After it was announced that his brother, Archbishop Oscar Romero, is scheduled to become a saint within the year, the younger brother of the slain Archbishop said in a recent interview that he forgives his brother's killers, but adds he wished that they were brought to justice.
88-year old Gaspar Romero spoke to AFP regarding his brother's murder and said that 'everyone already knows' who carried out the assassination. According to investigations regarding the case point that the mastermind of the murder to be Major Roberto D'Aubuisson, the leader of a right-wing death squad. However, he was not charged and so have others who had a part to play in the murder.
Romero said, "Why didn't the prosecutor's office act? That's the question. Many prosecutors have come and gone and everyone knows it - except the prosecutor's office."
He also added that his brother had told him before his death: "I know they are going to kill me, but I already forgive those who are going to do it. So, picking up on those words, I forgive those who did it."
The younger Romero shared he and his brother were 'very close' and said 'I felt the pain of losing a brother, and as a Salvadoran, I felt the loss that the country had of a great, good and wise man, who did not hurt anyone."
He also described his brother to be a 'simple man and a defender of the poor.'
Archbishop Romero was killed during a mass held at a hospital chapel on March 24, 1980. Later on, he was beatified and announced to be a saint this year. Prior to the announcement of his canonization, it was delayed several times because of the reluctance from right-wing Salvadoran Catholics who believed Romero was too political.
