Josemaría Escrivá
Spanish Roman Catholic priest and saint (1902–1975) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás (9 January 1902 – 26 June 1975) was a Spanish Catholic priest who founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the principle of everyday holiness.[1] He was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, who declared Josemaría should be "counted among the great witnesses of Christianity."
Josemaría Escrivá | |
---|---|
Priest and Saint of Ordinary Life | |
Born | (1902-01-09)9 January 1902 Barbastro, Spain |
Died | 26 June 1975(1975-06-26) (aged 73) Rome, Italy |
Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
Beatified | 17 May 1992, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
Canonized | 6 October 2002, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
Major shrine | Our Lady of Peace, Prelatic Church of Opus Dei, Rome, Italy |
Feast | 26 June |
Attributes | Priest attire Rosary |
Patronage | Opus Dei People with diabetes |
Coat of arms of Saint Josemaria Escrivá |
Escrivá gained a doctorate in civil law at the Complutense University of Madrid and a doctorate in theology at the Lateran University in Rome. His principal work was the initiation, government and expansion of Opus Dei. Escrivá's best-known publication is The Way, which has been translated into 43 languages and has sold several million copies.
After his death, his canonization attracted considerable attention and controversy among some Catholics and the worldwide press.[2] Several journalists who have investigated the history of Opus Dei, among them Vatican analyst John L. Allen Jr., have argued that many of these accusations are unproven or have grown from allegations by enemies of Escrivá and his organization.[3][4][5] Cardinal Albino Luciani (later Pope John Paul I),[6] Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Óscar Romero, and many other Catholic leaders have endorsed Escrivá's teaching concerning the universal call to holiness, the role of the laity, and the sanctifying effect of ordinary work.[7] According to Allen, among Catholics, Escrivá is "reviled by some and venerated by millions more".[8]