“I Give My Life For All”

Announced just days ago, later this year, Pope Francis will lead a canonization mass that will declare Father Oscar Romero a saint. Being a fussy Protestant, I have little to say about the official policies the Roman church follows to arrive at such conclusions. But as a longtime admirer of Romero, I am pleased.

A native of El Salvador, Romero entered formal religious education before most kids in the US get a learner’s permit to drive. Education complete, he returned home to faithfully serve his country as a priest. In 1977, as he turned sixty, he was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador, just as his country descended into an atrocity-ridden civil war.

The establishment saw Romero’s appointment as a “safe” choice. He was conservative and cautious, far past youthful fire-brandishing, and had enjoyed a quiet, settled career. But shortly after his appointment, Father Romero’s closest friend was assassinated for impassioned…