A spin-off from Mad Priest

One of Mad Priest's (http://revjph.blogspot.com) postings this evening speaks about the fast-track to sanctification of John Paul II, how in less than two years since his death, the Process is moving forward ever steadily.

In the comments, I wrote:

'Meanwhile, San Romero de las Américas [Oscar Romero] lags in the process 27 years after his martyrdom. His miracle? That he said what he said and that the people of El Salvador still love him and cite him and he lives on in their spirit. But is that good enough? No, we have to go through the REAL miracle basura. Worse, for the 25th anniversary of Romero's assassination, the powers-that-be moved his body for the third time, and took down the tomb that was accessible to everyone and made a triumphalistic one that is separated from the hoy poloi by ropes. Cheez.'

Romero said, 'If I die, I will rise again in the people.' Yes. That is his miracle. We don't need to hear about miraculous healings. That's not who or what Romero was about.

The photo here is of the old tomb, the one that we knew up until March 2005. Readily accessible, a place where young and old would come to pray, lay their hands on the stones, weep, leave flowers, leave posters (I took this photo in March 2004, during the week of commemoration of the 24th anniversary of his martyrdom), and just be.

But this tomb was deemed insufficient and not elegant enough for Romero. So here's what they came up with.

When I first saw the photos of the tomb in March 2005, right after the powers-that-be had translated Romero's body (for the third time!) from the side crypt, which they deemed too dark and too small, to the crypt under the high altar, I noticed right off the ropes. I though that perhaps they were there for the commemorative week. But, no, when I went to the tomb in October 2005 and subsequent visits (including the most recent August 2006), the ropes were still there.

How unlike what San Romero would want. What I have discovered (where there is a will, there is a way) is that one can still touch the tomb, despite the ropes. If one stands directly behind the head of the tomb, one can reach over and touch the statue's mitre. No secret here, the top of the mitre is already getting burnished by other's hands.

It's not the same as being able to place one's face on the tomb or hands on the tomb. No, that intimacy is lost. But, for the time being, one is not entirely cut off from touching the tomb of a holy man.

Fact is, we don't need to have Rome's approval of Romero as a saint. He already is for so many.

Even the Episcopal Church's General Convention last year approved inclusion of Romero on its Lesser Fasts and Feasts calendar, 24 March (1980).

So whether he ever formally becomes one in Rome's eyes, he already is for the people of El Salvador, las Américas and the world.