Oscar Romero (1917–1980): A model of pastoral leadership for church leaders in Africa

Valentine U Iheanacho

doi:10.4102/hts.v76i2.5849

Abstract

Until 1977, Monsignor Romero was a traditional Catholic bishop trained in traditional Roman theology with a penchant for order and non-involvement in ‘politics’. He was also a product of the 1968 Medellin Conference which fashioned a pastoral model for the Latin American church: ‘A fundamental option for the poor’ on the thrust of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). This article seeks to present Oscar Romero within a historical context and proposes him as a servant–leader model for African church leaders, especially Catholic bishops.

Highlights

In his work, On the Councils and the Church, Martin Luther (1539) listed ‘persecution’ as one of the visible signs of the true church
Archbishop Romero stated that politics needs a pastoral orientation if it were not to be reduced to raw power manipulation in the hands of the mighty and powerful for their own self-interest at the detriment of the majority
As a prophet and shepherd, his burning desire was to see the transformation of his country’s economic, political and social http://www.hts.org.za structures to serve the needs of the common people

Summary

Introduction

On the Councils and the Church, Martin Luther (1539) listed ‘persecution’ as one of the visible signs of the true church. Those homilies truly give an insight into Romero’s prophetic and pastoral soul They reflect http://www.hts.org.za his personal journey and transformation, together with his reading and re-reading of the Christian message of hope and liberation in the concrete and historical context of his people. They say something about the man who was acutely aware of his pastoral duty as the bishop of a troubled and harassed people (Erdozaín 1981:33) Acting in his capacity as the archbishop of San Salvador and the ‘voice of the voiceless’, Romero touched the hearts of the poor like no other person in Salvadoran history (Brett 2008:739). In 2001, the same Cardinal Sin sided with the Filipinos against President Joseph Estrada, which led to the removal of Estrada and his morally bankrupt administration

Conclusion

Findings

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