A Fidelity to the Gospel Above All

by Rhina Guidos
Anyone who has read about the Crucifixion and the horribly cruel and painful events leading up to it has to wonder
why God would have willed such a terrible death for a son
he so loved.
I remember watching the movie The Passion of the Christ
and being horrified at the depiction of Christs very real suffering. His suffering and Death wasnt something God willed
but something that happened as a consequence of him being
faithful to the gospel values, of proclaiming the Kingdom of
God to anyone who would listen.
I think about the suffering and the killing of those who
have followed in Jesus footsteps. Jesus was their model in
life. Proclaiming the Kingdom by caring for the poor, feeding them, clothing them, and defending their dignity in the
days Christ walked among us wasnt easy, nor is it easy now.
The closest Ive ever come to seeing this in life is when
the archbishop of our diocese in my native country of
El Salvador was assassinated. In 1979, war erupted in El
Salvador over unfair economic conditions for the poor.
Trying to quell a wave of protests and increasing distrust
and dissatisfaction among the countrys population, government forces began to torture and kill civilians. As the violence increased, Archbishop Oscar Romero of our Diocese
of San Salvador spoke up.
What he said was no different than anything Jesus said or
would have espoused: the archbishop denounced violence
and killing, and he advocated for the poor, for providing fair
economic conditions for all; he said if he was going to advocate for violence, it would be for the violence of love, which
left Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each
do to ourselves to overcome our selfishness and such cruel
inequalities among us.
Its that violence of love for us, in defense of us, in
defense of the least among us, that led to Archbishop
Romeros death, much like Christs.

In 1980, Jorge Palencia wrote a song in Spanish about

Archbishop Romeros assassination. The song is called El
Profeta, or The Prophet, and its refrain always pops into
my head during Easter: They can kill the prophet but not
his voice of justice.
The beauty of the song, for me, is that I dont so much
think of Archbishop Romero (who inspired it) when I hear
the lyrics, but I think of a lot about Christ, who inspired
Archbishop Romero.
The song begins: In this land of hunger, I saw a traveler,
humble and meek, but a valiant prophet who confronted
the tyrants, accusing them of killing their brother to defend
the rich.
The song mentions Archbishop Romero with the Gospel
in his hand and says his sin was defending the peasants
and wanting those who work to eat.
The beauty of the Gospel is that it inspired this violence
of love so long ago. It continues to inspire it today in those
who feed the hungry, in those who help the disadvantaged
procure work or housing. It inspires our Pope Francis, who
often is relentless in his defense and advocacy of the least
among us.
Though we may be pained by what Christ endured, or
what followers like Archbishop Romero endured, we have to
think about the beauty of this message and the beauty of this
great love for humanity that leads some to lay down their
lives in fidelity and love.
Archbishop Romero, like many who have been killed
over the values we sometimes take for granted, knew the
price. God doesnt will that these servants die in a horrible
manner. He wills that they, and that all of us, be loyal followers into the Kingdom that welcomes those who go to great
lengths, who risk safety and even life, for the love of others.

Rhina Guidos is an editor at Catholic News Service. This article first appeared in CNSs Faith Alive! series.

Copyright 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.