Sainthood causes: March 2010 Archives

Óscar Arnulfo Romero.jpgToday is the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Oscar A. Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, in El Salvador. He was murdered while celebrating Mass at a cancer hospital where he lived. Finishing the homily, a group of military death squad shot Romero. 

Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was the fourth archbishop of San Salvador, (August 15, 1917 - March 24, 1980). It is noted that during his time as the archbishop he had a conversion in which the Lord gave him the grace to be closer to his people and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ which sets people free from those things which shackle us: the disordered desires of money, power, and fame. Also, the murders of 12 Catholic priests during his three years as archbishop of San Salvador. Romero denounced injustice and violations of human rights in El Salvador and supported public demonstrations for of the people for freedom. He was the voice of the Salvadoran people when all other voices were killed off or otherwise silenced.

In 1997, Archbishops Arturo Rivera and then Fernando Sáenz Lacalle (a priest of Opus Dei) opened and fostered the cause for canonization for Romero, and Pope John Paul II gave him the title of Servant of God. The process continues, even surpassing certain hurdles.


Watch a Rome Reports video on the Romero cause

It was announced this morning by the Holy See that Pope Benedict XVI will beatify John Henry Newman on 19th September 2010, during his visit to the U.K., in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The Cause of Newman's Canonisation has released the following statement:

Newman in cappa.jpg

The Fathers and many friends of the English Oratories are delighted by the official announcement that our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI will beatify our founder, the Venerable John Henry Newman, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham during his visit to Britain in September. Newman made his home in the Archdiocese for all his adult life, first in Oxford, where he lived as an Anglican and was received into the Catholic Church, and later in Birmingham itself where he founded and worked in the Birmingham Oratory for over forty years.

The Holy Father's life-long devotion to Newman has made a profound contribution to understanding the depth and significance of our founder's legacy. His decision to beatify Newman in person confers a unique blessing upon the English Oratories and all who have drawn inspiration from Newman's life and work.

We joyfully look forward to welcoming the Holy Father, as well as the many pilgrims and visitors who will come to the Beatification ceremony and visit Newman's shrine at the Birmingham Oratory.

We also look forward to the challenging work of preparing for the Beatification in conjunction with Church and civil authorities. We pray that the Beatification will fittingly reflect both Newman's significance for the Universal Church and the honour paid to our Archdiocese and our country by the Holy Father's presence among us.

Very Rev. Richard Duffield

Provost of the Birmingham Oratory and Actor of the Cause of John Henry Newman


Additionally, the Procurator of the Congregation of the Oratory, Very Reverend Father Edoardo Aldo Cerrato, CO, has written to the all the Oratories of the world on this great gesture of Pope Benedict XVI in personally beatifying the Venerable Servant of God John Henry Newman. The letter is here: Letter-of-the-Procurator-General-of-the-Oratory-Confederation-March-2010.pdf

About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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This page is a archive of entries in the Sainthood causes category from March 2010.

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