Rafael Alvira: "St Josemaria was a very friendly man."

Philosophy professor Rafael Alvira recalls his first impressions of St Josemaria: his vitality, his friendliness and his simplicity. He also practised unity of life, something he always spoke of as characteristic of the spirit of Opus Dei.
Tags: Freedom, Naturalness, Unity of life, University

Testimony

Shout for Freedom!

Below are some paragraphs from an article by Msgr. Mariano Fazio published in the newspaper El Liberal in Santiago de Estero, Argentina. Taking up some things that St Josemaria said, Msgr. Fazio encourages Christians to treasure freedom and to find ways of inspiring others in [...]
Tags: Justice, Freedom

Document

The riches of the Faith

An article by St Josemaria Escriva published in ABC, a Madrid daily, on November 2, 1969. In this article the Opus Dei founder spoke of love for freedom as one of the treasures of the Christian faith. [...]
Tags: Freedom, Madrid

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Why Burgos?

After getting through the Pyrenees mountains and arriving in Andorra at the end of 1937, Father Josemaria went via France to Pamplona, in the opposite zone of Spain. There, after brief stay, he decided to go to Burgos, where he lived from January 8, 1938 [...]
Tags: Spanish Civil War, History, Freedom, Opus Dei, Politics

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Why did Father Josemaria go into hiding?

The right-wing military coup against the Republican Government of Spain was countered by a leftist revolution in the part of the country under the control of the Popular Front. This revolution was characterized by violent anticlericalism among other things, and the revolutionaries destroyed churches and [...]
Tags: Spanish Civil War, History, Freedom, Madrid, Opus Dei, Josemaria Escriva

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What was Father Josemaria Escriva’s reaction to the attempted military coup of July 18, 1936?

Like most people in Spain, Father Josemaria knew nothing about the military conspiracy against the Republican Government which culminated in the attempted coup on July 18, 1936. The rebellion took him by surprise, and he immediately had to go into hiding as his life was [...]
Tags: Spanish Civil War, History, Freedom, Opus Dei, Politics, Franco

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What was Father Josemaria Escriva’s attitude towards the Second Spanish Republic?

Like many other people in Spain at the time, Father Josemaria initially had high hopes of the Second Spanish Republic, because it seemed to offer a remedy for the serious social problems of the day. However, also like many others, he was soon disillusioned as [...]
Tags: Spanish Civil War, History, Freedom, Politics

Video

Let each wayfarer follow his way

My vocation was like falling in love. Liliana Iavicoli, from Argentina, tells how the discovery of her vocation brought new light into her life.
Tags: October 2, 1928, Founding of Opus Dei, Freedom, Ordinary life, supernumerary

Document

St Josemaria Escriva and Ireland

In 1916 the young Josemaría Escrivá avidly followed the events of the Easter Rising in Ireland. “I was then about fifteen and I eagerly read everything in the newspapers about the events of the First World War. Most of all, though, I prayed a lot [...]
Tags: Freedom, trips, Ireland

Video

The adventure of freedom

St Josemaria’s teachings on freedom, says Moira Walsh, show how freedom combines with responsibility, real love, and respect for others, in bringing up children, in politics, and in daily living.
Tags: Formation, Freedom, Politics, Responsibility, Upbringing, family