Archbishop Romero's Pastoral Letters

The Archbishop Romero Trust

These letters are written by a bishop to his people and, as their title suggests, their nature is primarily pastoral. They are, however, works of great theological importance and situate Archbishop Romero amongst the great teaching bishops of the Church.

The first four letters below come from his time as Archbishop of San Salvador - these are his best known pastoral letters and they are published in English under the title Voice of the Voiceless by Orbis Books.

The fifth letter has only recently come to light. It is from an earlier period of his ministry when he was Bishop of Santiago de Maria - readers will note the difference in style and content - we include this letter below for the sake of completeness.

The Easter Church
First Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Romero. Easter Sunday, April 10, 1977.

The Church, the Body of Christ in History
Second Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Romero. Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 1977.

The Church and Popular Political Organizations
Third Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Romero, co-authored by Bishop Arturo Rivera y Damas, Bishop of Santiago de María, Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 1978.

The Church's Mission amid the National Crisis
Fourth Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Romero, Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 1979.

(Addendum: 5th Pastoral Letter) The Holy Spirit in the Church
This is the text of the so called "Lost Pastoral Letter". It was written by Bishop Romero as Bishop of Santiago de Maria in 1975 - two years before becoming Archbishop of San Salvador. It has been translated for the Trust by Fr. Joe Owens