Opus Dei

A letter from Bishop Javier Echevarría to the faithful of the Prelature of Opus Dei, focusing on the Advent season, "a time of joy and hope."

Letter of Bishop Javier Echevarría to the faithful of the Prelature of Opus Dei. Among other topics, the Prelate speaks of the communion of the saints.

The Prelate guides Opus Dei’s mission of spreading the universal call to sanctity and spurs forward the apostolic efforts of the Prelature’s faithful.

What do you mean when you say that the woman is the keystone of the family?

Pope John Paul II, in his recent Apostolic Letter on the coming Jubilee, has issued an energetic call to “penance and reconciliation,” encouraging everyone to make an “examination of conscience.” As one who has just assumed an important responsibility, do you see anything about Opus Dei that needs to be changed? Anything needing correction? New messages to pass on to the faithful you have been entrusted with?

Msgr. Escrivá de Balaguer “democratized” holiness, something the Pope has recommended to the whole Church. But how can ordinary men and women imitate a priest whose way of life is so different from the kinds of concerns they have to deal with?

On one occasion you spoke of an “authentic feminism.” What does that mean?

Are the members of Opus Dei supposed to do outstanding work and seek to be the best? Does one have to stand out in order to be a saint?

What is Opus Dei doing to promote the welfare of young people in the struggling countries of Africa so as to open more hopeful horizons?

How does the Opus Dei Prelature, given the current condition of the world, influence events, particularly in the Church?