This volume is the third in an ambitious initiative by the Romero Trust and Convivium Press to provide English translations of a series of books about the martyred Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. Romero has been attracting a growing interest worldwide because of his prophetic words and his option for the poor, which he faithfully lived out until his assassination at the altar. With an integrity and authenticity rare in the contemporary church, Romero managed to find an extraordinary synthesis between orthodoxy and Gospel praxis, and he exhibited a beautiful blend of deep prayerful spirituality and effective action for justice. In his second year as archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero had to face strong opposition not only from the military government and its powerful allies, but also from within his own church. In his pleas for social change in El Salvador he received little support from his fellow bishops, and even the Vatican had serious questions. Despite the opposition, Romero intensified his critique of the existing social order, drawing always on his inspired reading of the scriptures and his deep understanding of the church s social doctrine. Rejected by the powers-that-be in his own land, Romero won recognition around the world for his courageous defense of human rights and his sacrificial struggle on behalf of the Salvadoran people. And the people, of course, hung on to his every word as preached in the cathedral and over the airwaves every Sunday morning. Romero s passionate homilies capture the combative spirit of a church trying to restore hope and direction to a country in crisis. The present volume is an English translation of the 25 homilies delivered between June 4 and November 29, 1978, corresponding to the third volume of the original Spanish edition and to Cycle A of the church s liturgy. Editor and Translator, Joseph V. Owens, is a Jesuit who has spent most of his active career working in the Caribbean and Central America. His various ministries have included grass-roots organizing, pastoral work, radio apostolate, and teaching.

This final volume of the series contains the 19 homilies that Archbishop Romero delivered between December 9, 1979, and March 24, 1980, the day on which he was murdered while celebrating the Eucharist. It was a time of mounting violence and near anarchy in El Salvador. As the military rulers and their right-wing death squads strove to repress both the strengthening guerrilla forces and the surging grassroots organizations, Romero warned the nation repeatedly in his preaching about the danger of civil war. Drawing on the scriptural themes of Advent and Christmas, Romero endeavored to keep the people's hopes alive amidst the chaos, but he never relented in his condemnation of the cruelty and inhumanity of those who used violence to impose their will. In his homilies he summoned all Salvadorans to radical conversion: the army generals, the wealthy oligarchs, the inept politicians, the guerrilla commandos, the union leaders, and ordinary citizens themselves, who were those suffering the worst of the repression. He even appealed to President Carter to stop financing his nation's plunge into selfdestruction. As the violence and lawlessness intensified, Romeros words to his people became increasingly prophetic. Though he realized that many wanted to silence his voice, he continued to preach with irrepressible boldness. In an act of great daring, he directly addressed the government soldiers: I beg you, I beseech you, I order you in the name of God: Stop the repression ; The next day a shot rang out in the chapel where he was offering Mass. The prophet was killed, but his spirit rose up in his people.