The beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the Salvadoran bishop martyred while celebrating Mass, will be beatified in May.
According to Avvenire, the weekly newspaper of the Italian Bishops Conference, the beatification ceremony will take place in El Salvador on May 23rd, 2015, the day before Pentecost Sunday.
Prior to Avvenire‘s report, the postulator of Romero’s cause had also stated that the date would be announced shortly.
Upon his arrival to El Salvador on March 10th, Archbishop Vicenzo Paglia was asked by reporters on the possible date, to which he replied that Archbishop Romero would be beatified «sooner than you may think.»</p>
Shortly after, Msgr. Rafael Urrutia, the vice-postulator of Archbishop Romero’s cause, said via his Twitter account that the beatification «will be in May 2015.»
The Holy See’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints has yet to make an announcement on the official date of the beatification.
On February 3rd, Pope Francis recognized Archbishop Romero’s martyrdom «in odium fidei (out of hatred for the faith).
Archbishop Romero was assassinated on March 24th, 1980 while celebrating Mass at a local chapel. The Salvadoran prelate was an outspoken voice against the Revolutionary Government Junta and their persecution of the Catholic Church and repression of basic human rights.
