Exhibit Honors Oscar Romero at BU
An exhibit coordinated in part by the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies celebrates the life of Oscar Romero, archbishop and martyr of the Catholic Church. The exhibit traces the life and times of Romero, who is widely anticipated to be beatified, one of the prelimiary steps to being named a Catholic saint, later this month.
A Look Into the Life of Oscar Romero was opened at the BU School of Theology on May 1. On May 11, an official opening ceremony brought together diplomatic officials, religious figures and the BU community to remember this singular and tireless crusader for justice.
“For those of us who came of age in the 1970s, archbishop Oscar Romero was a force to be reckoned with,” said Robert A. Hill, Dean of Marsh Chapel, who spoke at the official opening ceremony. “We have a dream at our root that is similar to that of Oscar Romero – personal and social holiness combined and lived together. That’s what we celebrate with these images.”
The event also included a poem contributed by Andrew Del Pilar, a Master of Theological Studies student at BU. “We witness history through lines drawn in the sand,” Del Pilar said, speaking of the legacy of third-world exploitation that contributed to the shaping of Romero’s story.
Born in 1917, Romero was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977. After witnessing the rise of the right-wing paramilitary junta, he criticized both their persecution of the poor and the policy of the U. S. Carter administration in supplying them aid. On March 24, 1980, he was assassinated while in the middle of performing Mass.
Professor Rady Roldan-Figueroa, a native of Puerto Rico, remembered the Salvadoran Civil War and the impact of Romero.
“I remember working with a woman from El Salvador who was looking for asylum. She told me of seeing beheaded bodies. It was the first time I ever really understood the tragedy,” Roldan-Figueroa said. “I think one of the things we can learn from Archbishop Romero and the people of El Salvador is the power of truth.”
Other speakers and performers at the event included Walter Francisco Mena, Director of Training and Leadership Programs at the Instituto Fe y Vida in Stockton, Ca., and Mario Melendez, BU Master of Divinity student, who performed a Spanish guitar solo.
The final remarks were provided by Alba Azucena Lopez, Consul General of El Salvador in New England.
“Monsignor Romero was hope for all of us,” Lopez said. “His words kept us struggling for justice.”
Professor James Iffland, Director of the Latin American Studies Program (an affiliated regional center of the Pardee School) arranged the exhibition. At the event, he spoke of the importance of remembering Romero.
“I have been working on the study of El Salvador for over three decades,” Iffland said. “I remember very vividly the day Romero was killed, and I felt that, given what he was saying so bravely in his weekly radio broadcasts, that he was putting his life on the line. As soon as Pope Francis was voted into his position, I hoped he would move forward with the beatification of Romero. I work a lot with the Consulate General here in Boston, and when they approached me about this traveling exhibit I was moved to be able to participate. Martin Luther King studied in this building. He too was a martyr, he too put his life on the line. It seemed to me to be a natural connection, between Romero and BU.”
The exhibit of Romero’s life will be available for viewing in the School of Theology, 745 Commonwealth Ave., Room B24, until May 20. Romero’s anticipated beatification is May 23, and great celebrations are being planned in El Salvador.
A Look into the Life of Archbishop Oscar Romero is sponsored by the BU School of Theology, the Pardee School of Global Studies, the Latin American Studies Program, and the Consulate General of El Salvador in Boston.