Oscar Romero: A Theology of Symbol.

This article explores the concept of symbol from the perspective of liberation. It applies the notion of symbol to the people who participate in the processes of liberation of those who are poor and excluded from society. They are symbols of God the liberator. In this sense, our study understands the person of Oscar Romero as someone who represents the people who struggle for their liberation, and therefore, as someone who is a symbol of God the liberator. Methodologically, as a first step, this article defines what a symbol is, especially from the perspective of Karl Rahner. Hence, this study understands a symbol as a reality that represents or makes present another reality. As a second step, this article applies the concept of symbol to the figure of Romero in three ways. Firstly, Romero is a symbol of the crucified people, which includes, on one hand, those who are passive and innocent victims of social injustice, and on the other hand, those who actively give their lives and are killed for defending the rights of the poor. Secondly, Romero symbolizes the spirituality of liberation. Having the option for the poor as a basic principle, this spirituality includes love for the poor, the integration between prayer and praxis, the discernment of the signs of the times, and the work for justice and reconciliation. Finally, Romero is a symbol of God’s self-communication in grace. God reveals God’s self in and through symbols. Thus, Romero is a symbol of God the liberator, that is, a God who loves and cares for the poor. However, Romero is a symbol of his people. Therefore, the crucified people represented by Romero are also symbols of God. This analysis concludes that God the liberator, in and through the symbolic figure of Romero, invites all men and women to be symbols of liberating grace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]