From
Fear to Hope
Excerpts from
homily given by Monsignor Gregorio Rosa Chavez,
Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador,
on the 24th Anniversary of the Assassination
of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero (March 24,
2004)
…and three days after the presidential
elections (March 21, 2004)
Metropolitan Cathedral, San Salvador
Version
en Español
Last Sunday at 5:30pm I passed this plaza on
the way to the airport. Preparations for a party
were under way, a party that never happened.
We listened to my transistor radio all the way
to the airport. I continued listening to the
radio inside the airport and also once aboard
the airplane. The early news was not too optimistic.
At 6:30pm the IUDOP gave the final figures and
then followed it with an analysis of what happened….
Many Salvadorans fear the future and fear hope;
that’s why last Sunday what happened,
happened. That night I listened to interesting
commentaries on YSUCA radio. It was a conversation
between Carlos Ayala and invited guest experts.
They too were amazed at the results. As I listened,
I thought of something Monsignor Romero said
in 1978. “The first thing that an education
must do is to center a person in the current
reality, teach him how to analyze it, and how
to be critically aware of his own reality. Education
must prepare one to be aware, conscientious
and a democratic political participant. What
good this would do!”
Although we have made great advances, we still
have to work on this education. We must educate
for democracy, educate for political participation,
educate for true citizenship. The bishops of
El Salvador published a Pastoral Letter in recent
days on this very theme – that we must
develop lay leadership capable of transforming
the world, of transforming history…
…As I look to the future, I think of
three words. The first is challenge; the second
is discernment and the third is commitment.
The challenge is that with the reality we experience
today – as Monsignor Romero did in his
day, which were much more difficult times than
ours-- we must preach good news. He said one
day in his homily as he thought of his death:
“The Word remains and that is the consolation
of the one who announces it. My voice will disappear,
but my word, which is Christ, will remain in
the hearts of those who want to hear it.”
Our challenge is to kep going without losing
hope.
Next we must discern. And here we must consider
several elements of discenrment: first, an objective
analysis of what happened; second, a self-analysis;
and third, the courage and humility to accept
the truth.
And finally, commitment. We must commit to
say NO to fear and YES to hope. We must do this
in an atmosphere of togetherness and open dialogue.
We must avoid the tensions that are already
surfacing and the wish to see heads roll. If
we follow that course we will all end up losing.
But for this future which we all dream of we
must make a commitment. We sang about it in
our opening hymn: “Each one with his own
stool has a place at the table and a mission”.
What is our mission, the mission of the church?
The church, all the churches, have a responsibility
to accompany our people in their own identity
and with full freedom.
The political leaders also have a responsibility.
They must not forget that their primary commitment
is to the good of all -- especially the poor,
the marginalized and the excluded. In the same
way, leaders of the social movement have a responsibility
– to not give up because of exhaustion,
pessimism or divisions. And there is a responsibility
for us Christians as well, those of us who profess
to be followers of Christ…. We must not
forget that our belief in the Life Eternal calls
us to transform this present world.
In the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter, “Christ’s
Witness in the Church and in the World”
#51, we remember Monsignor Romero: “In
his last homily, Monignor Romero read a text
from the Vatican II Council in its entirety.
‘The expectation of a world to come,’
it says, ‘should not deaden, but rather
awaken, the desire to improve this present world.’
Faith in eternal life does not remove us, but
rather gives us an invincible energy to transform
history according to the saving plan of God
revealed in Christ. This is the impassioned
task of the lay faithful, because progress made
in this temporal world, ‘to the extent
that it contributes to improving human society,
actually contributes to the Kingdom of God.’”
Tonight we want to recommit to the poor of
El Salvador. We cannot sit with our arms crossed,
crying over our loss. On the contrary, we have
to give heart and soul to this country. If we
remain with our arms crossed this country will
not regain its soul. It will be at the service
of wealth and not of human beings. If we remain
with our arms crossed, we will never achieve
Saint Irineo’s affirmation which Monsignor
Romero mentioned in his speech at Louvaine,
“The glory of God is that the poor have
life.”
If we remain with our arms crossed we will
have Heavy Hand* and Super Heavy Hand*, but
not God’s tender love which wants every
person to have opportunity in this life. I wrote
a letter, from Mexico, to the new President,
saying that we would like to talk to him about
youth violence. I said that we saw the problem
from the point of view of the causes and not
the effects, and that we have a motto, “Youth
in crisis have the right to an opportunity.”
In the third century a very beautiful letter
was written. That letter said: “The soul
is to the body what Christians must be to the
world.” That is what we want to be, Monsignor
Romero, in your memory and for the Glory of
God.
But there is also a responsibility, going back
to my theme, that men and women -- even non-
believers -- must have a commitment to human
dignity. We ask that you not lose the dream
that one day things can be different…
…In your presence and with the whole
country hearing this homily, I want to say a
few words to the new President of El Salvador.
First, that this country needs us all. This
country will not succeed unless we are all included
in a National Project that favors the most marginalized.
My second message to the future President is
that many poor have believed in his campaign
promises. We will be watching to make sure those
promises become a reality. My third word is
about youth violence. Why do youth turn to violence?
Why do youth turn to drugs? Why are doors slammed
in their faces? Why can’t they complete
their education? Why can’t they find dignified
work? Why do they feel they have no future?
Why are their hopes killed? Let us hope then
that we can work with you on your government’s
programs so that the poor can have life and
have it abundantly.
As I was coming over to the cathedral I asked
myself: “What can I do to lift my people’s
spirits? But then, Monsignor Romero has already
lifted them.
So now let us convert our dream into fervent
prayer and commitment. We want a different country
– one that is just, fraternal, in solidarity,
and in peace. We aren’t alone in this
task. The whole world is watching us with admiration
and with sympathy. Monsignor Romero continues
to inspire our journey and God continues to
walk with his people. Let us now pray together
that God, through our hands, can build this
world we dream of -- because God does not have
hands, he has only our hands.
(*Editor’s note: Heavy Hand and Super
Heavy Hand are recent anti-gang laws in El Salvador
which have resulted in the intimidation and
incarceration of thousand of youth suspected
of “illicit association. Both laws have
been found to violate civil liberties and human
rights guaranteed in El Salvador’s Constitution)
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