Decree of introduction of the process of beatification of St. Josemaria

February 19th, 1981

Decree of introduction of the process of beatification of St. Josemaria, signed by Hugo Cardinal Poletti. Blessed Alvaro, spoke in different occasions some details of what was needed to reach this decree: “As soon as St. Josemaria passed away, thousands of people started writing letters asking the Roman Pontiff for the introduction of the process of beatification of our father. These were signed by Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, priests and secular people, religious, from all over the world, convinced of the heroic sanctity of our father. We went collecting those letters with a lot of affection, to deliver them to the Holy See at the right time. Given that the usual practice is not to present them prior to the five years after the death of the Servant of God -although I was told that it could be done earlier- we wanted to wait until the start of the fifth year”.

Once the cause was approved by the Pope, the Cardinal Vicar of Rome must sign the decree of introduction of the cause: “One or two days ago, -bl. Alvaro mentioned on the 19/2/81- the postulator went to the Vicariate so the issue doesn’t get delayed. As there were some bureaucratic difficulties, he went to talk to Hugo Cardinal Poletti, and said: I would like it to be ready for the 19th, the name day of the father (19th: memorial of Blessed Alvaro of Cordoba), so that I can give him a nice surprise… The Cardinal Vicar made an agreement with don Flavio, and has signed the decree with today’s date. The law states that the process happens where the Servant of God died. But given that many of our father’s childhood and youth witnesses, until he came to Rome, remain in Madrid, I have asked the Holy See that part of the process happens in Madrid. In total, the scholastic judges will have to interview some sixty witnesses in Madrid and around twenty in Rome: people from both sections of the Work and people foreign to Opus Dei”. Then he said “It’s a tradition that, in these cases, the event to be celebrated: usually there is a solemn Mass where many people are invited, it is communicated to the press, a feast is thrown… we won’t do it. We’ll work that way for two reasons: First because our father always said that the glory of Opus Dei is to have no human glory. And second, because the devil - that finds out everything immediately - must be furious, and it’s best not to facilitate his action”.