Pope Francis: Bl. Alvaro of Opus Dei a model of holiness
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a letter to the leader of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarría Rodríguez, to mark the beatification of the first successor to Opus Dei’s holy founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. Tens of thousands of people gathered in Madrid on Saturday to participate in the beatification Mass for the Servant of God, Álvaro del Portillo, which was celebrated by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato.
In his letter, Pope Francis praises Blessed Álvaro as a model of holiness, “[who] sends us a very clear message: he tells us to trust in the Lord, that the Lord is our brother, our friend, who never defrauds and who is always at our side.” The Pope goes on to say, “[Bl. Alvaro] encourages us not to be afraid to go against the tide and to suffer for the proclamation of the Gospel,” and, “teaches us that in simplicity and in our daily life we can find a safe path to sanctity.”