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| Memorial Rose Garden |
This university is the on the site of the Jesuit priest massacre. There were six priests shot in the head and two women, a mother and daughter. The priests were shot in the head because they were said to be the brains behind the uprising. The husband and father of the women found all of their bodies. This site is considered sacred by the people. There is a museum, chapel, and rose garden on site. The museum remembers all of the priest throughout the civil war that were killed. It also has photos of the four women from the United States that were raped and murdered. The women were there helping the poor. The museum is a sad place, but also a place to remember and not forget the past. The rose garden was designed in memory of all those killed. It is very beautiful and has a lot of symbolic meaning.
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| Burial and Memorial Site of Martyrs |
We spoke with a very inspirational and intelligent man, Rodolfo Hernandez, at the University. First, Rodolfo Hernandez explained what liberation theology consists of. This is also the beliefs shared by Monsignor Romero. Liberation theology, in a simple explanation, is the religious belief that the social reality of today, at this moment, needs to be recognized. They ask what would God do right now for people. Traditional religious belief often teaches that people suffer now, to be rewarded later in the afterlife. For people in extreme poverty this creates a belief that they are supposed to suffer and causes them, in a sense, to lose hope of something better. Basically, they quit trying because God will reward them in the afterlife. Liberation theology says that no, God doesn’t want anyone to suffer in poverty and that all people deserve to have basic needs met. Secondly, Rodolfo Hernandez spoke about how the people who did the killings of not only the priests, but also mass numbers of people have never been held accountable. The people of El Salvador have been told by the government to forget about it. What the people want is for the people who did wrong to admit what they have done and ask for forgiveness. The victims, which are a large majority of society, remain victimized because no one is being held accountable. This has a devastating affect on society. He explained that the people want truth, justice, and then they will forgive. Until then healing cannot truly begin.
Lastly, he left us with hope and inspiration. He told us that martyrs from the war give people hope, solidarity, generous deliverance, love, peace, and justice. Their work and life were not in vein. The room he spoke to us in was filled with posters of amazing people who inspire all who stand for equality. He said that good people are killed because they lend their voice for others just like Jesus did. Also he said that, “All the people with dreams have been killed”, he went on to tell us to follow our dreams and keep working for peace.
Information about the killing of the four women.