ABSTRACT
Oscar Arnulfo Romero assumed leadership of the Roman Catholic church in El Salvador during a time of increasing poverty and governmental repression. Reversing his initial opposition to the clergy's involvement in politics, he became a leading critic of the right-wing regime and in the end was murdered. Oscar Romero's support for the poor and the circumstances of his death made him a martyr in the eyes of many contemporaries. His martyrdom contributed to growing political unrest in El Salvador and influenced the policies of the Roman Catholic church in Latin America. Romero's example was also closely linked to the activities of the Roman Catholic clergy throughout Latin America. Although Romero was at first critical of liberation theology, he increasingly accepted its ideals after the killing of Father Grande; his own death in 1980 added even greater prestige to the doctrine.
