Thomas Quigley
Abstract: Since the 1970’s, El Salvadorian citizens have been subjected to extra-judicial kidnapping, torture and execution on a regular basis, and this treatment has been frequently administered to those affiliated with the church of El Salvador. Guerilla parties such as the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) arose in El Salvador, causing a 10-year civil war with the government. Now that the worst of the fighting has passed, there are several signs that the ever-elusive peace that people so desperately want may be achieved. But the question of religious persecution still needs to be resolved, as is the much larger and ultimately more important question of the role of the church in promoting, informing and sustaining the peace. This article examines the church’s role in the quest for justice and peace in El Salvador, focusing largely on the recent past. The piece references major turning points in the conflict between the FMLN and the government, and examines the church’s role, if any, under leaders such as Archbishops Oscar Arnulfo Romero and Arturo Rivera Damas. These two figures are examined as the chief protagonists as well as the most important symbols of the church in El Salvador throughout the conflict. With international pressure mounting on El Salvador to establish peace, this article uses historical references to determine what the church’s role will be, if anything, in the ultimate outcome of the conflict.
Keywords: El Salvador, FMLN, Civil War, Church, Outcome, Oscar Romero, Arturo Rivera, Peace
