photos of A prophetoscar arnulfo romero

the 30th anniversary of his Martyrdom

(1980–2010)

an exhibition of photographs by

Harry MattisonAdam KufeldEdgar RomeroMiguel VillelaElmer RomeroFrancisco CamposEulalio PérezYves SmetsFidel Campos Photography Center of El SalvadorImagenes LibresPastoral Publications of the Archdiocese of El Salvador

photos of a prophet: oscar arnulfo romerothe 30th anniversary of his martyrdom (1980–2010)

An exhibition of 30 photographs presenting the life and ministry of Archbishop Oscar Romero will be launched at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California, March 8-28. The exhibition is a collaborative venture of The Photography Center of El Salvador; Trinity Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas; Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, San Francisco; and the Episcopal Diocese of California. It opens in San Francisco, a city that is home to a significant number of people who were forced to flee their homeland during the Salvadoran Civil War (1980-1992).

This collection was made possible through the cooperation of institutions, photographers, documentarians, and other individuals in the United States, El Salvador, and other countries. It reflects a joint effort to exercise care and diligence to protect these historic photos and document the legacy of this beloved martyr and prophet.

The exhibit covers Romero’s childhood, his years as a young seminarian, his life as a student in Rome, his pastoral work in San Miguel, his episcopal ordination as Archbishop, the violent years as a member of the hierarchy in the Archdiocese, his pastoral role to his community, his assassination and funeral—and his resurrection in his people for the past 30 years.

With the guidance of Images Libres, a number of international photographers were selected, including Harry Mattison, editor of El Salvador: Work of 30 Photographers; Adam Kulfed, author of El Salvador about the civil war; and a number of accom-plished Salvadoran photographers including Eulalio Pérez and Edgar Romero, founder of ESFOTO, AP photographer, and Director of The Photography Center of El Salvador.

This initiative was made possible through the contributions of these photographers; the participating institutions; dedicated individuals including the Rev. Hannah Atkins and Elmer Romero, who fight to preserve the visual legacy of Archbishop Romero; and QUE Imaging (www.queimaging.com), the Houston-based business whose holistic work and technical equipment have helped make this exhibition possible.

the name most touched

In the spring of 1979, the archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Arnulfo Romero, traveled to the Vatican. He asked, pleaded, begged for an audience with the Pope John Paul II:“Wait your turn.”“We don’t know.”“Come back tomorrow.” In the end, by lining with faithful waiting to be blessed, just one among the many, he surprised His Holiness and managed to steal a few minutes with him.Romero tried to deliver a voluminous report with photographs and testimony, but the pope handed it back:“I don’t have time to read all this!”And Romero sputtered that thousands of Salvadoreans had been tortured and murdered by the military, among them many Catholics and five priests, and that just yesterday, on the eve of this audience, the army had riddled twenty-five people with bullets in the doorway of the cathedral.

by eduardo galeano

from ‘mirrors: stories of almost everyone’

The head of the Church stopped him right there:“Mr. Archbishop, do not exaggerate!”The meeting did not last much longer.Saint Peter’s successor demanded, commanded, ordered:“You must reach an understanding with the government! A good Christian does not look for trouble with the authorities! The church wants peace and harmony!”Ten months later, Archbishop Romero was shot down in a parish of San Salvador. The bullet killed him as he was saying Mass, at the moment he raised the host.From Rome, the pontiff condemned the crime.He forgot to condemn the criminals.Years later, in Cuscatlán Park, names on an infinitely long wall commemorate the civilian victims of the war. Thousands upon thousands of names are etched in the white on black marble. The letters of Archbishop Romero’s name are the only ones that show wear. From the touch of so many fingers.

Oscar Arnulfo Romero and his family, Ciudad Barrios, 1927. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

This page: Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Ciudad Barrios. Photo: courtesy of Fidel Campos.

Opposite page: Oscar Romero with his soccer team, Ciudad Barrios, n.d.* Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

* no date

This page: Oscar Romero in Rome, n.d. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Opposite page: At the El Cuco Beach, n.d. San Miguel. Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Episcopal Ordination- the day Father Romero became Bishop Romero. With him in the photo are Archbishop Luis Chavéz y González, Archbishop Rivera Damas and Father Rutilio Grande at the Liceo Salvadoreño in San Salvador, June 21, 1970. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Fidel Sánchez Hernández, the President of El Salvador, greets Bishop Romero, Liceo Salvadoreño, San Salvador, June 21, 1970. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

This page: Bishop Romero with seminarians, n.d. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Opposite page:

Pastoral Visit, n.d. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Archbishop Romero walks beside Cardinal Méndez Arceo from Mexico and other clergy from the Diocese of Santiago de Maria, n.d. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Archbishop Romero speaks in honor of the martyrs of the community of “El Despertar”. With him are, left to right, Fathers Sigfredo Salazar, Pedro Cortéz and Rogelio Poncel, San Salvador, n.d. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

This page: Archbishop Romero walks through the streets of Mexico City, Mexico, n.d. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

Opposite page: Funeral procession for Father Rutilio Grande makes its way through Aguilares on its way to El Paisnal, March 19, 1970. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador archives.

This page: Archbishop Oscar Romero at home in San Salvador, November 20, 1979. Photo: Alex Bowie/Getty Images.

Opposite page: Private meeting with Pope Paul VI during his Ad Limina Apostoloum visit, Rome, June 21st, 1978. Photo: courtesy of Pastoral Publications of the Archdiocese of El Salvador.

This page: Divine Providence Hospital, San Salvador, March 24, 1980. Photo: Eulalio Pérez.

Opposite page: Presentation of an Honoris Causa Doctorate from the University of Lovain, Belgium, February 2, 1980. Photo: courtesy of Yves Smets.

This page: Funeral wake for Archbishop Romero in the Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador, March 29, 1980. Photo: Courtesy of Francisco Campos.

Opposite page: Priests carry Archbishop Romero’s coffinoutoftheMetropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador, March 30, 1980. Photo: Private collection of the Photography Center of El Salvador.

This page: People trying to escape being trampled during the funeral of Archbishop Romero, Gerardo Barrios Plaza, March 30, 1980. Photo: Courtesy of Harry Mattison.

Opposite page: Nuns leaving the cathedral after the funeral of Archbishop Romero, March 30, 1980. Photo: Courtesy of Harry Mattison.

This page: Commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador, March 24, 1985. Photo: Courtesy of Adam Kufeld.

Opposite page: Commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador, March 24, 1999. Photo: Courtesy of Miguel Villela/ Imagenes Libres.

This page: The March of Lights procession in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, marching on Roosevelt Street in San Salvador, March 24th, 2005. Photo: Courtesy of Miguel Villela/Imagenes Libres.

Opposite page: Mothers of the Disappeared march in commemoration of the 26th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, San Salvador, March 24, 2006. Photo: Courtesy of Edgar Romero/Imagenes Libres.

This page: Commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador, March 24th, 2008. Photo: Courtesy of Edgar Romero/ Imagenes Libres.

Opposite page: The March of Lights procession in commemoration of the 27th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, marching on Roosevelt Street in San Salvador, March 24th, 2007. Photo: Courtesy of Edgar Romero/ Imagenes Libres.

This page: The tomb of Archbishop Romero in the Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador, May 2008.

Opposite page: Monument to the Victims of Human Rights Violations, Cuscatlán Park, San Salvador, November 1, 2008. Photo: Courtesy of Edgar Romero/Imagenes Libres.

Commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero, Divine Providence Hospital, San Salvador, March 24, 2009. Photo: Courtesy of Elmer Romero/Imagenes Libres.

credits

photos of a prophet: oscar arnulfo romeroThe 30th anniversary of his martyrdom (1980-2010)

conceived and created by edgar romero, elmer romero, hannah atkins and miguel villela

photo editing and research edgar romero, elmer romero and miguel villela / imagenes libres

publishing director & art designer: courtesy of graciela constanza

with support from and thanks to:que imaging, houston grace cathedral, san francisco trinity episcopal church, houston fidel campos the rev. henry atkins the rev. tommy dillon bay area episcopal salvador mission coalition dr. felipe sanchez paris

reed photographic imaging & design

essays and quotes © the authors Photography © photographers/image archives

Artwork © the artists

first published march 2010

san francisco, california

a brief biography

Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was born on August 15, 1917, in San Salvador. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed to a carpenter but was later able to attend seminary. His family’s economic circumstances forced him to withdraw to work in a gold mine. Ultimately he entered another seminary and was eventually sent to the Gregorian University in Rome to study theology. After his ordination to the priesthood he returned to his native land where he worked among the poor, served as an administrator for the Church and started an Alcoholics Anonymous group in San Miguel. When he was appointed a bishop, radicals distrusted his conservative sympathies. However, after his appointment as Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977, Rutilio Grande, a progressive Jesuit friend of his was assassinated and he began protesting the government’s injustice to the poor and the policies of torture. Romero met with Pope John Paul II in 1980 and complained that the leaders of El Salvador engaged in

terror and assassinations. He also pleaded with the American government to stop military aid to his country, but this request was ignored.

Romero was shot to death while celebrating Mass at a small chapel near the cathedral on March 24, 1980. The previous day, he preached a sermon calling on soldiers to disobey orders that violated human rights. He said, “A bishop will die, but the Church of God which is the people will never perish.” The Roman Catholic Church declared him “a servant of God,” and he is honored as a martyr by many Christian denominations worldwide. Almost nine months after Romero’s assassination, four Maryknoll nuns were also killed in the course of their duties by the El Salvadoran army. Six Jesuit priests were similarly murdered in November of 1989. A statue of Romero stands at the door of Westminster Abbey as a part of commemoration of 20th Century martyrs.

oscar romeroarchbishop of san salvador, 1980and the martyrs of el salvador

Almighty God, you called your servant Oscar Romero to be a voice for the voiceless poor, and to give his life as a seed of freedom and a sign of hope: Grant that, inspired by his sacrifice and the example of the martyrs of El Salvador, we may without fear or favor witness to your Word who abides, your Word who is Life, even Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be praise and glory now and for ever. Amen. (From Lesser Feasts and Fasts: The Episcopal Church)

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