The bishops of El Salvador have requested that Pope Leo XIV consider proclaiming Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero as a Doctor of the Church. The petition was presented during the recent ad limina Apostolorum visit of the Salvadoran episcopate to Rome, during which they also invited the Pontiff to visit the Central American country and pray before the tomb of the archbishop assassinated in 1980.
According to the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, which reported on October 4, the Archbishop of San Salvador and president of the episcopate, José Luis Escobar Alas, explained that the Pope received both requests favorably, although he noted that they require a process of consultation and discernment before a final decision is made.
The proposal aims for the Salvadoran saint, canonized by Francis in October 2018, to receive one of the recognitions the Church reserves for those saints whose doctrinal teaching holds particular importance for the faithful.
Leo XIV reveals his personal devotion to Saint Óscar Romero
During the meeting, the Pope shared with the bishops his devotion to the martyred archbishop. According to Bishop Escobar Alas, Leo XIV used to carry with him an image of Romero accompanied by a third-class relic and daily entrusted himself to his intercession.
The prelates took the opportunity during the audience to present him with a first-class relic of the saint, a gesture the Pontiff received with gratitude.
The presentation was also covered by Vatican News, which reported on the meeting held during the Salvadoran episcopate’s ad limina visit in September.
Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez, auxiliary bishop emeritus of San Salvador, highlighted in statements to Vatican Radio the consideration Romero received during the meetings held in Rome. “He is a saint of the whole Church,” he affirmed, referring to the devotion his figure inspires beyond the borders of El Salvador.
The request to proclaim him a Doctor of the Church
Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero was Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until his assassination on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Holy Mass in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence. His death occurred amid growing political and social violence that preceded the Salvadoran civil war.
He was beatified in 2015 and canonized by Pope Francis on October 14, 2018, together with Paul VI and five other blesseds.
The title of Doctor of the Church is not granted automatically for holiness or martyrdom. For this recognition, the Church requires that the candidate possess eminent doctrine, in addition to recognized holiness, and that the Roman Pontiff formally confer the title.
For the time being, the request from the Salvadoran bishops does not imply the confirmed opening of a procedure nor does it anticipate a pontifical decision. The Episcopal Conference has limited itself to reporting that Leo XIV received the proposal and indicated the need to study it.