BY ANABEL INGE

BRITISH Catholics sought to keep the memory of Latin American martyr Oscar Romero alive with a Mass in his memory in central London.
Pat Jones, the former director of Cafod, the overseas aid agency of the bishops of England and Wales, spoke at the event to mark the 27th anniversary of the Archbishop of San Salvador's assassination. She suggested his example "should motivate us to respond to the tyrannies of today".
She told the congregation: "the memory of Oscar Romero has been given to us but it is not for us alone. It is for the whole Church and the whole world.
"And it is not just an honouring of the past; we remember today so that we know the direction to take in the future."
About 100 people attended the Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory in Soho, concelebrated by Fr Joe Ryan of the diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission and Canon Pat Davies, the parish priest. The Mass was organised by the Archbishop Romero Trust, Westminster Justice and Peace, Cafod and Progressio.
At the service a tape was played of the archbishop's final words before he was shot on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in a San Salvador hospital chapel. A truth commission later concluded that a group of army officers and businessmen had planned the assassination. Pope Benedict XVI added his words of remembrance at his noon blessing last Sunday, noting the anniversary of the archbishop's martyrdom and praying for the missionary martyrs of recent years.
Although he only briefly mentioned the archbishop directly and did not speak of the circumstances of his death or the ongoing Cause for his canonisation, the Holy Father talked generally of all the missionaries who have given up their lives for the faith.
"These are bishops. priests, men and women religious, and laypeople, cut down while fulfilling their mission of evangelisation and human promotion," he said. "They are a hope for the world, because they show that love of Christ is stronger than violence and hatred. They didn't seek martyrdom, but they were ready to give their lives to remain faithful to the Gospel."
He told the thousands of pilgrims who had gathered in St Peter's Square for his Angelus address that the martyrdom of Christians over the centuries signified a radical "yes" to the Gospel. He drew a parallel between this and the assent of Mary at the Annunciation, when she agreed to become God's servant and the bearer of his Son.
"When the Virgin said 'yes' to the angel's announcement, Jesus was conceived and with him began the new era of history," said the Pontiff.