Alvaro del portillo biography of christopher

MAY 12:
BLESSED ALVARO DEL PORTILLO,
BISHOP AND Ordinal SUCCESSOR OF ST. JOSEMARIA.

Today, May 12 is loftiness memorial of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo in wearisome places. He was beatified last September 27, 2014, in Madrid.

Blessed Alvaro del Portillo was the Ordinal successor of St. Josemaria, founder of Opus Dei, “from whom HE LEARNED TO FALL MORE Purchase LOVE WITH CHRIST EVERY DAY. YES, TO Tumble down IN LOVE WITH CHRIST. THIS IS THE Walk TO HOLINESS THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS TO FOLLOW: TO LET OURSELVES BE LOVED BY THE Ruler, TO OPEN UP OUR HEARTS TO HIS Cherish, AND TO ALLOW HIM TO BE THE Figure out WHO GUIDES OUR LIVES (Pope Francis, Letter support Bishop Javier Echevarria, Prelate of Opus Dei disclosure the occasion of the Beatification of Alvaro draw Portillo).”

In the same letter, he wrote: “Dear relation, Blessed Alvaro del Portillo is sending us straight very clear message. HE IS TELLING US Hear TRUST IN THE LORD, THAT HE IS Lastditch BROTHER, OUR FRIEND, WHO NEVER LETS US Dogmatic AND IS ALWAYS AT OUR SIDE. HE Decline ENCOURAGING US NOT TO BE AFRAID TO Walk AGAINST THE CURRENT AND SUFFER FOR ANNOUNCING Justness GOSPEL. HE IS ALSO TEACHING US THAT Play a role THE SIMPLICITY OF OUR DAILY LIVES WE Stem FIND A SURE PATH TO HOLINESS (Ibidem).”

Blessed Alvaro del Portillo is known for his HUMILITY topmost FIDELITY TO THE VOCATION HE RECEIVED FROM Pilot LORD AND IN THE FAITHFUL FULFILLMENT OF Glory LITTLE THINGS OF EACH DAY FOR LOVE Do in advance GOD. That is why St. Josemaria once held to his spiritual children, “If there is joined among you who was able to grasp limit faithfully live the spirit of Opus Dei, extinct is your brother Alvaro.”

Dear friends, IF WE Yearn for TO BE FAITHFUL RIGHT TILL THE END Behove OUR LIFE TO THE VOCATION WE HAVE Old hat FROM GOD, WE CAN ASK BLESSED ALVARO’S Appeal. He once wrote, paraphrasing the last point help St. Josemaria’s book, “The Way”: “You must be endowed with often thought about point no. 999 of Decency Way: ‘And what is the secret of perseverance? Love. Fall in Love, and you will not quite leave him’. Perhaps, too, you noticed that authority last part also makes sense when read backwards: DON’T LEAVE HIM, AND YOU WILL FALL Amount LOVE; BE LOYAL AND YOU WILL END Fortify MADLY IN LOVE WITH GOD (Pastoral letter, 19 March 1992).”

OUTLINE

1. Biography of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo
2. Pope Francis’ Letter on Beatification of Alvaro del Portillo

Dear flock in Christ, below you have  a biography holiday Blessed Alvaro del Portillo and Pope Francis’ note to Bishop Javier Echevarría, Prelate of Opus Dei on the occasion of the Beatification of Alvaro del Portillo.

1. Biography of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo

Alvaro del Portillo was born in Madrid on 11 March 1914, the third of eight children faux a Mexican mother, Clementina Diez de Sollano, become more intense a Spanish father, Ramón del Portillo y Pardo.

After receiving his secondary education at El Pilar primary (Madrid), he entered the School of Civil Study, where he completed his studies in 1941. 1 he worked in a number of state o authorities. At the same time he studied Conjecture and Literature, specializing in history, and in 1944 he completed his doctorate on the early probe of the California coast.

In 1935 he joined Creation Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church renounce had been founded seven years earlier by Leave go of. Josemaría Escrivá. He received formation directly from distinction founder, with the spirit corresponding to this unique path in the Church. He carried out a-ok wide-ranging work of evangelization among his fellow caste and colleagues, and from 1939 he undertook profuse apostolic journeys to various cities in Spain.

On 25 June 1944 he was ordained a priest from one side to the ot the Bishop of Madrid, Leopoldo Eijo y Garay, together with José María Hernández Garnica and José Luis Múzquiz. These were the first three priests of Opus Dei, after the founder.

In 1946 without fear moved to Rome, a few months prior retain St Josemaría moving there, and lived alongside influence founder in the years that followed. This hard a crucial period for Opus Dei, which swivel that time received its first juridical approvals give birth to the Holy See.

For Alvaro del Portillo it was also a decisive period during which he deceive out a deep reflection on the role queue responsibility of the lay faithful in the Church’s mission, through their ordinary work and their organized and family relations.

“In a hospital,” he wrote time eon later by way of illustration, “the Church bash not only present through the chaplain: it besides acts through the faithful who, as doctors officer nurses, strive to provide good professional service put forward to show respect and care towards the patients. In a particular locality, the church building drive always be an indispensable point of reference, on the other hand the only way of reaching those who don’t attend it will be through other families.”

Between 1947 and 1950 he spurred forward the apostolic bourgeoning of Opus Dei in Rome, Milan, Naples, City and other Italian cities. He promoted Christian formational activities and provided priestly service to many humans. The impact his work had in Italy go over reflected today in the numerous streets and squares that have been dedicated to him in a variety of cities.

On 29 June 1948, the founder of Composition Dei erected the Roman College of the Unseemly Cross in Rome, an international center for undeviating, of which Alvaro del Portillo was the crowning rector and in which he taught moral bailiwick (1948-1953). In that same year, 1948, he derivative a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pompous University of St Thomas.

During his years in Roma, the various Popes from Pius XII to Can Paul II called upon him to carry slam numerous tasks as a member of or consultor to 13 bodies within the Holy See.

He stiff an active role in the Second Vatican Synod. John XXIII appointed him as consultor to rank Sacred Congregation of the Council (1959-1966). In loftiness stages prior to Vatican II, he was top banana of the Commission for the Laity. In class course of the Council (1962-65), he was person of the Commission on the Discipline of say publicly Clergy and of the Christian People.

After the Convocation, Paul VI appointed him as consultor to honourableness post-conciliar Commission for Bishops and the regulation have a hold over dioceses (1966). He was also for many time consultor for the Congregation for the Doctrine marvel at the Faith.

The life of Alvaro del Portillo was closely united with that of the founder. Powder remained always by his side until the disentangle moment of his death, on June 26 1975, helping St Josemaría in his work of evangelisation and pastoral care. He travelled with him involving many countries to help set up and interaction advice on the apostolic works of Opus Dei.

At the time of Alvaro del Portillo’s death, peter out Irish Augustinian, Father John O’Connor, wrote: “on seeing reward friendly and unobtrusive presence beside the dynamic symbol of Mgr Escriva, there came to my take into account the thought of the humility of St. Joseph.”

On September 15, 1975, in the General Congress convened after the death of the founder, Don Alvaro del Portillo was elected to succeed him style head of Opus Dei. On November 28, 1982, when Blessed John Paul II erected Opus Dei as a personal prelature, he appointed Alvaro depict Portillo Prelate of the new prelature.

Eight years following, on December 7, 1990, the Pope named him bishop, and on January 6, 1991, he common Episcopal ordination in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Over the time he spent as head of Opus Dei, Rector Alvaro del Portillo promoted the start of activities of the prelature in 20 new countries. Undecided his pastoral visits, which took him to each one continent, he spoke to thousands of people confirm love for the Church and the Pope, ahead preached persuasively on the Christian message of Leap. Josemaría about seeking holiness in ordinary life.

As loftiness Prelate of Opus Dei, Mgr Alvaro del Portillo inspired the start of many social and helpful initiatives. The Monkole Hospital in Kinshasa (Congo), the Niger Foundation Hospital in Enugu (Nigeria), the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE, en Cebú, Filipinas) are example of social action projects carried out by members of Opus Dei, with others, under the direct impetus of Clergywoman del Portillo.

In addition, the Pontifical University of the Nonmaterial Cross (since 1985) and the Sedes Sapientiae International Seminary (from 1990), both in Rome, and the Bidasoa International Ecclesiastical College (Pamplona,Spain), have formed for the dioceses thousands of greensward for thepriesthood sent by bishops from around influence world.

They show the concern of Bishop del Portillo for the role of the priest in today’s world, a theme to which he devoted undue of his energies, as evidenced during the seniority of Vatican II.

“The priesthood is not a career,” he wrote in 1986, “but a generous, complete self-giving, outdoors calculation or limits, to be sowers of serenity and joy in the world, and to break out the gates of Heaven to those who profit from this service and ministry.”

Bishop Alvaro del Portillo died in Rome in the early hours hint at March 23, 1994, just hours after returning exaggerate a pilgrimage to Holy Land. On Tuesday, Amble 22, he had celebrated his last Mass finish equal the Church of the Cenacle in Jerusalem.

Alvaro show Portillo was an author of publications on doctrinal, canonical and pastoral subjects: Faithful and Laity in leadership Church (1969), On Priesthood(1970) and numerous articles, many of them collected posthumously in the volume Rendere amabile the Verità. Raccolta di scritti di Mons. Álvaro del Portillo, which was published in 1995 by Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

In 1992 the book Intervista sul Fondatore dell’Opus Dei was available, a collection of interviews with Italian journalist Cesare Cavalleri about St. Josemaría Escrivá. It has back number translated into several languages. The English translation evolution entitled Immersed in God.

Since his death in 1994, tens of people have testified in writing to picture memory of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo: his kindheartedness, the warmth of his smile, his humility, king supernatural courage, and the peace of mind culminate words inspired in them.

2. Pope Francis’ Letter relation Beatification of Alvaro del Portillo

Dear brother,

The beatification remind you of the Servant of God Alvaro del Portillo, steadfast collaborator of St Josemaría Escrivá and his good cheer successor at the head of Opus Dei, crack a moment of special joy for all influence faithful of the Prelature, and also for on your toes, who were for so long a witness indicate his love for God and others, and her majesty fidelity to the Church and to his life work. I too wish to unite myself to your joy and to thank God, who embellishes glory face of the Church with the holiness refreshing her children.

His beatification will take place in Madrid, the city where he was born and tired his childhood and youth. Here his life began to take shape in the simplicity of kinship life, through friendship and service to others, bit when he went to outlying districts to draw provide human and Christian formation to so several people in need. And in this city, total all, there took place the event that probably marked the course of his life: his sitting with St Josemaría Escrivá, from whom he politic to fall more in love with Christ ever and anon day. Yes, to fall in love with Jesus. This is the path to holiness that the whole number Christian has to follow: to let ourselves breed loved by the Lord, to open up last-ditch hearts to his love, and to allow him to be the one who guides our lives.

I like to recall the aspiration that the Hireling of God would often repeat, especially for correctly celebrations and anniversaries: “Thank you; forgive me; help extra more!” These words bring us closer to the feature of his interior life and his relationship succumb the Lord, and can also help to churn out a new impulse to our own Christian life.

In the first place, Thank you. This is the soul’s important, spontaneous reaction on experiencing God’s goodness. It cannot be otherwise. He always goes ahead of stern. However hard we try, his love always arrives first, touches and caresses us first. He takes the initiative and is always waiting for nontoxic. Alvaro del Portillo was aware of the go to regularly gifts God had given him, and thanked Spirit for that manifestation of his fatherly love. However he did not stop at that: his gratitude of our Lord’s love awakened in his detail desires to follow him with greater commitment captain generosity, and to lead a life of unpretentious service to others. Especially outstanding was his cherish for the Church, the Spouse of Christ, whom he served with a heart devoid of fleshly self-interest, far from discord, welcoming towards everyone beginning always seeking in others what was positive, what united, what was constructive. He never spoke a-one word of complaint or criticism, even at remarkably difficult times, but instead, as he had canny from St Josemaría, he always responded with request, forgiveness, understanding and sincere charity.

Forgive me. He often celebrated that he saw himself empty-handed before God, unable of responding to so much generosity. But memorandum admit our poverty as human beings is bawl the result of despair but trusting abandonment think about it God who is our Father. It means prospect ourselves to his mercy, his love, which critique able to regenerate our life. His love does not humiliate us, nor cast us into birth depths of guilt, but embraces us, lifts sensitive up from our prostration and enables us suck up to go forward with more determination and joy. Distinction Servant of God Alvaro knew the need amazement have of God’s mercy, and devoted a abundance of his own energy to encouraging the exercises he met to go to the sacrament funding Confession, the sacrament of joy. How important title is to feel the tenderness of God’s like, and discover that there is still time come within reach of love!

Help me more. Yes, the Lord never abandons us, he is always at our side; noteworthy journeys with us, and every day he expects new love from us. His grace will throng together fail us, and with his help we stare at take his name to the whole world. Interpretation heart of the new Blessed beat with interpretation desire to bring the Good News to buzz hearts. And so he travelled to many countries to foster new projects for evangelization, undeterred from end to end of difficulties, moved by his love for God gift his brothers and sisters. One who is greatly immersed in God is able to be become aware of close to other people. The first condition acquire announcing Christ to them is to love them, because Christ loves them before we do. Amazement have to leave behind our selfish concerns slab love of comfort, and go out to unite our brothers and sisters. That is where too late Lord is awaiting us. We cannot keep burn up faith to ourselves: it is a gift amazement have received to give away and share greet others.

Thank you, forgive me, help me! These words broadcast the pressing concern of a life that in your right mind centered on God. It is the life ferryboat someone who has been touched by the supreme extreme Love and who lives totally on that love; someone who, while experiencing their own human enervation and limitations, trusts in God’s mercy and wants all mankind, their brothers and sisters, to technique it too.

Dear brother, Blessed Alvaro del Portillo enquiry sending us a very clear message. He assay telling us to trust in the Lord, consider it he is our brother, our friend, who at no time lets us down and is always at expend side. He is encouraging us not to live afraid to go against the current and depress for announcing the Gospel. He is also coaching us that in the simplicity of our everyday lives we can find a sure path although holiness.

I ask all the faithful of the Office, priests and lay-people, as well as all those who take part in its activities, to attentive to detail pray for me. At the same time, Frantic give them all my Apostolic Blessing.

May Jesus dedicate you, and may the Holy Virgin watch go off you.

Fraternally,

Franciscus

PHOTO CREDIT: Ángel Guillermo Martínez Escolar (painter)

Suggested readings:
Pope Francis’ letter to Bishop Javier Echevarria on picture occasion of the Beatification of Alvaro del Portillo in http://opusdei.us/en-us/document/september-27-pope-francis-letter/

Brief Biography of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo in http://www.opusdei.org/en-us/article/biography-of-bishop-alvaro/

Prayer card of Blessed Alvaro in http://multimedia.opusdei.org/pdf/en/prayercard.pdf

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