06/30/2012, 00.00
INDIA
Send to a friend

Cardinal Gracias: in midst of economic and social crisis, we remember St. Josemaria Escriva

by Nirmala Carvalho
On the memorial of the founder of Opus Dei, the Archbishop of Mumbai reaffirms the importance of the universal call to holiness, preached by the Spanish priest. The Church and Christians in India must witness this holiness in their life and work.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, a true "saint of our times", are "more urgent" than ever in these times of economic and social crisis, said card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai and president of the Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), commemorating the founder of Opus Dei on June 26, his liturgical memorial. For the occasion, the cardinal celebrated Mass in the church of S. Andrea in Bandra (Mumbai).

Canonized by Pope John Paul II October 6, 2002, the Spanish priest founded the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei in 1928. St. Josemaria Escriva preached the universal call to holiness, affirming the importance of work as a means of personal holiness and apostolate, when lived in union with Christ.

According to Card. Gracias, the priest's teaching on the sanctification of the work is now "urgent" to "bring honesty into public life" so that " ethics, morality and values ​​return to center stage." In fact, "the proper functioning of the global economy requires fundamental values ​​and a common code of ethics, founded on faith and reason. And the call to holiness and apostolate to the testimony of the Gospel, is the call of every Christian."

In India, where Christians are a minority of just 2.3% (and Catholics are only 1, 8%), the teachings of the saint are even more fundamental. "Living in a non-Christian society - said the cardinal - requires us to witness this holiness every day with our lives. We are called to have a structured and mature faith: this is the priority of the Church in India".

 

 

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Year of Faith, Indian bishop: Like St. Escrivá, bringing Christ into daily life
01/07/2013
Mgr Echevarría, Opus Dei prelate, remembered in India as a “father"
14/12/2016 16:00
Synod for the Amazon: Card Stella hails the ‘great beauty’ of celibacy in a priest’s life
24/10/2019 17:56
Álvaro del Portillo, the "rock" of Opus Dei and the mission in Asia
28/01/2014
"We are optimistic," says Paul Bhatti as Rimsha Masih's bail hearing postponed to Friday
03/09/2012


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”