Prophetic Bishop Speaks to his People: Volume 3 - Complete Homilies of Oscar Romero - Softcover

In his second year as archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero had to face strong opposition not only from the military government and its powerful allies, but also from within his own church. In his pleas for social change in El Salvador he received little support from his fellow bishops, and even the Vatican had serious questions. Despite the opposition, Romero intensified his critique of the existing social order, drawing always on his inspired reading of the scriptures and his deep understanding of the church's social doctrine. Rejected by the powers-that-be in his own land, Romero won recognition around the world for his courageous defense of human rights and his sacrificial struggle on behalf of the Salvadoran people. And the people, of course, hung on to his every word as preached in the cathedral and over the airwaves every Sunday morning. Romero's passionate homilies capture the combative spirit of a church trying to restore hope and direction to a country in crisis. The present volume is an English translation of the 25 homilies delivered between June 4 and November 29, 1978, corresponding to the third volume of the original Spanish edition and to Cycle A of the church's liturgy.

Oscar A. Romero was ordained as a priest in 1942. He served the diocese of San Miguel for 25 years. In 1977 he was the surprise choice as San Salvador as new archbishop. He became the voice of the poor, speaking about the violations of human rights and exploitation. He saw six of his priests assassinated before he himself was gunned down at the altar as he celebrated a requiem mass in 1980. He was beatified by Pope Francis in 2015.