"The ones who have a voice must speak for those who are voiceless."
About Oscar Romero
Oscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, emerged as a significant voice for the oppressed during a time of political turmoil in El Salvador. His commitment to social justice and human rights was rooted in his deep Christian faith, which he believed called him to stand against injustice. Romero's quotes often reflect his profound understanding of the struggles faced by the marginalized. For instance, he stated, 'A church that doesn't provoke any crisis is a church that is not a church,' highlighting his belief that true faith must challenge societal norms and injustices. Romero's core thinking revolved around the idea that faith and action are inseparable. His famous assertion, 'If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people,' illustrates his conviction that his sacrifice would ignite a broader movement for justice. He consistently advocated for the voiceless, urging those in power to speak out against oppression. This perspective was not just theoretical; it was informed by the harsh realities of life in El Salvador, where poverty and violence were rampant. Today, Romero's quotes resonate with those fighting for social justice, as they encapsulate the struggle for dignity and human rights. His legacy continues to inspire activists worldwide, reminding us of the moral imperative to confront injustice and advocate for the oppressed.
Quote collection
57 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"The ones who have a voice must speak for those who are voiceless."
"We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest."
"A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed — what gospel is that?"
"I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me I will rise again in the people of El Salvador."
"Aspire not to have more, but to be more."
"When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises."
"Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world."
"I will not tire of declaring that if we really want an effective end to violence we must remove the violence that lies at the root of all violence: structural violence, social injustice, exclusion of citizens from the management of the country, repression. All this is what constitutes the primal cause, from which the rest flows naturally."
"We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own."
"We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways."
"Brothers, you came from our own people. You are killing your own brothers. Any human order to kill must be subordinate to the law of God, which says, 'Thou shalt not kill'. No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God. No one has to obey an immoral law. It is high time you obeyed your consciences rather than sinful orders. The church cannot remain silent before such an abomination. ...In the name of God, in the name of this suffering people whose cry rises to heaven more loudly each day, I implore you, I beg you, I order you: stop the repression."
"There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried"
"You can tell the people that if they succeed in killing me, that I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realize they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the church of God, which is the people, will never perish."
"There is no dichotomy between man and God's image. Whoever tortures a human being, whoever abuses a human being, whoever outrages a human being, abuses God's image."
"Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world. Let us not tire of preaching love. Though we see that waves of violence succeed in drowning the fire of Christian love, love must win out; it is the only thing that can."
"Beautiful is the moment in which we understand that we are no more than an instrument of God; we live only as long as God wants us to live; we can only do as much as God makes us able to do; we are only as intelligent as God would have us be."
"When we speak for the poor, please note that we do not take sides with one social class. What we do is invite all social classes, rich and poor, without distinction, saying to everyone let us take seriously the cause of the poor as though it were our own."
"Peace is the product of justice and love."
"God is not satisfied with appearance. God wants the garment of justice. God wants his Christians dressed in love."
"We suffer with those who have disappeared, those who have had to flee their homes, and those who have been tortured."