Saint Josemaría addressing young Catholics Saint Josemaría Escrivá (January 9, 1902-June 26, 1975), (previously known as Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albas) was a Catholic priest and founder of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei. Historic photo of Saint Josemaría Escrivá addressing an audience of Catholics. ...
Historic photo of Saint Josemaría Escrivá addressing an audience of Catholics. ...
January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ...
1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...
Founder of Opus Dei: Saint Josemaría Escrivá The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin The Work of God), is a Roman Catholic organization founded on October 2, 1928, by Josemaría Escrivá, a Spanish priest who was later canonized by Pope John Paul...
Biography
One of six children born to José and Dolores Escribá (the original spelling of his name), Josemaría Escrivá first felt a calling to the priesthood when he saw the footprints left in the snow by a passing monk. He studied in both Logroño and Zaragoza and was ordained in Zaragoza on March 28, 1925. After a brief appointment in the country he moved to Madrid in 1927 to study law. A prayerful retreat helped him to further discern what he considered to be God's will for him, and on October 2, 1928 he created Opus Dei (Latin for "Work of God") as a new lay movement through which Catholics might learn to sanctify themselves without abandoning secular life. Logroño (2004 pop. ...
Zaragoza (frequently Saragossa in English; Latin Caesaraugusta) is the capital city of the autonomous region and former kingdom of Aragón in Spain, and is located on the river Ebro, and its tributaries the Huerva and Gállego, near the centre of the region, in a great valley with a variety of...
Zaragoza (frequently Saragossa in English; Latin Caesaraugusta) is the capital city of the autonomous region and former kingdom of Aragón in Spain, and is located on the river Ebro, and its tributaries the Huerva and Gállego, near the centre of the region, in a great valley with a variety of...
Coat of arms The Plaza de España square Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located in the center of the country at 40°25′ N 3°45′ W. Population of the city of Madrid proper was 3,093,000 (Madrilenes, madrileños) as of 2003 estimates. ...
Law (a loanword from Old Norse lag), in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments for those who do not follow...
October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ...
1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Founder of Opus Dei: Saint Josemaría Escrivá The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin The Work of God), is a Roman Catholic organization founded on October 2, 1928, by Josemaría Escrivá, a Spanish priest who was later canonized by Pope John Paul...
Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...
During the Spanish Civil War, Escrivá went into hiding to escape persecution and murder by anti-clerics, although he continued to risk his life in order to minister to faithful Catholics. When the war ended in 1939, he was able to resume his studies in Madrid and acquire a doctorate in law. History of Spain Series -Timeline -Roman Spain -Visigothic Spain -Moorish Spain -Age of Reconquest -Age of Expansion -Age of Enlightenment -Reaction and Revolution -First Spanish Republic -The Restoration -Second Spanish Republic -Spanish Civil War -The Dictatorship -Modern Spain Topics -Economic History -Military History -Social History The Spanish Civil War (July...
The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, attached to Opus Dei, was founded in 1943, and Escrivá himself moved to Rome in 1946. After earning a doctorate in theology from the Lateran University, he was appointed Consultor to two Vatican Congregations and made an honorary member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. Pope Pius XII acknowledged Escrivá's work by making him a prelate of honor and by granting Opus Dei his official approval on June 16, 1950. After that, Escrivá worked hard to foster Opus Dei's work, so that when he died in 1975 Opus Dei covered five continents and had more than 60,000 members from eighty nationalities. The Venerable Pius XII, born Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Eugenio Pacelli (Rome, March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958) served as the Pope from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ...
Intercession His cause for Canonization was introduced in Rome on February 19, 1981 on the strength of the apparently miraculous cure in 1976 of a rare disease, lipomatosis, suffered by Sister Concepción Boullón Rubio, whose family had prayed to Escrivá to help her. On April 9, 1990, Pope John Paul II declared that Escrivá possessed Christian virtues to a "heroic degree", and on July 6, 1991 the Board of Physicians for the Congregation of the Causes of Saints unanimously accepted the cure of Sister Rubio. A second reported miracle apparently brought about by Escrivá's intervention was ruled valid by the Congregation and approved by Pope John Paul II in December 2001. Canonization is the process of making someone into a saint and involves proving that a candidate has lived in such a way that he or she is worthy of sainthood. ...
February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
According to many religions, a miracle is an intervention by God in the universe. ...
1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...
A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ...
April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ...
1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
His Holiness Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death. ...
July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ...
1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...
2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Canonization and legacy John Paul II, who has frequently expressed public support for Opus Dei and its work, canonized Escriva on 6 October 2002. During the canonization, there were 42 cardinals and 470 bishops from around the world, general superiors of many orders and religious congregations, and representatives of various Catholic groups. One-third of the world's bishops (an unprecedented number) petitioned for the canonization of Escriva. (Messori 1997) October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ...
2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
During the days of the canonization event, Church officials commented on the universal reach and validity of the message of the founder, echoing John Paul II's decree Christifideles Omnes on Escriva's virtues which said that "by inviting Christians to be united to God through their daily work, which is something men will have to do and find their dignity in as long as the world lasts, the timeliness of this message is destined to endure as an inexhaustible source of spiritual light, regardless of changing epochs and situations."
However, Opus Dei critics criticize Escriva's lightning canonization. They argue that the whole process was plagued by irregularities. Kenneth Woodward, a journalist and an insider, found that the ‘Devil’s advocate’ system was bypassed and witnesses hostile to Opus were not called. Opus claims that eleven critics of Escriva’s canonisation were heard, but Woodward says there was only one. The "consultors" were mainly Italian and members of Opus. This stopped Escriva’s many critical Spanish peers upsetting the procedure. But it also broke the convention that "consultors" should be the fellow countrymen of the proposed saint. Opus argued that Escriva was too "international" to need this. Furthermore, wealthy Opus is alleged to have pressurised "hundreds" of Bishops, especially from the cash-hungry third world, to send favourable reports to Rome’s saintmakers. It is alleged that 1300 Bishops sent in glowing reports. Yet of these only 128 had personally met Escriva. There are also allegations that Opus tightly restricted the Canonisation material, even within the Vatican.
On the other hand, supporters refer to Fr. Rafael Perez, an Augustinian, "one of the best experts" on canonization and who was the Judge of Escriva's Madrid Tribunal. He says that the process was fast because first, Escriva's figure is "of the universal importance;" second, the Postulators "knew what they were doing;" third, in 1983 the procedures were simplified in order to present "models who lived in a world like ours." Fr. Flavio Cappucci, the Postulator also reported that the 6000 postulatory letters to the Vatican showed "earnestness." His team submitted 16 volumes on Escriva's life including the published criticisms against him. The Tribunals listened to 92 witnesses, most of whom were non-members, much above the minimum. Among them were 11 ex-members. Of the 92, 66 were Spaniards who went to the Madrid court. Each one was asked 252 questions on Escriva's life, 10 of which were based on the criticisms. Together with the investigative material, the 980 court sessions make this "the longest process to date." Perez also noted that the Tribunal's work is very rigorous and it "listens only to people who are credible" and not to those who "just want to cause harm." He also said that "money can never make a saint," but "genuine interest." Opus Dei supporters say that the other accusations including a slur against the bishops of the Catholic Church are baseless allegations which anyone can think up. Supporters also say that the attacks against the founder's beatification in 1992 have turned into acceptance and support by the time of the canonization in 2002. (Documentation Service Vol V, 3, March 1992)
Saint Josemaría's books, including Furrow, The Way, Christ is Passing By, and The Forge, continue to be read widely both by members of Opus Dei and by other Catholics attracted to his spirituality, which emphasises the laity's calling to daily sanctification (a message also to be found in the documents of Vatican II). Pope John Paul II made the following observation in his homily at the beatification of Saint Josemaría: The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ...
- "With supernatural intuition, Blessed Josemaría untiringly preached the universal call to holiness and apostolate. Christ calls everyone to become holy in the realities of everyday life. Hence work too is a means of personal holiness and apostolate, when it is done in union with Jesus Christ."
Criticism A vocal defender in life of Catholic orthodoxy and devotion, Saint Josemaría still has many critics. Some have described his character as less than saintly, particularly in his attitude towards women, and have accused him of lacking humility: for example, he changed his name from Escribá to the more aristocratic Escrivá. The word orthodoxy, from the Greek ortho (right, correct) and doxa (thought, teaching), is typically used to refer to the correct observance of religion, as determined by some overseeing body. ...
The Ancient Greek term Aristocracy meant a system of government with rule by the best. This is the first definition given in most dictionaries. ...
He has also been criticised for his enthusiasm for the practices of flagellation and mortification of the flesh: he is recorded as having whipped himself until the walls of a bathroom were splattered with blood. He once wrote: "Blessed be pain. Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain...Glorified be pain!" (The Way, #208). However, his supporters and a number of theologians think this is a healthy and holy virtue (mortification) preached by Jesus Christ and St. Paul, and practised by all saints. Whipping on a post Flagellation is the act of whipping (Latin flagellum, whip) the human body. ...
Flagellants mortifying the flesh, at the time of the Black Death Mortification of the flesh literally means putting the flesh to death. The term is primarily used in religious contexts, and is practiced in a variety of ways. ...
Theology is literally reasonable discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ...
Flagellants mortifying the flesh, at the time of the Black Death Mortification of the flesh literally means putting the flesh to death. The term is primarily used in religious contexts, and is practiced in a variety of ways. ...
Accusations of right-wing tendencies, based largely on Saint Josemaría's criticisms of the crimes of Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War, are also common. Critics also point to a an alleged Fascist link, saying that he was a supporter of Francisco Franco. Escriva's followers and some historians have emphasized his personal effort to avoid partiality in politics. Professor Peter Berglar, a German historian, asserts that Franco's falangists suspected Escriva of "internationalism, anti-Spainism and freemasonry" and that during "the first decade of Franco's regime, Opus Dei and Escriva were attacked with perseverance bordering on fanaticism, not by enemies but by supporters of the new Spanish state. Escriva was even reported to the 'Tribunal for the Fight against Freemasonry.'" (Berglar, Opus Dei: Life and Works of Josemaria Escrivá 1994, p.180-181) Flag of the Second Spanish Republic The Second Spanish Republic (1931 – 1939) was the second period in Spanish history in which the election of both the positions of Head of State and Head of government were in the hands of the people. ...
Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ...
Francisco Franco, late in life Ms Young IS a man. ...
Falange was a totalitarian clerical fascist political organization founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933 in opposition to the Second Spanish Republic. ...
Although there is a letter from Josemaría to Francisco Franco which shows this supposed link, Escrivá admired Franco. In the letter he also expresses some kind of Spanish patriotism. He actually said "Although alien to any political activity, I cannot help but rejoice as a priest and Spaniard" that Spain, through its Head of State, has officially accepted the law of God in accordance with the Catholic faith. And his Catholic supporters say that Catholicism's law and faith stands for human rights, human dignity and freedom. Escriva together with the Popes have preached that all citizens should practice patriotism and love for their country together with loving other nations as well.
See also Founder of Opus Dei: Saint Josemaría Escrivá The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin The Work of God), is a Roman Catholic organization founded on October 2, 1928, by Josemaría Escrivá, a Spanish priest who was later canonized by Pope John Paul...
Reading list - Josemaría Escrivá: Furrow, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932553
- Josemaría Escrivá: The Way, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932545
- Josemaría Escrivá De Balaguer: Conversations with Monsignor Josemaría Escrivá, Scepter Publications, 2003. ISBN 1889334588
- Francis Fernandez: In Conversation with God, Scepter Publications, 1993. ISBN 0906138191 (7 volume set)
External links - Patron Saints Index: St Josemaría Escrivá (http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj12.htm) (primary source)
- St Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei (http://www.josemariaescriva.info/)
- Writings of the Founder (http://www.escrivaworks.org/)
- Josemaria Escrivá and Nazism (http://www.josemariaescriva.info/showdocuments.php?id=773)
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