Josemaría Escrivá

Saint Josemaría Escrivá (January 9, 1902 ? June 26, 1975), (also known as Jose María or Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albas) was a Spanish Catholic priest and founder of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, popularly, Opus Dei. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II, who declared Saint Josemaria as "counted among the great witnesses of Christianity." http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/archives/1999Nov/222nov23,vol.10,no.222txt/nov23top.htm John Paul II's decree Christifideles omnes also states: "y inviting Christians to seek union with God through their daily work - which confers dignity on human beings and is their lot as long as they exist on earth - his message is destined to endure as an inexhaustible source of spiritual light regardless of changing epochs and situations." http://gabriel.mps.ohio-state.edu/od/opus.dec

Canonization and legacy

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)

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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."

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John Paul II, who frequently expressed public support for Opus Dei and its work, canonized Escriva on 6 October 2002. 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 Dei claims that eleven critics of Escriva?s canonization were heard, but Woodward says there was only one. The "consultors" were mainly Italian and members of Opus Dei. This stopped Escriva?s many critical Spanish peers from 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 pressured "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 access to the Canonisation material, even within the Vatican.

Related Topics:
6 October - 2002 - Opus Dei

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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)

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Another point that gives some more perspective to this is that his canonization was one of the first to be processed after the 1983 Code of Canon Law streamlined the procedures for canonization, and so it moved more quickly than was typical before. Mother Teresa is on pace to be canonized even more quickly, having been beatified just 6 years after her death (Escrivá was beatified in 17 years). Even under the old procedures, the canonization of St. Therése of Lisieux made it through the process in 27 years, roughly the same as Escrivá?s.

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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:

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:"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."

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