Álvaro del Portillo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Álvaro del Portillo
Bishop
Álvaro del Portillo
Native name	Álvaro del Portillo y Diez de Sollano
Church	Roman Catholic Church
In Office	1982—1994
Predecessor	Saint Josemaría Escrivá
Successor	Javier Echevarría Rodríguez
Other posts	Titular Bishop of Vita (1990-1994)
Orders
Ordination	25 June 1944
Consecration	6 January 1991 by Pope John Paul II
Personal details
Born	(1914-03-11)11 March 1914 Madrid, Spain
Died	23 March 1994(1994-03-23) (aged 80) Rome, Italy
Buried	Church of Santa María de la Paz, Italy
Previous post	General President of Opus Dei (1975-1982)
Motto	Regnare Christum volumus ("We want Christ to Reign!")
Coat of arms
Sainthood
Feast day	12 May
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Title as Saint	Blessed
Beatified	27 September 2014 Madrid, Spain by Cardinal Angelo Amato (on behalf of Pope Francis)
Canonized	27 March 2015

Álvaro del Portillo y Diez de Sollano (born March 11, 1914 – died March 23, 1994) was a Spanish engineer and a Catholic bishop. He was the leader, or prelate, of Opus Dei from 1982 to 1994. He took over from Josemaría Escrivá, who founded Opus Dei.

Important Church leaders like Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Carlo Caffarra spoke highly of him. Pope John Paul II called him a "good and faithful servant." Cardinal Caffarra said he was a "disciple of Christ."

The process to declare him a saint began in 2004. He was called a Servant of God. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named him Venerable because of his great goodness. He was later declared "Blessed" on September 27, 2014, in Madrid. This special ceremony was led by Cardinal Angelo Amato for Pope Francis.

Life Story of Álvaro del Portillo

Álvaro del Portillo was born in Madrid, Spain, on March 11, 1914. He was the third of eight children in a religious family. He was baptized on March 17 and received his First Communion on May 12, 1921.

He studied civil engineering at the University of Madrid. After earning his doctorate, he taught at the engineering school. He also worked for a short time with the Bureau of Highways and Bridges.

In 1935, he joined Opus Dei, a Catholic organization. He became a priest on June 25, 1944. He was one of the first three men ordained for Opus Dei. He continued his studies and earned doctorates in Philosophy and Canon Law.

The beatification of del Portillo.

After becoming a priest, he worked full-time for Opus Dei as its Secretary General. He also helped the Holy See (the Pope's main office) during the time of Pope Pius XII.

In 1963, Pope John XXIII asked him to help review the rules of the Church, known as Canon Law. Later, Pope Paul VI also asked for his advice. In 1975, he became the general president of Opus Dei. In 1982, the Holy See made him the first Prelate of Opus Dei. In 1991, Pope John Paul II made him a bishop. That same year, he went to World Youth Day in Czestochowa.

Bishop del Portillo wrote many books about the Church. He wrote about how everyday people can be holy and about the role of priests. He was also the head of the University of Piura in Peru.

He passed away in Rome, Italy, on March 23, 1994, shortly after his 80th birthday. He had just returned from a trip to the Holy Land. Pope John Paul II came to pray by his body. His remains are now in the Church of the Prelature in Rome.

His Work at the Second Vatican Council

Álvaro del Portillo played an important role in the Second Vatican Council. This was a major meeting of Catholic bishops from 1962 to 1965. Its goal was to update the Church for the modern world.

Here's how he helped:

• He was an expert advisor, called a "Peritus."
• He worked on different committees that prepared documents for the Council.
• He was the secretary for the committee that focused on priests.
• He helped write a very important document called "Presbyterorum Ordinis." This document talked about the life and work of priests.

According to his biographer, Salvador Bernal, del Portillo strongly believed there should be a special document just for priests. He helped make sure the document supported old traditions while also helping priests live in the modern world. He emphasized that priests should be good people and avoid getting too involved in politics.

After the Council, Cardinal Ciriaci praised del Portillo for his hard work. He said del Portillo helped guide the document for priests to a successful finish. Pope Paul VI also thanked him for his "prudent, tenacious, and courteous efforts."

Becoming a Saint

The Process Begins

After his death, many Church leaders spoke about Álvaro del Portillo's goodness. Pope John Paul II remembered his "faithful priestly and episcopal life." Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI) noted his "modesty and availability."

On December 6, 2002, the process to declare him a saint began. This is called a "cause for canonization." In 2004, Cardinal Camillo Ruini said that del Portillo was an "exemplary pastor." He showed great love for the Church and the Pope. Many people, including cardinals and bishops, wanted his cause for sainthood to start quickly.

Declared Venerable

On June 28, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI approved a declaration that Álvaro del Portillo lived a life of "heroic virtue." This means he showed great goodness and faith. From this point, he was called "Venerable Servant of God." This was a big step towards becoming a saint.

Beatification Ceremony

On July 5, 2013, Pope Francis announced a miracle had happened through del Portillo's prayers. A Chilean boy was cured in a way that doctors could not explain. This miracle was needed for del Portillo to be declared "Blessed."

Álvaro del Portillo was beatified on September 27, 2014, in his hometown of Madrid. Cardinal Angelo Amato led the ceremony on behalf of Pope Francis. May 12 was chosen as his special feast day. Cardinal Amato said that del Portillo's holiness helped change the world for the better.

His Writings

Álvaro del Portillo wrote several books and articles. Here are some of them:

• Discoveries and Explorations on the California Coast, 1532-1650 (his doctoral thesis)
• Faithful and Laity in the Church (1969)
• On the Priesthood (1970)
• Immersed in God: Blessed Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei as Seen by His Successor, Bishop Álvaro Del Portillo
• Journey with Jesus through the Liturgical Year

A Message of Joy

Here is a short quote from one of his talks: "True joy comes from wanting to live for God and serve others because of God. Let us tell the Lord that we only want to serve Him with joy. If we do this, our inner peace, joy, and good mood will bring many people closer to God. Show Christian joy. Let those around you see that this is our big secret. We are happy because we are God's children. We try to be better for Him. And when we make mistakes, we go to the Sacrament of joy to feel connected to everyone again."

Sources

• Postulator Speaks about Alvaro del Portillo's Cause of Canonization
• Bernal, Salvador (August 1999). Álvaro del Portillo. Scepter Publishers. ISBN: 1-889334-18-9
• Spanish biography of Msgr. del Portillo
• Anniversary of the death of Alvaro del Portillo by Robert O'Connor
• Amadeo de Fuenmayor Champín and Manuel J. Peláez, "Álvaro [José María Eulogio] del Portillo Diez de Sollano (1914-1994)", in Diccionario crítico de Juristas españoles, portugueses y latinoamericanos (hispánicos, brasileños, quebequenses y restantes francófonos) [until November 2006], vol. II, part 1 (M-Va), Zaragoza-Barcelona, 2006, pp. 335–339, no. 818.
• María del Carmen Amaya Galván, extended and updated English version of Álvaro del Portillo's biography as a canonist, written by A. de Fuenmayor and Manuel J. Peláez, in María del Carmen Amaya Galván and M. J. Peláez, "Informes jurídicos y notas políticas sobre la situación política y jurídica de Andorra remitidos al Prefecto de los Pirineos Orientales (1881-1965) por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores galo, por el Comisario extraordinario para los Valles de Andorra René Baulard (1933 y 1936-1940) y por otras autoridades y personalidades políticas y académicas (tercera parte)", in Contribuciones a las Ciencias Sociales, ISSN 1988-7833, October 2010, online, http://www.eumed.net/rev/cccss/10/pag.htm (pp. 1–76), see .Pdf file, pp. 5–9, notes 9 and 10 [It has been indexed as an extended abstract in EconPapers (Örebro University – Swedish Business School. Sweden), in Ideas in Society of Economic Dynamics (University of Connecticut. U.S.A.), and in Соционет, научное информационное пространство (Moscow. Russia)].
• Cardinal Angelo Amato, Come la santità trasforma il mondo. Article published in italian, in L'osservatore romano on April 29, 2021.

See also

In Spanish: Álvaro del Portillo para niños