Monsenor: The Last Journey of Oscar Romers

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.

More blog posts in this category Common

• The Wound & the Blessing/The Economy of Communion Project Post
• The Crest- Jewel of Wisdom & Work as a Spiritual Practice Post
• "What Money Can't Buy" Blog Post
• Blog Post Ni: FTRN Booklet & Arithmetic of Passion
• Work as a Spiritual Practice (The Transformation of Work)