The Courage of Non-violent Resistance!
Good Friday 2013
Looking to the example of Archbishop Oscar Romero
“Shortly before he was killed, 33 years ago (last) week, Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador said, ‘If one day, they… didn’t let us speak; if they killed off all of our priests and the bishop too, then each one of you would have to be a microphone for God. Each one of you would have to be a messenger, a prophet.’ I think the time has come for each one of us to lend our voice so that together we can be a prophetic people for peace and nonviolence. We all have to become microphones for the God of peace and nonviolence.
“Romero for me is one of history’s greatest Christian leaders, perhaps the most outspoken, Gospel-based leader we ever had. More than a saint and a martyr, he is a prophet in the same league as Jeremiah and Isaiah. Just knowing that he existed, that we live in the age of Romero, that any of us can follow Jesus like that, gives me strength…
“Just after he was made archbishop of San Salvador, Romero had to preside in March 1977 at the funeral of his friend Fr. Rutilio Grande, the outspoken Jesuit who was the first priest assassinated. At that moment, the scales fell from his eyes and Romero took up where Grande left off. The military had turned Grande’s town of Aguilares into an encampment of the death squads who stormed the church and desecrated the Blessed Sacrament. Hundreds were killed. When the military left the church in June, Romero held a special Mass, then decided to process through the town with the Blessed Sacrament to purify the village…
“On March 17, one week before he was killed, Romero met with a young Salvadoran priest who had gone to work in Nicaragua but returned to San Salvador to help out Romero. “You should really leave the country,” Romero told the stunned young priest. “These people in the ruling class are in such a frenzy that you wouldn’t last 24 hours. They’d kill you. Me too. Soon, they’re going to get rid of me, too.” He moved his hand up to the cross around his neck, held it, and let it go. “But you’ll see. There will be other times, better times. We have to create a little reserve with all of you priests that are out of the country right now so that when El Salvador changes, you can come back…
“It’s important not to love ourselves so much that we’re not willing to take the risks that history demands of us,” Romero said in his last homily, one minute before he was assassinated at the altar. That’s an important lesson for all of us — laypeople, priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals and popes included.” Edited from an article by John Dear, S.J. (See the full piece at www.malu-aina.org)
“Love Your Enemies.” Jesus
“Hatred ever kills, love never dies” Gandhi
1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622 Emai ja@malu-aina.orghttp://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (March 29, 2013– 601st week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
Jim Albertini Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org
