Saint Oscar Romero, who was canonised earlier this month, is thought to have been killed by a former soldier believed to be in hiding.

The new saint was internationally known as an outspoken opponent of the El Salvador government's oppression and violence against its own people.

He is thought to have been killed by a right-wing death squad during the civil war that tore the small Latin American country apart between 1980 and 1992.

The suspect of his murder is Álvaro Rafael Saravia, a 78 year old former army officer.

Charges against Saravia were dismissed in 1993 after an amnesty law prohibited criminal trials related to the country's civil war.

In 2017 the case was reopened after the amnesty law was rescinded.

The National Police and Interpol are currently charged with finding the former soldier so he can be tried for aggravated homicide.

No one else has been charged in connection with Romero's death.

Soon after Romero's assassination, many recognised him as a martyr. His sainthood cause was stalled for years over whether he was killed for his faith or for his politics.

In 2010 Salvadoran parliamentarians passed a law decreeing that March 24 would henceforth be commemorated as "Archbishop Oscar Romero Day."

Source

• La Croix
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: The Independent