Pope Francis has given the green light for martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero to be declared a saint.
Mural by Douglas Radamez Barahona, Giobanny Ascencio y Raul Lemus- Grupo Cinteupiltzin CENAR El Salvador / Creative Commons
Francis has authorized a miracle attributed to Romero, and the canonization ceremony could take place during World Youth Day in Panama, January 2019.
Romero’s miracle was reportedly signed off by the Pope on Tuesday 6 March at the same time he authorised a miraculous intercession attributed to Paul VI, who will be canonized at the end of October.
The precise date of the canonizations are expected to be announced by the Pope during a consistory meeting of cardinals in early May.
Declaring Romero a saint culminates years of efforts to have the former Archbishop El Salvador raised to the altars of the church, a process which had been blocked by elements inside the Vatican.
But Francis, the first Latin American Pope, pushed the obstacles to one side recognising Romero as a martyr meaning that he could be beatified in 2015.
The Deacon's Bench
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