London: Archbishop Romero service: ‘The Last Shall be First’

Fr Martin Maier addresses Romero service St Martin in the Fields

Thirty-four red roses were placed beside a bust of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador at St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, on Saturday for an ecumenical service to commemorate the 34th anniversary of his killing. The theme was, ‘The Last Shall be First’. Organised by the Archbishop Romero Trust, around 250 people attended, including representatives of Pax Christi, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Progressio, Jesuits in Britain, Columban missionaries, Assumption Sisters, and the National Justice and Peace Network. Chigwell Sisters were there in force, including sisters from Zambia and Latin America.

The welcome was given by Revd Richard Carter of St Martin in the Fields who spoke of the “inseparable bond between people of faith and people who are poor and abandoned”. He pointed out that “the poverty of our own nation is all around us here in Trafalgar Square as we see homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers come into our church on a daily basis” and he underlined that the “Gospel of hope” which Archbishop Romero stood for “is more needed than ever before - the last do need to come first”. Stirring Justice and Peace hymns, such as Bernadette Farrell’s ‘Christ be our Light’ and ‘Act Justly’ were sung throughout. The Gospel reading was the story of Dives and Lazarus, and other readings were taken from a homily by Romero and ‘The Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis.

Fr Martin Maier SJ gave the address, which received a rousing clap at the conclusion from the congregation. He said of Romero that, “the heart of Romero’s spirituality and his pastoral action was the Option for the Poor”, adding that “it is also at the heart of Pope Francis’ spirituality”. Fr Maier felt the key insight of Romero was “conversion to the poor, and I think that is what Pope Francis wants too”. A German Jesuit and liberation theologian, he spent many years in El Salvador, and continued serving while persecution was strife. He continues to visit El Salvador, including teaching a theology course and ministering at the weekends at the same parish where he was originally a parish priest.

Amongst the people at the service who knew Archbishop Romero personally was El Salvador’s Ambassador to Britain, Werner Matias Romero. In a word of thanks at the end he reported that, “in an exciting year 2014 for El Salvador, where we went to the polls twice and elected a new president, I am hopeful that Archbishop Romero will continue to be our inspiration”.

There had been bidding prayers for El Salvador and for trouble spots of the world, particularly Syria and the Middle East, the Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Also, there were prayers for the work of the Archbishop Romero Trust and the ministry of the Church of St Martin in the Fields in favour of the poor and dispossessed.

Archbishop Romero was assassinated by a right-wing death squad on 24 March 1980 while saying Mass. It happened one day after he gave a sermon calling upon Salvadoran soldiers, as Christians, to obey God's higher order and to stop blindly following orders to kill and massacre fellow campesinos. According to an audio-recording of the Mass, he was shot as he concluded his homily and moved to begin the Offertory. At the time, El Salvador was on the verge of civil war. This was stoked by gross violations of human rights and huge and growing inequalities between a small and wealthy elite, backed by the army, and the overwhelming majority of the population.

For Fr Maier’s programme of talks during Romero Week 2014 see: www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24318

For more information see: www.romerotrust.org.uk