inl

Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo. Romero

“The oligarchy’s fight to

defend the indefensible has
no future. The forces of the
oligarchy might even come up
with a fleeting victory, but the
voice of justice of our people
would.make itself heard again,
and sooner, rather than fater,
they will win out. The new so-
ciety is coming, and it’s com-
ing fast.”

—Archbishop Oscar Romero

A: The contrast is a very big one. I
have often reflected on it, and I’ve

reached the conclusion that the situa-—

tion of social injustice is so grave, it has
reached a point at which faith itself has

been perverted, it has become a crime

to defend economic, material interests.

Now, if a state of perversion has been

reached, if the extreme of torturing and
murdering priests has been reached,
then, an explanation becomes possible:
those priests called for change, they
promoted it, and they organized work-
ers and peasants. But the oligarchy op-
Poses all changes, all organization.
They do not want to hear the words, ag-
rarian reform, or anything else that
would mean even the slightest modifi-
Cation of the present situation.

They think wealth, their holdings,
their ideas, are and represent the na-
tion. Hence the whole thing links up with

€ Security of El-Salvador, and any-
thing that endangers the security of the
country must be eliminated: the priests
you mentioned ‘‘attacked the social

structure, ’’ and by so doing became.

“communists,” ‘“subversives,”’ and as
Such they were persecuted and mur-
‘dered.

_, those exemplary priests, worthy of
all respect and admiration, were vic-
tims of the desire to preserve an unjust
order. Barrera Moto, Rutilio’Grande,

aVarro Oviedo, Ortiz and others were

_ Supporters of Archbishop Romero rush to him moments after he was shot

farsighted. They perceived reality with
total clarity and declared that the
common enemy of our people is the

‘oligarchy. Because of this, they were

hated and persecuted to death by the
oligarchy and the guardians of its
wealth. :

Q: What should the role of the church
be in the liberation process of the Sal-
vadoran people?

A: Above all, it must be the church,
that is: identity and authenticity. It
must confront the environment.of lies
and lack of sincerity, where truth itself
is enslaved by the interests of wealth
and power. Injustice must be called by
its right name, and the truth must be
served. Human exploitation, discrimi-
nation and violence inflicted upon
human beings, upon the people, their
conscience and their convictions, must
be denounced. The liberation of the
human being must be promoted. The
church must call for structural changes
and accompany the people in their fight
for liberation. An authentic church is
duty-bound to stand with and among the
poor, in solidarity with their risks and
their-fate as victims of persecution; the
church must stand ready to bear su-
preme witness of its love to defend those
whom Jesus loved above all others.

Q: On more than a few occasions you
have stressed the work of the Christian
communities in El Salvador. However,
several of their leaders, such as
Apolinario Serrano and Felipe de Jesus
Chacon, father of the secretary general
of the Bloque Popular Revolucionario,

have been brutally murdered — their -

faces skinned, their eyes and tongues
cut out. A similar fate has been met by
catechists and people taking part in
Christianity courses. They were all per-
sons of peace who acted in keeping with
the orientation of the thurch. And so I
wonder what course is open to people
who are killed for using peaceful means
in their quest for social justice?

A: I am grateful to you for mention-
ing those names, because to me, espe-
cially, they are very beloved: Felipe de
Jesus Chacon, Polin, as we called
Apolinario—I have truly wept for them,
and for many others who were catech-
ists, workers in our communities, very
Christian people. One man who was
murdered in Aguilares was known as
“the man of the gospel.” A deeply felt

religion leads to political commitment °

and must give rise to conflicts in a coun-
try like ours, in which social injustice
holds sway.

That was the case of the priests we
were talking about. They were essen-
tially goodhuman beings, and they were
deeply loved by the people. They
touched the core of social injustice, they
promoted the human dignity of peas-

ants and workers, of the.people dispos-

sessed by the oligarchy. They were per-
sons who organized the people, because
that is a fundamental necessity for ef-
fective struggle. This is an invaluable
service, and that is why they were mur-
dered by the oligarchy in alliance with
soldiers, police, national guardsmen,
and paramilitary bands.

Those killings point up the degree of
perversion that has been reached, at
which the worshippers of insatiable
Moloch have arrived. Now, and this is
stressed in Popularum Progressio,
Christians are not afraid to fight; they

_ are capable of fighting, but they prefer

to speak the language of peace.
However, when a dictatorship seri-
ously attacks human rights and the
common good of the nation, when it be-
comes unbearable, and all channels of
dialogue, understanding and rationality
are closed off, when this happens, then
the church speaks of the legitimate
right to insurgent violence. Choosing

the moment of the insurrection, deter-
mining when all channels of dialogue
are closed off, is not up to the church,
but I warn the oligarchy in shouts: open
your hands, give your rings, because the
time will come when your hands will be
cut off:

Q: Monsignor Romero,:as arch-
bishop of El Salvador, don’t you have
the opportunity to speak with the mili-
tary high commands?

A: Yes, I do, and my language is al-
ways the same: I speak the truth and I
guide within the framework of my
pastoral role. I am in favor of all
that can serve the people, and if it is
claimed that there is a conflict between
the government and my archdiocese,
the formulation is a mistaken one.

What does exist is a conflict between
the government and the people, and the
church is always with the people. The
oligarchy and the military elite do not
want a dialogue, they are not prepared
to accept a dialoue.

Q: What prospects do you see for the
present military and Christian Demo-
cratic Party government?

A: Before I give an opinion, I prefer
to await the language of the facts.
Changes are urgently needed, because
the people are no longer waiting, they
are frustrated, disillusioned and no
longer believe in promises or in hopes.
Thus, I’d say that the changes must be
spectacular ones.

Q: During my travels around the
country, I’ve had the impression that in
EI Salvador, a civil war exists and that
it grows increasingly less informal and
intermittent, and increasingly more
violent. What is your view in this re-
gard?

A: The situation is alarming. But the
oligarchy’s fight to defend the indefen-
sible has no future. The forces of the
oligarchy might even come up with a
fleeting victory, but the voice of justice
of our people would make itself heard
again, and sooner, rather than later,
they will win out. The new society is
coming, and it’s coming fast.

oud in ,

“Workers demonstrate for higher wages after their takeover of the Tres Rios Cotton mili 40
miles east of San Salvador last December. The junta’s security forces ended the occupation
of the mill after two days by firing tear gas at the workers.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 24, 1980—Page 9