As Romero's stature grew and his leadership for justice and peace deepened, his simple faith and pious devotion remained steady, and gave him a foundation from which he could take on the forces of death. To protest the government's silence in the face of recent massacres, he refused to attend the inauguration of the new Salvadoran president (Movie, Romero, 1989). The church, he announced, is "not to be measured by the government's support but rather by its own authenticity, its evangelical spirit of prayer, trust, sincerity and justice, its opposition to abuses" (Movie, Romero, 1989). While he embodied the prophetic role of the church, he also modeled that spirit of prayer, trust and sincerity in his everyday life. It was this kind of bravery