It happened! For the first time in the history of Christianity in Latin America, Archbishop Oscar Romero, who fell in hands of Salvadoran murderers, was canonized. And this did not happen centuries later, as it was with Saint Joan of Arc, but in the memory of those people who knew him personally and also those who killed him, and such as him.
It was a day in Vatican, but it was a deep night in El Salvador. And when the decision was signed by the Pope, the Salvadorans did not sleep. Hundreds of thousands of people got out to the streets. The archbishop died, but kindness triumphed during his lifetime. It is difficult to overestimate this greatest spiritual event in people’s lives. After all, there is no more sacred feeling than faith in God. Belief in God is one of the hypostases that a person makes a man.
The opening was solemn. The vice-president of El Salvador was present. For the opening of the bust of the Moscow sculptor, this was incredible. There were all who should have attended, including press. There were relatives and representatives of the church.
The murder of the archbishop, as well as the murder of Christ, are the lives given for the people. And now, after 25 years, canonization, a monument, as if the sacrifice is noted, but everything is as usual and calm, officially. Death has become the norm, even a saint like Oscar Romero. This is a time stamp, time of soullessness and consumption.
My artist’s heart responded and I sculpted Romero’s face, as if he were standing in front of me. It was painful to look at his face, in his eyes was the whole horror of what was happening. As if he sees how a bullet flies into him, how dead people fall next to him. A picture of death unfolds before him and all this is expressed on his face. As if the moment is stopped. Thousands of people will pass by the bust every day, flying in and out of El Salvador.
This is a silent cry, a frozen horror, this is the crucifixion of our time. The world is heading for disaster. Or maybe there is no death. And therefore everything is so not important at all?!
I have, an endless, up to tears feeling of the beauty of life, its transience and full, deep divine meaning and hope that this is my tribute to gratitude, will slightly delay the time of the apocalypse.
