In the 1970s, El Salvador was ruled by a brutal dictatorship. The poor had their land confiscated; any who protested were never seen again. Mutilated bodies clogged the mountain streams. The Catholic Church, by not opposing this, was seen by many as supporting it.

But in the darkest hour, one man stood up. Oscar Romero, the archbishop, spoke out against injustice. "The church's place is beside the poor, the outraged and rejected, to speak out for them," he wrote. "Is our preaching so spiritual that it will not cry 'Idolaters!' at those who kneel before money and power? Jesus brings a kingdom where we share our wealth, so that nobody is without what they need for a dignified life."

The powerless poor took him to their hearts, but people of influence were too afraid to join him. Posters went up: "Be a patriot - kill a priest!" All his clergy drew back from him, except one, who was murdered. Romero refused to be intimidated. "Soon it will be my turn to die for what is right," he declared - and continued to speak out against tyranny.

In 1980, while taking a friend's funeral, Romero was gunned down by a death squad. He was 63. At his funeral, attended by 250,000 people, gunmen opened fire at mourners. Yet today, democracy is bringing growth to El Salvador and churches are growing at a rate of 90% every ten years. The people are in no doubt: it is God's blessing on the radical leader and martyr, Oscar Romero.