SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador.- The Archbishop of San Salvador, Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, canonized this Saturday by Pope Francis, is remembered as the man who dared to defy injustice in his country by becoming the voice of the voiceless.

Romero opened the doors of the church to displaced peasants, opposed the oligarchic sectors and took charge of denouncing military violence, which is why he was assassinated to silence his voice.

On Sunday, March 23, 1980, the priest delivered his last homily, in which he demanded the cessation of the prevailing repression, and the next day he was assassinated by a soldier.

The current President of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, urged his countrymen on the date to find in Romero`s thought and legacy a new culture of peace based on respect for life, differences and human rights.