Archbishop Romero's death is commemorated by large crowds every year
Pope Francis has lifted a ban on the beatification of murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero.
For years, the Roman Catholic Church blocked the process because of concerns that he had Marxist ideas. An outspoken critic of the military regime during El Salvador's bloody civil war, Archbishop Romero was shot dead while celebrating Mass in 1980.
Beatification, or declaring a person "blessed", is the necessary prelude to full sainthood.The bishop was one of the main proponents of Liberation Theology - an interpretation of Christian faith through the perspective of the poor.
On Monday, the Pope said he was hoping for a swift beatification process. "For me Romero is a man of God," the pontiff told journalists on the plane bringing him back from a trip to South Korea.
"There are no doctrinal problems and it is very important that [the beatification] is done quickly."