Francis excited to make Romero a saint

“To all the young people gathered in these happy days for the canonization of Monsignor Romero: a big greeting and my blessing. And please do not forget to pray for me. To all, a big hug!” 

— Francis, in the below video—

“[Romero was] a martyr of the church of the Second Vatican Council.” — Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia

Vatican: Oscar Romero is 'a martyr of the church of the Second Vatican Council', National Catholic Reporter, (4 February 2015)

“Few know that Romero received spiritual direction from an Opus Dei priest and personally knew the future saint and Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva. When the latter died in 1975, he wrote a letter to Paul VI asking the Pope to jump start his canonization process, writing: “Monsignor Escriva . . . was able to unite in his life a continuous dialogue with Our Lord and a great humanity; one could tell he was a man of God, and his manner was full of sensitivity, kindness, and good humor.” As recommended by Opus Dei priests, Romero wore a cilice on Fridays as a form of self-mortification until his death.” 

Oscar Romero’s Exaggerating Critics, First Things, (7 March 2013)

Oscar Romero, “Personally, I owe deep gratitude to the priests involved with the Work, to whom I have entrusted with much satisfaction the spiritual direction of my own life and that of other priests.

People from all social classes find in Opus Dei a secure orientation for living as children of God in the midst of their daily family and social obligations. And this is doubtless due to the life and teaching of its founder.”

Archbishop Romero's cordial relations with Opus Dei continued right up to the day of his death. Fernando Sáenz, who eventually succeeded him as Archbishop of San Salvador, says that after writing this letter, Archbishop Romero took advantage of being in Rome to pray before the founder's tomb, and became visibly moved. “His spirituality, in some sense, was nourished by the spirituality of Josemaría Escrivá. He read The Way frequently.”

In his September 6, 1979 Diary entry, Archbishop Romero says that Opus Dei “carries out a silent work of deep spirituality among professional people, university students and laborers…I think this is a mine of wealth for our Church—the holiness of the laity in their own profession.”

The day he was assassinated, Archbishop Romero spent the morning with Fernando Sáenz at a recollection for priests organized by Opus Dei. 

Oscar Romero and St. Josemaria, Opus Dei, (25 April 2013)