In October 2018, after Romero was canonized, Archbishop Escobar Alas of San Salvador asked Pope Francis to open a process to make St Oscar Romero a Doctor of the Church. These were his words:-

"I wish to make propitious the occasion to beg you, Holy Father, in the name of the pastors and the people of God, in the most heedful, humble and respectful way, to kindly authorize the opening of the appropriate process for St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero to be declared a Doctor of the Church. We are convinced that his highly valuable teachings and testimony of life will be a beacon of light that will illuminate the present world, which sadly suffers from darkness; on the one hand, a lack of faith, and on the other, serious social injustices that cause very serious violations of human rights and of the dignity of persons."

No official Cause has yet been opened to study the question: Vatican authorities probably consider the time premature to institute a formal process. There have been, however, signs the idea is percolating.

Various senior church figures and distinguished theologians have added their voices, arguing Romero should be regarded as a modern "Pastoral Doctor of the Universal Church".  Most tantalizingly, Romero keeps turning up in the papal magisterium (or magisterium-linked pronouncements).

Like Francis, Pope Leo referenced Romero in his first magisterial document, the Apostolic Exhortation «Dilexi Te». He highlighted Romero’s martyrdom as a milestone in the development of the Latin American church’s social doctrine, noting that it was “an inspiration for the Church” that Romero made the poor “the center of his pastoral vision.” Notably, Romero was the only non-pope mentioned where «Dilexi Te» discusses the development of social doctrine over the last 100 years.  Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI also discussed Romero in similar terms to Leo’s framework.

Like Francis before him, Pope Leo considers Romero a beacon of enlightenment for Latin American ecclesiology which he, in turn, considers “a true prophetic vision for the Church today and tomorrow.”

Julian Filochowski, Co-Chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust, commented "2030 is the Jubilee of St Oscar Romero's martyrdom in 1980 - surely, a perfect moment to proclaim him Doctor of the Church".

Call to make Romero Doctor of the Church - as appears in the Tablet 3 November 2025

AN APPEAL that St Óscar Romero of El Salvador be one day declared a Doctor of the Church was made last Saturday by Julian Filochowski, chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust, writes Ellen Teague.

After Romero was canonised in 2018, Archbishop Escobar Alas of San Salvador asked Pope Francis to open the process on the grounds that Romero’s “teachings and testimony of life will be a beacon of light that will illuminate the present world, which sadly suffers from darkness; on the one hand, a lack of faith, and on the other, serious social injustices.”

Pope Leo referenced Romero in his first magisterial document, the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te. He highlighted his martyrdom as a milestone in the development of the Latin American Church’s social doctrine, noting Romero made the poor “the centre of his pastoral vision”. Filochowski told The Tablet: “2030 is the Jubilee of St Oscar Romero’s martyrdom in 1980: surely, a perfect moment to proclaim him Doctor of the Church.