So this friend of
Romero's - they had different views, but friend of Romero's - was gunned down
in cold blood with an older man and a child, and Romero went to the church
where the bodies were lying under white sheets.
He got there about midnight and he said, "We're going to have Mass right
now." So, they had Mass at two or three
in the morning, and then Romero said, "And I want everyone to here to stay, so
we can talk about what to do next."
And this was this
a very characteristic manner of his operation; this was his accompaniment, that
he involved other clerical people, but also ordinary campesinos - peasants and
workers. In his big decisions, for
example, after the assassination of Father Grande, Romero said "I don't want
just an ordinary Funeral Mass, I want to broadcast it to the whole country." And the head of government in El Salvador
said to him, "Don't do it." The Papal
Nuncio (the representative of the Vatican) said to him, "Don't do it."
And there is a
marvelous, marvelous, story, my favorite story in the whole book, f I could
take just a moment. A Priest who knew
Romero, whose name was Chencho, was on his knees in the Diocesan headquarters
on the day before Romero planned to give this broadcast to the whole country
about his martyred friend, Father Grande.
So, Chencho is on his knees painting signs with green paint, as to make
it possible for each Parish to have it's own sign the nest day, and here come
the papal Nuncio -- let's say, three in the afternoon. "Where's Romero?"
"Well," says
Chencho, "He's out in Aguilares performing a rite, a ritual that Father Grande
had planned to perform, but of course Father Grande's dead."
And the Nuncio
said, "Well, he ought to be here. And in
any case, what he's planning for tomorrow is a terrible idea, and give him this
letter."
So, at five or six
that afternoon, Chencho is still painting signs, Romero shows up. Chencho gives him the letter. Romero reads the letter, comes back, and
says, "Chencho, what am I going to do?"
And his friend
says, "Well, you're head of affairs concerning the Archbishopric, you can
decide whether or not to give this radio address."
And Romero says,
"Yeah, I know, but I'd be defying the representative of the Vatican."
And Chencho says,
"Well, you know, Oscar, when you and I were in the Cursillo, the study group,
together, years ago, we said that if you get stuck, if you really have a
problem, you should ask Jesus about it.
Why don't you do that?"
And Romero said,
"Well, that's a good idea!", and he
shuffled up to the Chapel. Chencho, on
his knees, kept painting the signs with his green paint. And here comes Romero walking very, very
slowly along the corridor, and Chencho gets to his feet, suppressing his
enthusiasm, and he says, "Well? Did you
speak with Jesus?"
Romero says
"Yes."
"And?" says
Chencho.
"He is in agreement."
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