Romero Service: Call for 'Prayerful and Prophetic Resilience' to Injustice

Dr Perrier at St Martin in the Fields. Image ICN/JS

Red roses and lit candles were placed beside a bust of St Oscar Romero of El Salvador at St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, on Saturday for the annual ecumenical service to commemorate the 44th anniversary of his killing.

The theme of the service was, 'Prayerful and Prophetic Resilience in the Face of Injustice - Archbishops Oscar Romero and Denis Hurley.' Organised by the Archbishop Romero Trust, around 100 people attended, including representatives of Pax Christi, CAFOD, Sisters of St Joseph of Peace, Passionists, Columbans, Carmelites and Westminster Justice and Peace. Many others were online.

Dr Raymond Perrier, director of Denis Hurley Centre, Durban, South Africa gave a rousing talk, marking the tenth anniversary of the completion of the Centre - which brings together faith groups to support poor and marginalised communities. He drew parallels between the two inspirational Church leaders. He highlighted that Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador was assassinated in 1980 by a right-wing death squad after using his platform to speak out against human rights violations and calling for a civilisation of love based on justice and peace. Romero said in 1979: "For the Church to preach this civilisation of love, she must not be afraid to unmask and denounce the injustices and abuses, for she must always speak of truth and justice."

Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban, who died in 2004, was described as an outspoken critic of South African policies during the Apartheid era. Both had a shared experience of connecting with the lives of communities suffering structural injustice and violence and "representing the Church in the face of political intimidation". Dr Perrier - who also spoke at events in Exeter, Glasgow and Leeds - asked: "Do we have a true social apostolate today."

This was a reference to Archbishop Hurley's 1960 article - quoted at the service - 'The Social Mission of the Catholic Church' where he said: "We can thank God for the success , modest though it be, of the apostolic labours of the Church in South Africa, but there are shortcomings to deplore, chief among them the lack of a true social apostolate, a systematic effort to concentrate the energies of divine light and life on the failings of human conduct."

Dr Perrier said: "By walking alongside their people, these bishops learnt about the exclusions, oppression and violence that was happening in their countries and that so many other leaders - political and religious - chose to ignore. They thus both became icons in the struggle against injustice having the courage to use the platform they had to speak out in a divided society. And what they said was often not what people wanted to hear. Of course, that deafness is still true today."

The welcome had been given by Revd Richard Carter of St Martin in the Fields who pointed out that, "the poverty of our own nation is all around us here in Trafalgar Square as we see homeless people on our streets." He said that both Archbishops Romero and Hurley saw their mission as bringing "good news to the poor" and they can inspire our own mission.

A Lenten Litany from El Salvador in Spanish and English, deplored inequality in the world, tolerance of war and failure to welcome the stranger. Bidding prayers celebrated "the memory of St Oscar Romero, prophet of peace and reconciliation, and Archbishop Denis Hurley, pastor for justice" and prayed "that our words may be embodied in action for Justice, and that violence may be transformed by love." The peoples of Gaza, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Yemen and Sudan were particularly remembered during prayers for peace. Stirring Justice and Peace hymns, such as 'God you raise up true disciples' by Chris Olding, were sung throughout.

LINKS

Watch a recording of the service here: www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=7334064290005715

Read the full text of Dr Perrier's address here: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/49359

The recording will also be on the St Martin in the Fields website from Monday: https://stmartins.digital/

The audio from Dr Perrier's longer Leeds lecture is on a WeTransfer link - so you have to 22 March to download it.
https://we.tl/t-iYvGwzPuPM

Jan Graffius, Curator of Collections and Historic Libraries at Stonyhurst College and a Trustee of the Romero Trust, will be speaking in Glasgow (20 March) and Liverpool (21 March).

It is possible to become a 'Friend of Romero' through the Romero Trust. See: www.romerotrust.org.uk