Pope Pius XII intervenes

March 19th, 1952 

On this date, Cardinal Tedeschini delivered a letter to Pope Pius XII. It was signed by st. Josemaria and Bl. Alvaro and it was in relation to the contradiction of 1951 when some members of the Curia wanted to expel st. Josemaria from the Work. 

St. Josemaria had already spoken to the correspondent dicastery but was told that there was nothing against him. “They’d refuse to dialogue -wrote st. Josemaria- they wouldn’t allow me to explain, or clarify. It was very painful. Calumnies were propagated, suspicions were started. They would try to convince, even people inside the Church, that in some Roman dicasteries we were under surveillance”. Don Alvaro signed the letter, sharing the potential consequences. By the time the Holy Father read the letter, the process was well advanced. Pope Pius XII acted immediately and before the prosecution against our father started, he put a full stop on it.

("To our beloeved son
Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer
Founder of the Priestly Society
of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei
with a special blessing
21 of June 1946
Pius pp. XII")