Death of a priest

Oct 27, 2025

Gabina Dubon, a former parish team member in Aguilares, shares her profound insights on the life and tragic murder of Father Rutilio Grande, a Jesuit priest dedicated to social justice. She vividly recounts her disbelief upon hearing of his death, the shock it caused in the community, and the impactful response of Archbishop Oscar Romero. The discussion delves into the role of liberation theology in Grande's work, the church's evolving stance post-murder, and the lasting legacy of Grande that continues to resonate in El Salvador today.

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INSIGHT

A Single Mass Became Protest

Archbishop Óscar Romero's decision to hold a single mass and cancel others signalled institutional protest against the killing.
Romero framed attacks on priests as attacks on the Church itself, raising the profile of state repression.

INSIGHT

Church Reforms Shaped Activism

Vatican II and the Medellín conference shifted the Church toward local languages and a preferential option for the poor.
These reforms shaped Grande's theology, pushing the Church to engage with social realities.

ANECDOTE

Grassroots Church Leadership

Rutilio Grande built local teams and trained lay leaders to read Scripture in light of peasant life.
Gabina Dubon became a delegate of the word and met monthly with Grande to discuss community problems.

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The 1977 murder of Father Rutilio Grande sent shockwaves through El Salvador. The 48-year-old Jesuit priest was an outspoken champion of the poor in the deeply divided central American nation.

In the immediate aftermath of his murder, the Archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero, took the unprecedented step of holding just one single mass, ordering all other churches in his archdiocese to cancel theirs. Romero also refused to attend any government functions.

Father Grande was one of the first priests to be killed by security forces in the years leading up to the bloody Salvadoran civil war.

His murder marked a turning point as the church became increasingly involved in promoting social justice, and other priests became more outspoken against the government's repression of dissent.

Mike Lanchin has been hearing from Gabina Dubon, who worked with Father Grande in his rural parish, and to theologian and author, SisterAna Maria Pineda. This is a CTVC production for BBC World Service.

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(Photo: Father Rutilio Grande. Credit: Camilo Freedman/APHOTOGRAFIA/Getty Images)