September 09, 2004
Alvaro Rafael Saravia found liable for Archbishop Oscar Romero's 1980 assassination
Rigoberta Menchú Tum: "Nearly 25 years after Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, a chance for justice has finally appeared. In a landmark lawsuit, a federal judge in California ruled Friday that a former Salvadoran air force officer now living in the United States must pay $10 million to the family of the late archbishop." Continue reading the article (International Herald Tribune) » IHT: Lawsuit in California: Justice catches up with a Guatemalan murder
Incidentally, if the story of Romero's life and death is unfamiliar to you, I highly recommend the movie, aptly titled, Romero. (Nearby friends or family: I own this movie if you want to borrow it.) I believe I first saw this movie in one of my Intercultural Studies classes at Biola. I think it was a Harold Dollar class. Can't remember which. But seeing that movie triggered a huge turning point in my life. It sparked my interest in human rights and justice related issues and the responsibility of the church to integrate these issues in its gospel witness. This movie isn't for the faint of heart; but, if you're wrestling with how the gospel interfaces with culture and politics, this movie may profoundly impact your soul.
Posted by Amber at September 9, 2004 12:55 PMThanks for explaining why you posted this entry... (i.e., your interest in human rights, etc.) I was so confused! But glad to hear of this significant event.
cheers
Posted by: Leah at September 9, 2004 09:53 PMYeah, I forget that other people actually read this thing (thus, I don't usually explain why I post different items.)
When I saw that movie, I was probably 20 or 21, I had a sneaking suspicion that the gospel witness should, can, and does have a more profound impact on lives than just getting someone to shoot their hands up in the air during a song in church service. But I had yet to see this in any form. So seeing Raul Julia portray Oscar Romero in this film was the first time "little sheltered me" had ever seen anyone proclaim the accessibility of the kingdom to the poor (to use a Dallas Willard phrase - reading Divine Conspiracy at the moment. Got the accessibility of the kingdom on the brain.) So, seeing that movie was a big deal for me back then. Still is, I think.
Of course a lot has changed since then.
Posted by: Amber at September 10, 2004 09:41 AMTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.sleepyheadcity.comhttp://www.sleepyheadcity.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/berber/mt-tb.cgi/102
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference 'Alvaro Rafael Saravia found liable for Archbishop Oscar Romero's 1980 assassination' from Awake.
