Yes, Archbishop Romero was a martyr: Pope

Beatification process of Salvadoran prelate is underway

Devotees carry a banner of Archbishop Oscar Romero in San Salvador,
El Salvador, March 22, 2014. (Photo: Roberto Escobar, EPA / CNS)

An archbishop who was gunned down while celebrating Mass in San Salvador in 1980 has been declared a martyr. Pope Francis's announcement Feb. 3 ends the debate about whether Archbishop Oscar Romero was killed for religious or political reasons.

"For me, Romero is a man of God," the Holy Father has said. "The process must go ahead, and God must give his sign."

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the chief promoter of the sainthood cause, has suggested that the martyr could be beatified within a few months.