If any further confirmation was needed about the speeding up - since the arrival of the new Pope – of the beatification cause for the prelate who was gunned down by death squads in 1980, that arrived promptly.
And not just in the form of a statement by some influential figure or other, but with a phrase written in black and white on a high-level, official document, like those which are published after visits by heads of state to the Vatican.
“During the cordial talks, satisfaction was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and the nation of El Salvador. In particular, the Servant of God Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez of San Salvador, and the importance of his witness for the entire nation were spoken of,” the Vatican note - published in English, Italian and Spanish – said.
It is highly unusual for a person to be mentioned specifically in this kind of communiqué so this alone shows how high El Salvador’s hopes are for Romero’s beatification. This was strongly illustrated by Funes’ gift to Pope Francis: a relic of a bloodstained piece of the priestly vestments Romero was wearing when he was gunned down on 24 March 1980.
The very day after Bergoglio was elected Pope, the Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador, Gregorio Rosa Chavez – who had worked closely with the late archbishop – said he knew for certain the new Pope considers Romero a martyr.
A day or so later, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia made a statement announcing that the beatification cause had been “unblocked” after a meeting with Francis.
The Vatican communiqué states that after President Funes’ meeting with the Pope and Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, “appreciation was also expressed for the contribution that the Church offers for reconciliation and the consolidation of peace, as well as in the areas of charity, education, and the eradication of poverty and organized crime. Some ethical issues, such as the defence of human life, marriage, and the family, were also discussed.”
It is important to point out that the Catholic Church in El Salvador has done a great deal in recent years to solve the problem of the maras, the young gangs that are responsible for a spiral of violence in the country’s streets.
Military ordinary, Mgr. Fabio Colindres managed to negotiate a truce between El Salvador’s two major street gangs which brought the country’s death toll down considerably.