by Fr Selwin Anthony Colaco CSsR
Earlier this year, on May 23, the Catholic Church beatified one of its most popular and charismatic sons of Latin America. His name is Oscar Romero, the fourth Archbishop of El Salvador, who was shot and killed in broad daylight while celebrating the Most Holy Eucharist in a chapel on March 24, 1980. Like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, he died a martyr’s death. In fact, the Church has officially recognized his martyrdom, with Pope Francis extolling his ministry as one particularly dedicated “to the most poor and marginalized”.
As a shepherd to his flock, Romero very soon saw institutionalized injustice on a pervasive scale: 2 percent of the population controlling 57 percent of the nation’s usable land. As a result, the poorest families had no land whatsoever, and were beaten to death for eating a piece of the very produce they had grown. Romero began to ask his now-famous question: “What can the Church do to help?” Well, after much reflection and deliberation, he seems to have found the answer: “To know God is to do justice.” And thus began a ministry of speaking on behalf of the poor, which eventually led to his death.
Now, why am I speaking about Archbishop Oscar Romero and the State-sponsored terrorism of El Salvador? Because Goa, as of now, is going through a similar phase. On the one side, we have the Acche Din promised by the Modi-Government at the National level, and on the other side, we have a Black Saturday, fully endorsed by the local Parsekar-Government with the unruly and selective imposition of Section 144. What a contrast? And in the midst of all this, the Church in Goa, with its Council for Social Justice and Peace, appears to be at crossroads, with some accusing her for adopting the silence of cemeteries or ravishing in diplomatic slumbers.
Well, this is not a new phenomenon in the life of the Church. After the assassination of Romero, the Church in El Salvador also went through a similar situation because, says Rev Jesus Delgado, the Personal Secretary to the late Archbishop, traditionally the Church “was used to preaching…so when it came to making a stand in favor or against Romero, they waited for the Vatican to decide.” Conversely, in his own lifetime, Romero, as the Archbishop of El Salvador, had urged the Government of Arturo Molina to investigate the brutal killing of Fr. Rutilio Grande, a Jesuit, who was assassinated for creating self-reliance groups among the poor compesinos. As expected, they ignored his calls.
As for me, I made a conscious effort to be present that fateful day to celebrate the life of Fr Bismarque Dias by way of peaceful protest. I was overcome with joy to witness a sea of people, the People of God, crying for justice in the streets of the capital city. In fact, I saw a Church gathered in His name to become fruitful fig trees, who say ‘Yes’ to justice. However, they were sheep without their shepherds, and therefore, the rigor of law prevailed against them. But that shouldn’t lead us to despair; we shouldn’t lose hope, because unless we die to ourselves like the grain of wheat falling in the ground, we will never produce rich harvest. Yes, Fr Bismarque Dias, the Warrior Priest, is no more. But his spirit survives in the memory of the living. Yes, the shoddy investigation by the Old Goa Police reiterates the age-old theory of builder-politician-police nexus. But eventually the truth shall prevail.
Just a couple of weeks before his assassination, Archbishop Oscar Romero said in an interview: “I have often been threatened with death. I must tell you, as a Christian, I do not believe in a death without resurrection. If am killed, I shall arise again in the Salvadoran people. A Bishop will die, but God´s Church, which is the people, will never perish.” Here is a Bishop who knew himself to be father to his priests and who saw the Church as their mother. May Fr Bismarque Dias arise again in the Goan people.
