What Moved Romero?

What moved Archbishop Romero from conservative priest to outspoken critic?

From Archbishop Romero's last pastoral letter:
1) Extreme Poverty and Social Injustice
a) faces of hungry children
b) faces of peasants denied land to work
c) faces of workers not allowed to organize
d) faces of the sub-employed
e) faces of the urban marginalized
f) faces of the elderly marginalized

2) Deterioration of the Political System
a) no citizen participation
b) violence because of repression
c) inability/unwillingness to resolve crisis

3) Government Attitude
a) a suspicious tolerance of violence
b) no toleration of protest

4) Ideological Foundation of Repression
a) everything was couched in protecting "national security"
b) no freedom allowed to organize
c) opponents are "enemies"

He also denounced the lack of judicial administration and impunity of crimes. He said, "justice has been prostituted."

All of this moved Romero from conservative priest to outspoken critic of the government. And hero of the people.

Presentation by Carlos Ayala at the Romero Center at the University of Central American, March 19, 2010