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CAFOD delighted at beatification of inspirational Romero


l-r CAFOD Director Julian Filochowski,  Denis Canavan MP,  Lord Chitnis, Archbishop Romero,  Peter Bottomley MP  during 1978 visit to El Salvador

l-r CAFOD Director Julian Filochowski, Denis Canavan MP, Lord Chitnis, Archbishop Romero, Peter Bottomley MP during 1978 visit to El Salvador

The aid agency CAFOD, which worked closely with Archbishop Oscar Romero, has expressed delight that one of the great Church leaders of modern history will be beatified.

“Archbishop Romero was one of the most inspirational figures of the 20th Century, and we are delighted that his beatification has been confirmed,” said Chris Bain, CAFOD’s Director. “He was an extremely brave man, who was inspired by his faith to fight not just poverty but injustice, to give a voice to the voiceless.

“The reason that CAFOD staff and supporters, like many Catholics around the world, continue to hold Romero in such high regard is obvious. He didn’t simply talk about the need to love your neighbour, but courageously denounced the violence and named the injustices that plagued his country. He reminded us that Christ is found in people living in poverty, and that we cannot ignore the suffering of our brothers and sisters in need.

“His words were full of courage and hope, and they still resonate strongly with us today. ‘Many,’ he said, ‘would like the poor to keep on saying it is God’s will for them to live that way. But it is not God’s will for some to have everything and others to have nothing. That cannot be of God.’”

In the 1970s, CAFOD supported Romero’s famous radio broadcasts, which – at a time when the press was heavily censored – were often the only means by which people in El Salvador knew the truth about the atrocities occurring in their country. When Romero’s radio station was blown up, CAFOD provided funding to rebuild it.

After Romero was martyred, the aid agency’s staff successfully petitioned Lambeth Council to rename the Brixton street where their office was located ‘Romero Close’. And when CAFOD moved to a new office in 2009, it was named ‘Romero House’.

Today, CAFOD continues to work in El Salvador, helping farmers to improve their crops, assisting communities in reducing the risk of disasters, supporting people living with HIV, building peace, defending human rights and trying to create a more just society.

Chris Bain said: “I think Archbishop Romero would be pleased to see some of what is happening in El Salvador today. In 2013, one socially-minded government peacefully succeeded another, and they are consciously trying to implement policies that Romero would approve of: fiscal reform, free school uniforms and books for children, funding for cooperatives, more social programmes.

“But El Salvador remains a country in the grip of inequality, and around the world hundreds of millions of people live in poverty or under oppressive regimes. The world as a whole desperately needs more figures like Romero – leaders with the courage, faith and love to stand up for the poor against injustice.

“For CAFOD and for many people of all faiths in Britain, Romero remains a source of strength and encouragement. Many of us have regarded him as a saint for years, and we are delighted that the Church has taken this important step towards recognising him as one.”

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