world is watching, it's harder to terrorise, torture and murder.
On March 24, 1980 at 6:25 p.m. Archbishop Oscar was leading a communion service. As he prepared the Eucharist, a shot from the back of the church struck him in the chest, killing him instantly. So Archbishop Oscar died for the gospel of Christ, but his words, deeds, and actions remained very much alive.
Today El Salvador remains a country of misery and injustice. Yet Oscar Romero's spirit lives on and his teachings remain. Let us remember him and continue to strive for the realisation of his gospel dream: truth, justice, dignity, and human rights for all the people of the world.
