Archbishop Romero’s Diary - PDF and Audio

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A Note From the Translator

The three sources with which I worked on this translation are the tapes in Romero's own voice, the typed transcription prepared by the archdiocese and the version published in Spanish.

Before I began, I read as much as I could about El Salvador and about Romero himself, especially Romero: A Life, by James R. Brockman, S.J. (Orbis, 1990). I traveled to El Salvador in August 1990; I visited Romero's little house at the cancer hospital and the chapel where he was shot, as well as the arch diocesan offices.

Most of the difficulties in translation arise from the spoken nature of the work. Sometimes he spun out extremely long sentences; other times he left thoughts and clauses hanging as he changed direction in mid-sentence. Sometimes he recorded the accounts of two or three days at once (probably aided by a list of his appointments) with inconsistent verb tenses. Speaking for an audience who already knew what he was talking about, he also referred to more details in other documents in "the files" -the arch diocesan files.

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When I met with Jon Sobrino, S.J to ask some questions about an article of his I was translating, I told him that I was going to translate this diary. His response was that I could make all the errors I wanted translating his articles, but that I'd better "get Romero right." I hope I haven't let Sobrino down.

I offer thanks to the many people who helped in this project:

to St. Anthony Messenger Press managing editor Lisa Biedenbach and editor Carol Luebering for their support and patience;

1Sobrino teaches philosophy at the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas in San Salvador. He worked closely with Archbishop Romero and is the author of Archbishop Romero: Memories and Reflections (Orbis Books, 1990).
to Susan Harper, Margaret Warrninski and especially Carol for their improvements to the manuscript;
to my friend Bruce Pulliam for his encouragement and the many hours he spent typing the translated text and keying corrections into the computer;
to Gail N urre and Monica Rivera of Xavier University for their typing efforts;
to Thomas E. Quigley, Latin American Affairs adviser in the United States Catholic Conference's Office of International Justice and Peace, for his review of the manuscript;
to Father James R. Brockman, S,J., Father ]on Sobrino, S.J,, and others with special knowledge of the Church, the history of El Salvador and the Spanish used there;
to Monsignor Ricardo Urioste and Maria Julia Hermindez of the Arch diocesan Human Rights Office and to Conny de Huezo, Monsignor Urioste's secretary, for their kindness and help during my visits to the arch diocesan offices in August 1990;
to my family and friends and colleagues, who have put up with me during these long months.

Irene B. Hodgson

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March 1978

Friday, March 31
The most important meeting today was one we had with lawyers and law students we had brought together to explain to them the difficulties the Church encounters and to ask them for legal help with so many cases of abuses of human rights.

We have a small Legal Aid Office housed in the Externado San Jose[1] that is called Socorro Juridico, but it is powerless in the face of so many different kinds of cases. And so we suggested to them that they organize a permanent team of distinguished lawyers and law students the Church could call on for advice of a legal nature.

Our invitation had been enthusiastically received because almost twenty people-both lawyers and law students-came. For the specific names, ask Bachiller[2] Roberto Cuellar, of the Legal Aid Office; he has the list of those who were invited and those who attended. Among the concrete ideas that were enthusiastically proposed was that of seeking amnesty for those who have been detained because of the events at San Pedro Perulapan. [3] Next week a petition to this effect will be presented to the Assembly,[4] asking for amnesty for them. The idea of helping the Legal Aid Office was well received. The Office was asked to pull together cases needing help and to send them to the lawyers present, who offered to provide help in their own offices as long as it involved routine matters, and to work together in a collaborative effort when necessary.

1 The Jesuit elementary and secondary school.
2 An honorary title for someone who holds a bachillerato (a bachelor's degree or, more often, a pre-university diploma).
3 A town 12 miles east of San Salvador where two weeks of violence during Holy Week and Easter Week of 1978left at least six dead, 68 missing, 14 wounded and many peasants' homes destroyed.
4The legislative body of El Salvador.

Also suggested was the idea of organizing a lawyers' association that could be joined by others who had not been invited to the meeting or were from other areas in order to create a consulting body as the Church had requested for its difficulties of a legal nature. It was also suggested meeting periodically to discuss these matters.

I thanked them, and told them how satisfied I was with their response to my appeal and the goodwill they had shown as lawyers with Christian conscience.

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April1978

Saturday, April 1

As I always do on the first of the month, I preached the Holy Hour and celebrated Mass in the Divine Providence Hospital.[5] After Mass there was an audience that had been requested by the Confederation of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese, the Director of the Colegio6 de la Asunci6n, Sister Ines, and of the Colegio Sagrado Coraz6n, Mother Nelly Rodriguez.

They informed me that they had met yesterday as well as today to consider the possibility of demonstrating solidarity with the peasants of San Pedro Perulapan and also their solidarity with the appeals made by the archdiocese for accurate information and other matters on behalf of the peasants of that place.

I explained to them my concerns about the idea, especially that this demonstration of Christian, evangelical solidarity might be confused with the strike being called for the same time by the ANDES[7] teachers' organization and that I didn't want the Catholic schools to be manipulated by ANDES. They told me that they had considered this risk and that there were also difficulties within the confederation itself because they were not all in agreement. I told them that I would leave it to their judgment and would appreciate if they would not bring my name into their discussions.

Afterward they were going to meet again, later in the evening, and I did not learn that day what the results of their deliberations were.

5 Hospital de la Divina Providencia, a hospital for indigent cancer patients where Romero lived, first in a room off the chapel and later in a little house built for him on the grounds.
6 Elementary or high school.
7 ANDES 21 de junio, National Association of Salvadoran Education, a major teachers' union.

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Sunday, April2

At eight o'clock, as usual, I celebrated Mass in the cathedral, always filled to overflowing with the faithful, who extended all the way to the park in front. I read, with a few comments, the statement from the archdiocese about the events at San Pedro Perulapan, which can be found in its entirety in the archdiocesan files.

The main theme of my comments was related to the biblical readings on the theme: "The risen Christ lives and he lives in his community of Christians on this earth."

I first explained the characteristics of the risen Christ according to St. Thomas: Lord and God, messenger and instrument of the redemption of humankind. His greeting of peace is the synthesis of the gift that the Father sent us in Christ; that is, salvation. I presented the Risen One also as the object of our hope as the Church makes its pilgrimage through life, always desiring the encounter with that Christ who is to return.

My second point was to explain the characteristics of the Christian community that carries the spirit of Christ in the world. The Gospel tells us how the resurrected Christ sent the Church in the same way that the Father had sent him, and that by breathing on the new Church, like God in paradise breathing on Adam's clay, he inspired in it the new life that the Church has to bring to the world: "Receive the holy Spirit" Uohn 20:22]. The characteristics of that community are in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which says that the multitude all lived together and shared with each other; that it was a community where prayer abounded, where the members came together in the breaking of bread and lived in great hope.

I explained that these were indications of what the Church should be like, the community that follows Christ and is the presence of Christ in this world, the saving mission of Christ. A community of life that grows and a community where life finds salvation. The Book of Acts says it this way: " ... [E]very day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved" [Acts 2:47]. A community of life that showed its communion by mutually sharing together the goods of the Lord; even the goods of the earth were put at the service of all. A community of life for its increasing repute under the authority of the apostles.

But, secondly, it was principally a faith community, and this is what distinguishes the Church from any other social group or human organization. I emphasized this because the Church should not be confused with other organisms and be falsely accused, as it is now when it is accused of being responsible for violence. I told them that this community of faith and of the Spirit had to be a community in conformity with the teachings of the apostles, a community of prayer and a community nourished with the sacraments and, finally, an eschatological community that lives, then, the hope of something beyond.

At three in the afternoon I had been invited by the Salesian Sisters to the Colegio Maria Auxiliadora, where they were having an oratorio for the girls. They had prepared a group of young people for Confirmation and the Mass was very beautiful. The music vibrated with a unique enthusiasm. When the time came for the Gospel, I explained to them that the breath of Jesus was on the community: It was the Spirit of God given to those who would believe in Jesus Christ. I explained Confirmation to them-the rite and its meaning. And I administered to them this sacrament of the Holy Spirit. There were about forty young women who had been prepared to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this afternoon.

In the evening, at six-thirty, in Colonia [8] Miramonte, in the parish Church of the Resurrection-they are celebrating the patronal feast of this parish named for the Resurrection of the Lord-the parish community came in great numbers, filling the church. The Augustinian Fathers and other priests of the vicariate of this part of the city concelebrated Mass with me.

I preached on the Gospel and made reference to the empty tomb of the risen Jesus and to the sealed tomb of Father Alfonso Navarro,[9] who just last year, in this very celebration, had showed such a pastor's enthusiasm in a parish that bears witness to the resurrection of Christ. His tomb was sealed after he was murdered, one of two priests shot dead this last year. His sealed tomb could be perceived as a failure of the redemption and resurrection of Christ and yet it is a sign of hope. Our dead will be raised and the tombs of our dead that today are sealed by the triumph of death will one day also be like that of Christ-empty tombs. Christ's empty tomb is a sign of the final victory, of redemption realized. Until then, we must struggle, we must work so that the message of that empty tomb of Christ may enlighten all our work on earth with hope until the fulfillment of the Lord's redemption.

After Mass the community of the parish of Miramonte had prepared a light meal for all of those at Mass-a wonderful experience of the family feeling of the parish. The Augustinian Fathers who run this parish are to be commended because they have worked with enthusiasm and continue to work toward a model parish community.

8 A word used to describe different neighborhoods or parts of a city.
9Shot in his rectory, along with a 14-year-old boy, on May 11, 1977.

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Monday, April 3

The Bishops' Conference of El Salvador called an urgent meeting. My first impulse was not to go, since the invitation arrived only on Monday morning. I was advised to go, however, and I did because it had to do with the matter of the letter from the priests to the nuncio, [10] and I could, therefore, by going give an opinion in defense of the priests.

As I expected, when I arrived at the meeting, I found that everything had already been decided prior to the meeting. Bishop Rivera's telegram saying that he could not come because of a meeting in Guatemala and asking them to wait since the topic required a meeting at which all the bishops would be present was not heeded, even though I seconded Bishop [Arturo] Rivera's request. With the vote, naturally, four bishops against my one vote, the meeting was held. I also protested that the document to be discussed had been prepared in advance. They told me that there was always a draft document presented, but I could see that it was not just a draft, since it was not discussed. Rather they began right away to sign it in spite of my giving my reasons against it.

My reasons were these: The priests have written a letter to the nuncio, so what should happen now is that the nuncio should invite the priests to talk with him. Another reason is that the document of the bishops against the priests accuses them of offending the Holy See. I made a distinction between the Holy See-mainly the person of the pope with whom these priests feel themselves united in the faith-and the person of the nuncio who represents the pope but does not always do so effectively. In order to show this, I pointed out some things that have made the nuncio an unpopular figure both here and in Guatemala.[11] Another reason is that the document written by the priests should itself be analyzed, not just to criticize the composition or the inadequacy of expression, but rather to see concretely what the nuncio has done to cause them to say that his witness is less than Christian. The priests should not be accused without a hearing, and it seems to me that publishing this document will only foment division among the bishops, since I would not agree to sign it.

In spite of all of these reasons, the document was already being passed around so that the four bishops could sign it: Bishop Aparicio, president of the Conference; Bishop Barrera, bishop of Santa Ana; Bishop Alvarez, bishop of San Miguel; and Bishop Revelo, auxiliary bishop of San Salvador.

The document was approved, and I was subjected to many false accusations by the other bishops. I was told that my preaching is subversive, violent; that my priests provoke a climate of violence among the peasants; and that we should not complain about the abuses that the authorities are committing. The archdiocese was accused of interfering in the other dioceses, causing division among the priests and pastoral unrest in other dioceses. The archdiocese was accused of sowing confusion in the seminary, and they said that it was urgent that the arch diocesan offices leave the building of the San Jose de la Montaña Seminary.[12] And other caluminous and false accusations to which I preferred not to respond.

It has been a bitter day because of this event and I lament that the division among the bishops will be worsened by this step, which seems to me not to be very wise.

10 A letter to the papal representative, Emanuele Gerada, signed by 200 or so priests and religious, criticizing the nuncio for disagreeing with Romero's policies and openly supporting "a repressive and unjust government."
11 At that time Archbishop Emanuele Gerada was nuncio for both countries.
12 The archdiocesan offices occupied space in the building which housed the major seminary serving all the dioceses of El Salvador.

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Tuesday, April 4

I give personal thanks to God because today is the thirty-sixth anniversary of my ordination as a priest in Rome.

The meeting of the clergy was held. The topic for study was base communities.[13] It was presented by Father J estis Delgado, structuring it as a consultation for the Latin American Bishops' Conference to be held in Puebla next October.

The second part was an explanation of and information about what happened Holy Week and Easter in San Pedro Perulapan and in parts of the archdiocese, where the repressive governmental forces have done many things to destroy the tranquility of the villages and the dignity of human rights.

On our side, we have published a statement commenting on this situation and expressing our solidarity with the people who are suffering.

Some parish priests brought catechists, peasants who have lived through these tragic hours of a terribly bloody and repressive Holy Week.

It was agreed to send to Rome on behalf of all the clergy and women religious present there a vote of solidarity with the archbishop to counteract the document of the bishops who, at their meeting, insulted the Archbishop of San Salvador and have attacked him in their statement, which is to be published.

In the afternoon an interview with a Swedish journalist and a conversation with Father Jestis Delgado on many topics relating to the Bishops' Conference and the archdiocese.

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13 Small groups who meet regularly, usually under lay leadership, to explore Scripture and its relationship to their lives.

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Wednesday, April 5

As we do every Wednesday, we had a study breakfast with representatives of the Priests' Senate [14] and members of the justice and Peace Commission. Today's consultation centered around the document published by the bishops in support of the nuncio, Archbishop Gerada, because of a letter addressed to him by some priests and nuns calling his attention to what they see as an anti-Christian witness in his actions. The bishops, in their document, express their solidarity with the nuncio and, to some extent, insult the priests a little. I explained in the meeting what I had said about this to the bishops and why I did not sign this declaration.

14 An advisory body representing the priests of the archdiocese.

My reasons were these: In the first place, because the meeting of Monday, April 3, called urgently by the conference, did not seem right to me. Bishop Rivera of Santiago de Maria was not present and, in spite of the fact that in his telegram he asked them to wait for him, they would not accede to his request and voted against it. As for me, I agreed with Bishop Rivera's request and voted for it. But since the other four wanted to hold the meeting, my vote seemed very small compared to those four: Bishops Aparicio, Barrera, Alvarez and Revelo.

In the second place, I asked that we discuss the appropriateness of publishing, at a time so given to division, a statement that would cause an even greater division of opinion in our Church and that would make the bishops look bad, given the present atmosphere. Bishop Revelo answered that he did not care about the atmosphere, but only about carrying out his duty.

Another of my reasons was that, before making a statement against the priests, it seemed to me only fair to hear and talk with them and, if it were possible, to have the nuncio present so that things could be cleared up first there and that then perhaps it would not be necessary to do anything further.

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Another of my reasons was that a dispassionate analysis of the letter from the priests and religious to the nuncio perhaps would not find it merited this condemnation, for it would require analyzing the facts referred to in the letter-facts that seem to indicate rather that the nuncio should think about how to provide a more Christian witness. And I referred specifically to those facts, principally to his having supported Father [Rogelio] Esquivel, [15] knowing that he was going against the opinion and pastoral line of his bishop.

Bishop Aparicio took advantage of this occasion to say that what I defended in the priests against the nuncio was the same thing I was doing with the dioceses of El Salvador; that my preaching was violent, subversive; that it was dividing the clergy and the dioceses; that the priests now looked more to the archdiocese than to their own bishops.

I do not remember how many more accusations he made that were also supported by my brothers: Bishop Barrera, who also called my preaching violent; Bishop Alvarez, who took the opportunity to voice his disagreement with me; and the strangest part was that Bishop Revelo, recently named my auxiliary bishop, also took the opportunity to say he disagreed with my approach. He said I was not infallible when I explained that my orientation was precisely that outlined by the documents of the Council [Vatican 11], the recent encyclicals of the popes and Medellin.[16] According to Bishop Revelo, I could be wrong in the application of those documents and that, therefore, he was not obliged to agree with this approach.

I preferred to remain silent for the rest of the meeting since the document that was published was only read one time and there was no opportunity for clarification. Rather, it was signed in this rather tense atmosphere, which only confirmed for me what I said at the beginning: 'This has all been arranged in advance."

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15 A priest Romero had removed from pastoral office.
16 The Second General Conference of Latin American Bishops, held in Medellin, Colombia, in 1968.

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Then the advisors at breakfast this morning gave me their opinions. They thought it better for me not to issue any clarification, that the absence of my signature from the signatures of the other bishops was testimony enough and that everyone thought that the letter published by the bishops in support of the nuncio would rather arouse curiosity about the letter, which many have not seen and would therefore require them to see what the clergy thinks of the nuncio. And, also that the letter itself is badly written-it even refers to personal accusations against the priests that have nothing to do with the matter-and that the letter itself will be more likely to defame the nuncio and the hierarchy itself. "It is a shame," they said, "for this action even further to divide Catholics who were already divided." And that if I wanted to issue a clarification, it would be better to write to the bishops' conference and send a copy to the nuncio and to the Holy See explaining my reasons for not signing and describing in it how the process took place. The same thing could be asked of Bishop Rivera, to write a separate letter expressing his unhappiness with the meeting in which it was agreed to write this letter of support to the nuncio.

After the meeting, this morning at nine o'clock I was in the Externado San Jose in the Legal Aid Office, where there were several lawyers and law students gathered to sign the petition for amnesty that they later took to the legislative assembly on behalf of the men and women arrested because of the events in San Pedro Perulapan.

I was very glad that the lawyers and law students took this occasion to strengthen even more their desire to  stay united, to meet frequently, to study legal problems together and support the needs of our people, especially those of the poor. Specifically, they promised to study and analyze the Law for the Defense of Public Order[17] and prove that it is unconstitutional. They will meet next Monday at seven o'clock in the evening in the same place to decide on the frequency of their meetings from then on and the way in which they will proceed.

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17 Enacted in November 1977 and immediately criticized because of the restrictions it placed on political activity and because it gave wide powers to the security forces to detain suspects. It was finally repealed in 1979.