Text 1: "Do I defend the powerful or advocate for the oppressed? My mission is not to defend the powerful but the oppressed, and here I am."

Seeing how Romero, unlike most of the higher clergy in El Salvador whom appointed him, chose to defend the poor rather than the rich was inspirational. Though poorer priests frequently do defend the poor, most who have a chance to pick between helping people and helping themselves rise in position at this point and time and this setting would've chosen to rise at the expense of the people. Romero had the opportunity to then a blind eye to the poor as many of his peers previously did, but he chose to stick by the people and defend them. Eventually, the military and government turned against the church as a whole, but for a long time in El Salvador, along with many other Latin American countries, many of the higher members of the clergy were powerful, rich, and corrupt. I had sen documentaries that focused more on that particular aspect of Romero's life and his struggles with other clergymen and the church's involvement or lack thereof with the suffering lower classes. I really appreciated how this particular film mentioned Rutillo as much as it did because I've always felt his role in planting the seeds of justice and of yearning for equality in the people tends to be downplayed. Rutillo and Romero made the church in El Salvador a church for the people rather than a church for the rich.

Text 2: Early in the movie there is a scene about Romero's arrival. It mentions that he got out of a car just as some kids were playing soccer and the soccer ball landed at his feet. He then picked it up, said, "let's play," and began to play with them and supposedly had great skill handling the ball - not a talent expected from a priest. Rather than scolding the kids for playing there or almost hitting him, he joined them.

By playing with local children, conversing with common people rather than only rich people, and even giving a mass in which military men were posted at the doors threateningly with weapons ready to fight the people monseñor Romero was preaching to, Romero made the church more accessible to the community that he served. Previously, the church and readings were all in Latin, but Romero made an effort to teach people what it was they were going to church for and to increase their knowledge on the Scripture and the teachings of the church. He gave the people the power to use the scripture to learn to respect themselves and each other and to learn that justice was something they all deserved and should work towards. Unfortunately, parts of his message, like respect for all life, were lost on certain people (like the guerrilla) who took Romero's messages of equality in a more violent direction. This film brought a very real message by humanizing Romero and playing clips of real recording of his voice, people he knew, and clips of his life and actions in El Salvador. The film truly showed how genuine and sincere of a person Romero was not only a a person but as a clergyman and a revolutionary of sorts.

Video Part 1
About ten minutes into the video I was taken back by the women who were reading off the names of their children that were missing. In particular, the poor woman who named four of her sons(Mendoza).

Video Part 2
"It was the height of the recession when they caught and beheaded people and dumped the bodies for people to see. They wanted to instill fear"

Response to Part 1
I was taken back by how horrifying it must have been for thee elderly mothers to know that their sons "disappeared" after seeing the violence all around they must have known inside that the chances of seeing their children, let alone them being alive were slim to none. No parent should ever have to bury their child but this is a whole new level knowing that they were taken by member of ORDEN and the national guard and most likely tortured before death.

Response to Part 2
I was really shook up after seeing the graphic footage of those men decomposing in that ditch. It made the documentary very real at that moment. Not that it did not move me in some kind of way before but after a visual of flies and bugs literally eating these men as they lay dead so young it really effected me. And to think this was a daily occurrence for these people to see being as they wanted to "instill fear" there was many brutal visuals they must have seen. That is so scary to think that any human can lose themselves so far in evil that they go to the extreme of killing in such a way that it was for show.

Actual Text 1: “Kingdom of god is not in heaven but here on earth”

Actual Response 1: The Last Journey of Oscar Romero was an incredibly powerful film filled with genuine, faithful and passionate civilians. Although Salvadorian people were constantly threatened, discriminated, abused etc. they would turn to Romero for the truth. When Romero would speak to the people on Sunday morning at 8:00 on the dot, hundreds of people would sit and absorb every last word he spoke. This quote above is from one morning when he really got through to the people. One woman said listening to him was so different from anything she ever heard because of how he changed the gospels to touch people. He made the lower class feel worthy of happiness and gave them hope.

Actual Text 2: “Father, now that we know its not god that keeps us hungry buy the rich people from our city and the government that is their instrument. But the question is what can we do?”

Actual Response 2: A woman says this quote in the second half of the movie after our eyes have been open up to the horrors of the regime in El Salvador. She is speaking in response to one of the truths that Romero brought to light. The injustice in El Salvador is overwhelming, disgusting and all too real after hearing the civilians speak their minds. She ends the claim with questioning what we can do to change the inequalities and injustice, leaving the question unanswered. If we take this question and apply it to greater context, we are still left without an answer. So my question is now what…?

Video Text 1: One of the moments that really struck me in the video was when one of the men said that Archbishop Romero's homilies on Sunday dictated how the rest of the week would go. "He was either for us or against us." Archbishop Romero's homilies were seen as a newscast for many people and the people of El Salvador saw him as someone who had a voice at a time when people had lost hope.

Video Text 2: Another moment in the video that caught my attention was when the dead bodies were displayed for everyone to see and flies were swarming around them. This image was truly horrifying because it explicitly showed that the men had been beheaded and the ORDEN just threw the bodies in the middle of town so everyone could see what would happen if they tried to revolt against the government.

Responses to Video

1. I think it is amazing how one person can have such a large impact on many. Even if people could not make it to church to hear Archbishop Romero's homilies, they turned on the radio. The video even mentioned at one point that people walking in the streets did not even need to have a radio because you could hear the homily on radios of your neighbors. Archbishop Romero served as an advocate for those who felt they had no voice. His homilies allowed the people of El Salvador to believe in a greater good. Archbishop Romero helped the people to see that God wasn't the cause for their hunger, but rather the government and military. In order to take action they needed come together and organize as a community to change their lives.

2. This graphic image in the video was horrifying to watch because of how real it was. The video did not try to sugar-coat the violent deaths of those who tried to stand up and take action. It was gruesome and graphic and real. The ORDEN would wait outside people's houses just to see who came in and out. Fear was instilled in the minds of many, which causes people to flee for months at a time. Watching this video caused me to think about what I would do in this situation. I honestly can't say what I would do because I couldn't even imagine being in this situation and what these people went through. I have always learned about torture and genocide and mass killings in other countries, but this video lays it out plain as a day to portray that this was real and many people including Archbishop Romero lost their lives for a cause they believed in.

Video #1: One moment during the video that struck me was when a woman described the Sunday homilies of Romero as a "newscast" for the poor people of El Salvador. I am intrigued by this analogy. I am not used to hearing what I want to hear on only one day of the week unlike these poor people who lived extremely unfortunate lives. This analogy is a very telling example of how greatly Romero impacted these people's lives.

Response #1: The idea of a "newscast" for people displays how corrupt El Salvador was during the time of Oscar Romero. Not only the government but the powerful rankings of the Church as well were not supportive of Romero and his crusade to end social inequality. It amazes me that even within the Catholic Church their was opposition to Romero's movement. The whole point of the Church is to be universal- that is, open to everyone. For the Church to become hypocritical against itself is absurd. These people had to suffer 6 out of 7 days of the week until it came to Sunday and they were given a voice.

Video #2: I would like to discuss the aspect of unity that Romero preached. During his tenure, he created "Misa Unica," which means "United Mass." In this mass all people whether rich or poor, powerful church member or lowly peasant, were able to attend. This angered powerful members of the Church. The hypocrisy began within the Catholic Church as Romero took on the voice of every poor El Salvadorian and used his own to speak for them.

Response #2: Unity is a special thing. The ability of one man to speak for an entire country's oppressed is a special occurrence. Romero would preach things that people were killed for saying each and every day under the tyrannical rule of the El Salvadorian government. Romero was a true martyr in that he cared more about what he said and who he was speaking on behalf of than his own death. Romero realized that he was fighting for a cause that was bigger than himself. I think he understood that as a man of faith he has always been a part of something bigger than himself. This teaches us that we must surrender our selfish wants and desires and submit to a higher power or cause if we truly want to aid in social justice. Social justice cannot be about one; it is about the mass. Once we recognize this, our own lives become less important and as our own lives get less attention, other people's lives get more which is the whole idea of social justice.

Actual Text #1:
The first part of the movie that stuck out to me was Francis Grande and Romero’s role in helping voice the social injustice in El Salvador. They introduced a gospel of a different context. This allowed a new religious view for the poor, in order to liberate them. An individual being interviewed said, “A good man must take a leap.” Another said, “I will not let the fear beat me. We must stick up for Romero because he has the courage to stick up for us.”

Response #1:
These two statements really stuck out to me. It was amazing the impact these priests had on the poor and disadvantaged people of El Salvador. They realized that Grande and Romero had taken the leap to stick up for their human rights and it was only fair for them to not back down. Romero instilled strength in the people. He told them if they didn't fight for the change now, then there would never be any change. Romero’s homilies provided such strong spiritual strength and these people would have not survived without his help. All these people wanted was peace. Romero was an angel sent from God and his last homily was proof of that. He knew how much trouble he would be in if he spoke against the military, but he knew it was important to the people that their message was heard. He made sure the military knew that they were killing their own people and that they must find a path to peace. He believed in the people and understood them. His actions remain an important part of their culture to this day and the world deserves more people like Francis Grande and Oscar Romero.

Actual text #2:
The second part that stood out to me was Romero’s discussion of the “truth of 99 cases”. Everyone was able to come and share his or her stories to the priest. Stories about loved ones that were unjustly killed, tortured, or missing. People could come to him, sit in the cafe, share stories, and gain advice on how to move forward after facing these horrific tragedies. Romero would even open his home up to anyone in need of help. He would let individuals sleep in his bed because he knew how dangerous it was to be out and walking on the streets of this town. He defended their human rights and did not assess the value of each case but rather held each with the respect it deserved and implanted peace in the minds of these families. My favorite part of the movie was when a woman said, “watching Romero speech was like watching heaven open and he wanted a heaven on earth.”

Response #2:
This was a very powerful statement. It showed the significant impact he had on this society. He brought hope to a society that lost all faith in God. Romero was extremely generous and was someone the underprivileged could count on during this devastating and gruesome time. I really appreciated watching this film because I was able to see real live footage of the events occurring at that time. I liked how it was filmed with subtitles because I was able to really sit there and pay full attention to this touching story.

Text 1: "The only way is for you to organize and together demand your entitlements, your stolen rights." This quote vibrantly stuck out to me because I am a big supporter of personal motivation.

Response: After watching this documentary, I would have to say i learned a lot of things. I saw some things that i realized was happening around the world and yet still i was shocked. Being a privileged college student I am aware of social injustice around the world and yet I have yet to honestly witness it with my own eyes. I may get to see documentaries or hear about it on the news, but I do not witness the horrors that these people have to face on a day to day basis which truly breaks my heart. Anyways to respond to this quote, I think it is a beautifully written phrase. Simple and yet so powerful because at the core of humanity, people should be equal. How can anyone live in a world where their own rights, their own privileges have been stolen away from them. I am a firm believer of people rallying together under one common goal to oppose injustice. And although i know it is not such a simple task, I believe that with enough motivation, heart, and education, anyone can change social norms. Anyone can overthrow a malicious government, anyone can save lives.

Text 2: Another salient point throughout the documentary that was horrific was the idea that the government would kill innocent people.

Response: I have studied malicious government regimes almost all my life, and still to this day It horrifies me. How can government, a sacred body of power, be so rotten to its core to allow the killing of innocent people. People who only want to better their lives as well as the lives of their children. How can a government suppress and execute members of society just for wanting to speak out? How can a government so easily deny someones basic human rights? How can someone take a beautiful thing like government and horribly mutilate it into something so despicable that it can barely be called a government? Overall, this documentary only helped me realize once more that when people are seated with power, all they do is use it to better themselves. While the people who are worth something in this world can barely do anything except slowly but surely bring equality to the world like Monsenor Oscar Romero.

The documentary was about Monsenor Oscar Romero. In his journey he became the archbishop in El Salvador, and struggled throughout his career for justice. He wanted to help those who needed it, and give to the poor. His goal was to make the lives of the less fortunate better, even if that meant taking away from the rich people. His actions to do this went against the government and military, so what he was doing was very risky. Romero did not care, and was a brave leader of the church to get people to believe in him, believe that their lives could get better, and try to take action to make life better.
-The parts of this documentation that I was most shocked about was the killings of people by the government. The women would talk about their son who disappeared, or who were mutilated and killed by the government. There were also parts where people would say they could not speak out because they knew they would be killed. This is a really scary thought. Ultimately these people following Romero are just trying to better their lives and get more equality. The amount of oppression upon them is really sad, and pretty scary if you are one of them. I cannot imagine not being able to speak what I feel and believe what I want to believe. It shows how different things in certain areas/times are, compared to places now.
-I also liked the amount of following and influence Monsenor Romero had on the people. He gave them so much hope, and allowed them to feel that there was someone on the side of the poor people. He clearly was a very powerful man because he was able to keep people believing even though the government was trying so hard to suppress them. It shows how strong of a man and leader he was.

Text #1: Monsenor Romero: "Whose pastor am I? Of a people that suffers or a people that oppresses? Which side will I defend? Do I defend the powerful or advocate for the oppressed? My mission is not to defend the powerful but the oppressed, and here I am."

Response #1: I heard this quote in the beginning of the movie by a man who was quoting Monsenor Romero. From what I saw in the movie, Monsenor Romero was in a sense, the "people's man" after Rutillo was assassinated. Rutillo was also the "people's man." Many who were interviewed in the video spoke of Rutillo as being different from other priests and actually liberating them. Before, the church was all about the wealthy, but here was Rutillo and later on Romero who made the church for the poor. They gave those who thought they had no chance, almost an uprising. I say uprising because the poor were taught gospels and what's in the Bible. The military, however, would punish anyone they saw with a Bible. I thought it was noble for peasants to continue carrying around Bibles and even to organize their own army to stand up for their freedom against the government.

I found this movie kind of gory and gruesome, but not as gory as The Walking Dead. Of course, the scenes and gory images in The Walking Dead is all makeup and graphics, whereas the movie showed actual photos of dead civilians and what the military did to them. This civil war in El Salvador reminds me of Afghanistan (I think it is Afghanistan) where the military is killing and torturing their own civilians. My question to them is, why? Why are you killing peasants who just want to attend church and sing gospels? Is it because they want more freedom than what's allowed? Because they want to be caught up in 'freedom to practice a religion' as the US has? Where in the Bible or anywhere else does it say that the government, who is run by the clergy, is allowed to killed others? This makes the clergy hypocrites because they say they follow the Bible so much, yet here they are taking the life of another.

Text #2: "We are the ones who put you where you are. We can get rid of you anytime we want. And if it is necessary, we will eliminate..."

Response #2: As said by the military to civilians. I found this twisted. The government's supposed to protect it's citizens but here they are killing them. What's even worst is the military leaves the corpses out in the street for people to see. Imagine what it must be like for children to see this. Every corner they turn is a bloodied, dead body probably with organs and guts on the ground. I know I'd be sick to my stomach and scarred for life if I were to see such graphic imagines in front of me. And I don't mean pictures. I mean the actual bodies, like the children in El Salvador see.

Monsenor Romero did what El Salvador desperately needed. He gave them more than a priest who guides them in prayer. He guided them and taught them, which gave them hope in a brighter future. However, the war and the stench of death looming over them wasn't much of freedom.

In relation to fair trades: Monsenor Romero gave his followers hope, like artisans in third world countries are getting from fair trades. It's almost like a new beginning, which I think is the start of everything - having the chance to leave a horrid past behind for a brighter future.

I have to admit that I wasn't too excited to watch this movie but now I am glad I watched it.

I had some difficulty watching the movie all the way through because I do not do well with horrific and graphic scenes. However, the vividness of the movies is appropriate because it symbolizes the passion and power Oscar Romero had in his work in El Salvador.

Quote 1: "Christ passed through El Salvador"

Response 1: This quote by a woman in the movie is the essence of Oscar Romero and his impact on the people of El Salvador. He is a Christ-like figure who worked towards justice for the church and its members and leaders. One of the main themes of the movie was Archbishop Romero's determination, which was clearly seen when he continued to give homilies and services even though he was being threatened and attacked. He is most like Christ is that he was a savior for the people of El Salvador, as he provided a source of strength and unity. As Christ was influential and powerful, Archbishop Romero showed similar attributes, as his Sunday 8 PM homilies were heard by all, no matter what someone was doing. Although they faced great oppression, Archbishop Romero and the members of the church kept a strong faith in God during times of turmoil. Oscar Romero is a clear vision of a Christ-like figure because he led by example and used his faith as a source of strength.

Quote 2: "They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions."

Response 2: As many other students have commented on this quote, I also find it powerful. I have always been interested in politics and international affairs, so this movie was particularly interesting for me because of the role the government played in the conflict. It's clear that the oppressive government was the source of the problem because those being persecuted were the religious. Even though God is the most powerful being, it was the government and their policies that led to tragedy. Whenever I hear the quote, I look particularly at the "wealthy institutions" part. Immediately I think that the United States is at fault, and then I think of the greater issue of the wealth gap between the US and nations like El Salvador.

Throughout the movie, I kept seeing similarities between El Salvador and the Civil Rights Movement. I have seen many documentaries and movies on the topic, and the themes of oppression and persecution are very parallel to each other. It's disturbing to think that these catastrophes are still happening in the world.

Text 1: "They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions."

Text 2: Oscar Romero's life and his affect on his followers throughout the entire video

Response 1: The quote, "They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions" is extremely eye opening for me. This exemplifies the power that lies within the government. People initially blamed God for not having enough food, which hindered peoples' relationships with God. Eventually the people realized God was not the one keeping them hungry, it was instead, the wealthy institutions and government. The unequal distribution of money is extremely prevalent in El Salvador and the government intended to keep this distribution. Without support of the government it would be impossible to overcome poverty and reach an equal distribution of income. Archbishop Romero stepped in and helped where the government lacked. He instilled hope in people, which simultaneously allowed them to mend their relationships with God.

After watching the video, I did some research of my own. I wanted to know more about Oscar Romero because I was so impressed with his work in El Salvador. He was a magnificent man that captured the hearts of many Catholics. What made this even more admirable was his followers often were people who questioned their relationships with God. Archbishop Romero was able to convince the people to have trust in the Catholic virtues and in God. He instilled faith into many who had lost their way. The Monsenor stood up for his church when the Catholics were being persecuted. He watched many of his colleagues, friends, and followers fall to the persecutors. In, March of 1980 Romero was assassinated during mass, after he had asked Salvadorian soldiers to stop carrying out the governments orders as these orders were a violation to human rights.

Video 1: "They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions."

Response 1: I think this is the most powerful quote of the video because it gives us a sense of how destructive a government can be to its own people. It is impossible to overcome poverty if it's institutionalized. The fact that archbishop Romero was able to save so many people in the face of such oppression is astounding and shows just how much a difference one person can make in the fight for equality.

Video 2: "The only ones that can create jobs are the working class"

Response 2: Nick Hanauer makes a great point in his speech: the wealthy can not create jobs. Allowing the rich to get richer doesn't create jobs in the economy because only demand from the working and lower class can create the opportunity for investment and thus jobs. What the US government does in following Reagan's economic doctrine is actually counter-productive to the economy. In order to improve the quality of life for everyone wealth needs to be distributed to the lower classes.

Video 1: "They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions."

Response 1: I think this is the most powerful quote of the video because it gives us a sense of how destructive a government can be to its own people. It is impossible to overcome poverty if it's institutionalized. The fact that archbishop Romero was able to save so many people in the face of such oppression is astounding and shows just how much a difference one person can make in the fight for equality.

Video 2: "The only ones that can create jobs are the working class"

Response 2: Nick Hanauer makes a great point in his speech: the wealthy can not create jobs. Allowing the rich to get richer doesn't create jobs in the economy because only demand from the working and lower class can create the opportunity for investment and thus jobs. What the US government does in following Reagan's economic doctrine is actually counter-productive to the economy. In order to improve the quality of life for everyone wealth needs to be distributed to the lower classes.

Text:

The line in this movie that stuck out to me the most was about 11 minutes in when a man says:

“They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions.

The only way is for you to organize and together demand your entitlements, your stolen rights”.

Response 1:

This statement shows many important things to me. First, it presents the struggle that many people in this area faced prior to the transformation of the church and arrival of the Archbishop. They thought that their bad fortune was God’s fault. When you blame something on God it is extremely difficult to find a way to change things for yourself, because when they’re in God’s hands, they are usually not in your control. I thought that for these people to make this change in thinking was extremely powerful, and showed how important it was that the church be making changes and have a different approach.

Response 2:

To take this even further, I would say that one of the biggest themes in this movie, which I think I and many people from the first world often overlook, is that helping others in need was a threat on their own lives. Many times people are poor because of bad circumstances or an economy that makes it difficult to prosper. Many times people are needy and go unhelped because those who are able to help do not have the heart to do so. However, in this movie, the compassion is most certainly there, but the fear for one’s own life if they are to help is much more prominent than anything, and that’s extremely scary. The man says “The only way is for you to organize and together demand your entitlements, your stolen rights”, but it’s not that easy. We see during the movie the cost at which that comes.

I found this movie to be very difficult to watch because of all of the goriness. Though difficult to get through, it did make a very bold statement about the injustices occurring in San Salvador. The first thing that stood out to be was when the woman was speaking about Oscar Romero being stopped during a trip and accused of having a weapon. Her response was that he had the strongest weapon of all; he had the voice of justice.
I found it truly admirable that despite their terrible circumstances, the people of San Salvador still had a lot of faith and trust in their leaders. I feel that in many situations, leaders are not always respected as much as they should be. It is not uncommon for followers, teams and groups to become frustrated with leaders when progress does not seem to be occurring. Even when situation seems to be getting worse and more people were murdered, the people behind Oscar Romero still supported him and his efforts to try to bring peace to their lives.
While watching the movie and listening to the men and women tell their stories, the woman telling the story about how she lived next to the guard station and could hear the cries, but could not do anything, really stuck out to me. I was really disheartened by the fact that people felt they lacked the power to be able to help others for the fear of their own life. It made me realize that these people lived in constant fear and really had no control over the horror that surrounded them.
It is hard to believe that all of this was happening in San Salvador within the last 40 years. Here in America, we are very lucky. While we may struggle to pay our bills and lose some weight, we never have to fear being murdered by our own government. I could never imagine living in a state of constant fear and not being able to do anything to control it. While humans need food, water, and shelter, they also need protection, love, and a sense of dignity, something the people of San Salvador were not given.