Archbishop Romero’s Diary-1979

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Monday,January22 

At 8:20p.m. I left for Mexico on a Pan American flight to attend the Puebla meeting. When we stopped in Guatemala City, we greeted the priests who met us there and were interviewed briefly by a journalist who was particularly interested in the declarations just made in Mexico by the president of the republic,[91] who said that the Church is not persecuted in El Salvador. He also wanted details of the attack on the youth retreat center where Father Octavio was tragically killed.

In the Mexico City airport, too, when they realized that the archbishop of San Salvador was arriving, there was a press conference with Mexican journalists, television crews and representatives of the press who also were interested in the situation of the Church in El Salvador and its relationship to the government. In this interview, we clarified certain inaccuracies in the declarations made by the president in Mexico. One of the journalists told me in confidence that the visit of [Salvadoran] President Romero and, above all, his departure for El Salvador had been very cold-"icy," the journalist said.

We were warmly received by the Carmelite sisters of St. Theresa, who had been notified of my arrival time by the sisters of that congregation at the Divine Providence Hospital in San Salvador. They came to meet us at the airport and took us to their novitiate in Colonia Santa Marfa de la Rivera. I was accompanied by Fathers Jesús Delgado and Astor Ruiz; Father Rafael Moreno had also come with me, but he went to stay with his Jesuit brothers. We have been in constant communication because he is in charge of reporting to the public information secretariat of the Archdiocese of San Salvador on the Puebla meeting and all the events of this trip.

After resting for a little while in the sisters' house, I went with my two priest companions to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, making our first offering on this trip to her. It was six in the evening and a group of pilgrims was to arrive from the market. I asked the chaplain of the basilica to let my two companions and me concelebrate. He was very nice and let us participate in the celebration that had been prepared to welcome the pilgrims.

At night, we talked with Father Moreno, who came to where I was staying to tell me about the relationships he was establishing with bishops and other priests. I also received a telephone call from the bishop of Cuemavaca [Mexico], Don Sergio Mendez Arceo, who told me that there was going to be a meeting of magazine editors, that he was going and that we could talk there. I told him that I would be very happy to go, because I wanted to talk with him also. He was to confirm this early the next day.

On television at ten o'clock that night, I saw part of my interview at the airport. I also learned that Cardinal Pironio [92] had arrived and been interviewed. Also Father Moreno told me that the bishops from Chile would arrive tonight as well as other bishops. He will keep me informed.

91 CarIos Humberto Romero
92 Argentine archbishop and prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Religious.

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Tuesday, January 23

After a night of rest and peace, thank God, I celebrated Mass in the small sanctuary of the novices, where we also shared some reflections on the word of God, meditating on its implications for this moment that is so important for Latin America. And I asked them to be a living force in their prayers, so that the Puebla meeting and the visit by the pope to our continent would mean a true Pentecost for our peoples, who have such hope in the Church.

I greeted the Dominican provincial, accompanied by Father Jose Luis, who is staying with them and has come to help me with reports for our communications office so that our people will receive the true account of the pope's visit and especially of the Puebla meeting. We went with them to get their press credentials; these were being given out at an office that has been set up to help the archdiocese and CELAM communicate with the media.

At eleven-thirty a.m., I went to meet Bishop Mendez Arceo, who had asked me to meet him at that time in the house where the magazine directors were meeting. Unfortunately, he wasn't there, but shortly before I had to leave, I was able to talk with him briefly. It was obvious that he was glad to see me and that we support each other in our position as pastors of a Church that wants to be faithful to a gospel at the service of the poor. He
told me some of his adventures as a pastor, of his meeting with Pope John Paul II and of his joy at being able in this way to serve the people of God.

In the evening, I was invited to the motherhouse of the Carmelite Sisters for dinner. After dinner, we saw on television some scenes of the preparations for the pope's arrival.

Also in the evening, I was visited by two journalists with whom I talked in greater depth about my ideals of service to the Church and the problems that this creates.

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Wednesday, January 24

 I went to see Mexico City Cathedral and the immense plaza of the Zócalo where the Holy Father will meet with the peoples of Latin America. They were preparing the cathedral with stands of seats in the choir section and in the main part of the church for the crowd that will attend the Mass celebrated there by the pope. While we were there, we heard the song of a choir that was rehearsing-a wonderful choir accompanied by an orchestra and the organ.

In the evening, a press conference. Alan Riding[93] had invited a group of journalists-actually, correspondents from press agencies. We were not expecting so many people, but I was glad to see before me some fifty journalists with their television cameras, photographers and, especially, with a series of very interesting questions. They seemed to have a special sympathy for the Church. There was respect and also sincerity in the questions asked.

I began by thanking them for this opportunity to project my voice on behalf of the voiceless and to make the thought of the Church known through the diffusion of its messages, a Church that wants to be true to the gospel. I described briefly the economic, social and political situation of my country and how, in such a difficult atmosphere, the Church tries to carry out a prophetic mission that will awaken the conscience of the Salvadorans so that they will react not merely as a mass, but rather as true sons and daughters of God, formed into communities ruled by true love. This is why the Church denounces everything which destroys individual dignity and especially whatever limits our ability to build a country which has love, justice and peace as its foundation.

After the press conference, I had the satisfaction of hearing some very positive comments: how many of them didn't know anything about the reality of El Salvador before and how, thanks to this interview, they had learned what the Church is able to do in that difficult situation.

In the evening, we again went to have dinner with the superiors of the Carmelite congregation. There we also saw on television the final hours that the pope spent in Rome before his trip. The television encouraged everyone to continue watching since, at one a. m. Mexican time, they would be transmitting the pope's departure for America live. He will be flying directly to San to Domingo.

93 Latin American correspondent for The New York Times.

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Thursday, January 25

In the brief homily of the Mass I celebrated in the Carmelite novice house, I reminded them of the events taking placing in these days: the pope's visit to America, the bishops' meeting in Puebla (beginning that very day) and the eight-day period of prayers for Christian unity that concludes today-the feast of Saint Paul's conversion-with special prayers which, in San Salvador, will be held in the cathedral. We prayed strongly for these intentions and I asked them to pray especially for the Puebla meeting.

Today is the day scheduled for us to assemble in Puebla. A Carmelite sister very kindly drove us from Mexico City to Puebla. We arrived at noon, at lunchtime, at the home of a very warm Salvadoran, Arquitecto [94] Gonzalo Yáñez, who, along with with his wife, Maria Teresa, and his daughter, offered us a very cordial welcome and fed us a delicious meal.

Afterward, close to five p.m., they took me to the Palafoxian seminary, headquarters of the Third General Conference of the Latin American Bishops. I registered; they gave me the materials to study and put me in room 325. Many cardinals, archbishops, periti, [95] priests and laity, as well as deacons and women religious, had already arrived. It will be a good representation of our Church to deliberate on evangelization in America both now and in the future. When I had finished registering, I went with Father Jesús and Father Moreno to see the downtown area, which is very nice. We visited the cathedral and then we had a cup of coffee in the plaza.

When we got back to the seminary, I saw several bishops I knew: Cardinal [Raul] Primatesta [of Cordoba, Argentina], who went to school with me; the chancellor of the diocese of Puebla, Father Miguel Navotrato, who embraced me effusively; the bishop of León, [Nicaragua] Bishop [Manuel] Salazar; the archbishop of Panama, Archbishop [Marcos] McGrath; some bishops from Chile and several other bishops who I felt showed sympathy for me and my archdiocese. There are still many other bishops to make contact with, but tonight at dinner I was able to continue to greet casually others to whom I have not yet been introduced.

94 A title used for one who holds a degree in architecture. 95 Advisers to particular bishops.

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Friday, January 26

This morning we celebrated our first Mass. The place we will use for the plenary sessions will also serve as the chapel; it is a large room parallel to the dining room of the Palafoxian seminary in Puebla. The whole day was spent in registration, preparation, getting acquainted with the building and, naturally, making contact with different participants. In the Saint]oseph Hospital of the Josephite sisters, there is a Maryknoll priest from the United States who used to be in Opico. He greeted me very affectionately and I promised him I would go see a companion of his who was ill and in the hospital. Unfortunately, the time and my lack of familiarity with the city prevented me from going to visit him.

Father Jesús Delgado, who was traveling with me to act as secretary, as well as Father Moreno, as adviser for information and communication with the press, are staying in the home of Arquitecto Gonzalo Y anez, where his wife, Maria Teresa, has treated them very well, giving them a place to stay and taking care of them.

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Saturday, January 27 

The high point was the pilgrimage that we made by bus from Puebla to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City to concelebrate with the Holy Father. Our arrival at the basilica after a reflective journey, saying the rosary and singing to the Virgin, was quite complicated. We had great difficulty getting down the wide Avenue of Guadalupe because it was filled with people who were waiting for the Holy

Father to pass by. The people greeted us very affectionately, for they recognized our buses as those of the bishops who were meeting in Puebla. The crowd was even greater in the plaza and it was very difficult to get through. All the bishops even had to climb over a railing in order to get into the old basilica, where we were to vest for the concelebration. This unexpected development delayed us and when we got to the old basilica the Holy Father was already in front of it because he was also going to vest there. He was carried on top of a specially prepared open van decorated in red. His white figure stood out, affectionately greeting the crowd, who never tired of applauding him.

From the old basilica, the procession of priests and bishops seemed unending in the midst of the crowd, which by then had been better organized so that the concelebrants could get through to the new basilica. With the applause and the singing, emotion was increasing as the . procession went by, culminating with the Holy Father in his pontifical vestments. In the basilica, a very impressive choir welcomed the episcopal procession when the Holy Father entered. Those in the procession were seated in the seats or presidential chairs behind the altar and also filled the pews, since just the bishops of CELAM and those from Mexico and other places who had come to this solemn opening ceremony of the bishops' meeting filled a good part of the section of the basilica intended for the people. The Holy Father gave a homily in honor of the Virgin and emphasized the solemnity of the inauguration of the meeting at Puebla. His homily is contained in a special volume published by CELAM that includes all of the speeches made by the pope on his trip to Latin America.

On the way back to Puebla, on the bus I was on, the different bishops and priests from various countries talked about the devotion to the Virgin that is typical of our countries. I was very glad to be able to give testimony in honor of Our Lady of Peace.[96]

When I got back to Puebla, I went out again in the evening to take tickets to Fathers Moreno and Chus Delgado and the family they are staying with so that they can attend the pope's Mass at the seminary in Puebla. I realized that many people from nearby towns have come to wait for the Holy Father to arrive. They are sleeping on the sidewalks while other Catholics who have come from farther away or who are a little better off have parked their cars in places near the seminary where His Holiness is going to celebrate Mass.

96 The title under which Mary is venerated in El Salvador.

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Sunday, January 28

The whole morning was filled with expectation of the pope's arrival at the seminary in Puebla, where bishops, priests and participants in the meeting were ready for his arrival. Prior to that, we had had Morning Prayer and a concelebrated Eucharist, since the pope will celebrate the Mass in the seminary alone. The large sports field of the seminary was completely full. According to the calculations of the experts, there were around a hundred fifty thousand people.

From Puebla, and from neigh boring areas, many Catholics have come with a natural eagerness to see the pope. Many who could not come here were able to see him and greet him along the highway from Mexico City to Puebla, which had been reserved exclusively for the travel of the pope and his retinue. The pope traveled in the open van so that he could greet all the people who had gathered along the highway. Naturally, the crowd was even greater in the towns and amazingly so at the entrance to the town of Puebla and along the whole route through the city to the seminary.

In the cathedral we were anxiously awaiting him; the lights had been turned on. But the pope arrived an hour late and was very sorry not to be able to satisfy everyone, since it is like him to try to understand and comply with all the wishes of the people. An hour later than expected, that is, at one p.m., the Holy Father arrived at the seminary and, after putting on his pontifical garb, he came out to a great acclamation from the bishops, who filled the hallway running from the platform prepared for the celebration, and from the people, who were on the other side, facing the altar. The applause, the enthusiasm typical of the city of Puebla, were so overwhelming that it brought tears to the eyes. The pope, very moved, greeted the people and began the Mass. The archbishop of Puebla, Archbishop [Rosendo] Huesca, welcomed him and the pope began the eucharistic sacrifice.

In the homily, the pope discussed the theme of the family from a very interesting social focus. When it came time for the Presentation of the Gifts, it was very moving to see representatives of the indigenous peoples and their native customs bringing him the products, flowers and fruit that are typical of these fertile lands. The pope seemed very moved when he received them and presented these offerings to the Lord in the symbols of the bread and the wine. It was a shame that they had not planned for a practical way to distribute Communion and that, therefore, only a group of seminarians was able to receive Communion from the hands of the Holy Father.

In the dining room of the seminary, we had the honor of having lunch with the Holy Father. He seemed very tired from the trip from Mexico City to Puebla and from the celebration, and soon retired to the room that had been prepared for him so that he could rest for a while. At four or five p.m., in the hall used for the plenary sessions, we had the honor oflistening to the pope's message to the bishops gathered at the Third Conference. It was the principal address given by the pope during his trip to America, for that was the specific reason for his trip; he had been specially invited to give it. The pope's address is also in the collection ofthe speeches he made in Latin America. The speech provided direction for the work of the Puebla meeting.

Afterward, the pope took leave of the bishops and returned to Mexico City quietly. Archbishop [ Girolamo] Prigione, the apostolic delegate, who previously had been nuncio in El Salvador, was travelingwith the pope, and I had the pleasure of greeting him. Archbishop Hector Santos, president of the bishops' conference of Honduras and archbishop of Tegucigalpa, presided at the Vespers service. The way we are to proceed in our work had been announced previously, but it was now announced that the entire next day would be used to learn about the system of .... [97]

97 Tape ends here

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