Exactly 38 years after Salva-doran Archbishop Oscar Romero was killed by a sniper’s bullet during Mass at a cancer hospital, his country’s embassy in Belgium screened a documentary about the cleric’s life on March 24.

Called Desagravio (The Reparation), it highlighted the main achievements of the campaigner for social justice, his 25 years of pastoral service to the diocese of San Miguel, and his untimely murder, telesurf.net reports.

The documentary, co-directed by Patrick Soergel from Switzer-land and Italy’s Gianni Beretta, starts with Romero’s birth in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador, in August 1917 and concludes with his assassination.

He died in 1980, the year the country embarked on a 12-year civil war, prompting what sources from the Archdiocese of El Salvador called seven years of “pastoral famine.” They described him as “a voice for the voice-less.”

Romero was reportedly killed by forces unhappy with his outbursts against the military government. One day before he was shot, he addressed local soldiers and implored them to “stop the repression” against rural people.

Costa Rican pastor takes presidential poll lead Fabricio Alvarado leapfrogs rivals after tapping fierce opposition to gay marriage Fabricio Alvarado: ‘This is an intense shout for values the sovereignty of the family as the fundamental base of society.’

A previously obscure Costa Rican evangelical pastor has dealt the latest anti-establishment electoral upset from a political outsider, jumping from last place to a first-round victory in the Central American country after tapping into opposition to gay marriage. Fabricio Alvarado secured 24.9% of the vote with 93% of the ballots counted. He was leading Carlos Alvarado (no relation) from the ruling Citizens’ Action party on 21.7% who overtook Antonio Álvarez, a banana entrepreneur, who had held an early second place. His victory was well short of the 40% needed to avoid a run-off.

Poland’s leading archbishop on March 18 deplored comments by a senior conservative priest who had wished Pope Francis a quick death if he does not open to “wisdom.”

Abp Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow said he heard about the comments with “great pain and regret” and has discussed them face-to-face with Monsignor Edward Staniek, who made them in a February 25 church speech in Krakow.

Krakow was the seat of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the late Pope St John Paul II. Poland’s Church remains attached to John Paul’s conservative stance, which largely differs from Francis’ inclusive message. A majority of Poland’s bishops see their mission as preserving the traditional Catholic values from the pressure of secularization.

In his speech, Father Staniek, a prominent theologian, said he was praying for wisdom for Francis and a “heart open to the Holy Spirit, and if he does not do that, for a quick passage to the House of the Father,” meaning death.

He said that Francis has departed from the teaching of Jesus and was wrongly interpreting mercy as opening up to Muslims and allowing communion for divorced Catholics, who, according to the Church, live in mortal sin and are not allowed communion.