Nearly four decades after Archbishop Oscar Romero was fatally shot over his political views during mass in El Salvador, Pope Francis canonized the archbishop Sunday at Vatican City.
Salvadorans celebrated Romero's ascension to sainthood at a special mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend. Many placed flowers and candles at his statue at MacArthur Park on Monday.
Romero's rise to sainthood is an emotional experience for Salvadorans, according to Cristòbol Guardado, the priest and minister at St. Anne's Church and Shrine in Santa Monica. Romero is important, Guardado said, because he had "the courage to preach, to say the truth in a moment when it was very dangerous to say the truth. He was the voice for the voiceless. He loved the people and was loved by them."
Romero, who was declared a martyr three years ago, is cherished by many because he advocated for the rights of the poor and oppressed during a time of political unrest and violence in El Salvador. He was also among the first to be slain during the civil war that would last for 12 years. No one has ever been prosecuted for his death.
Archbishop Romero's path to sainthood has been a long time in the making. For decades members of the Vatican who viewed Romero's ideologies and practices as overtly political stalled his nomination. Romero openly criticized El Salvador's military government and armed leftist groups alike, calling for the repression against civilians at the time to stop.
"For canonization, it is necessary to follow a process and sometimes that process is long, but the Holy Father, Pope Francis, he was a big help to accelerate the canonization of Bishop Romero," said Guardado.
Romero and Pope Francis share similar views and are both associated with "liberation theology," which combines political philosophy with a theology that believes dismantling oppressive institutions and exploitative powers is part of the Church's mission.
To become a saint, the process begins five years after a holy person's death. Then a committee gathers information about the holy person in question to conclude they lived a holy life. Next, the committee must show that either one miracle has occurred as a result of prayers offered to the archbishop or that the person has died as a martyr for their faith. Pope Francis declared Romero a martyr in 2015. Canonization is the last step in the process.
Romero was among one of seven archbishops canonized Sunday by Pope Francis.