Iron Maiden pay respects at Blessed Oscar Romero’s tomb

Iron Maiden paid tribute to Blessed Oscar Romero during the British heavy metal band’s stop in El Salvador on their current world tour.

During a concert at the Estadio Jorge Magico Gonzalez in San Salvador, El Savador’s capital, a crowd of 9,000 people cheered when the band’s drummer Nicko McBrain put on a t-shirt featuring an image of the murdered priest and the slogan, “Saint Romero of the Americas”.

Before the concert, McBrain and his bandmate, guitarist Janick Gers, visited Blessed Romero’s tomb in the Crypt of San Salvador Metropolitan Cathedral, Associated Press reports.

The priest was assassinated on March 24, 1980, as he celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel in San Salvador.

He had spoken out against repression of the poor by the army at the beginning of El Salvador’s 1980-1992 civil war between the right-wing government and leftist rebels, a conflict that killed nearly 75,000 people.

Blessed Romero was beatified in San Salvador on May 23 last year.

Iron Maiden are currently touring in support of their latest album, The Book of Souls. Their songs include Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Number of the Beast and Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter.