VATICAN: More than 300,000 people packed St Peter's Square and environs yesterday morning in Rome to witness Pope John Paul II proclaim Monsignor Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, founder of the lay group Opus Dei, a saint of the Catholic Church.
Looking and sounding well throughout the almost three hour service, the Pope spoke of the "significant message" to be gained from yesterday's canonisation, adding: "Josemaria Escriva never ceased urging his spiritual children \ to call upon the Holy Spirit so that the inner life, the life born of our relationship with God, and family life, both social and professional, made up of all sorts of little earthly realities, might not be separate but rather be fused into one single existence, holy and full of God".
Founded in 1928 and made a "Personal Prelature" by Pope John Paul II in 1982, Opus Dei has often been at the centre of church polemics, never more so than on the occasion of the beatification of Josemaria Escriva 10 years ago. Yesterday's canonisation ceremony, however, was staged against a very different, non-polemical climate.
Illustrating the broad-based Catholic sense of approval for the 84,000 strong group yesterday was the presence of 400 cardinals, archbishops and bishops, including the Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the former head of the Pontifical Council Justice and Peace, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela. Representing the Irish church were the Bishop of Meath, Michael Smith, the Bishop of Tuam, Michael Neary, and the Bishop of Raphoe, Philip Boyce.
Amongst the huge crowd were pilgrims from more than 80 countries, including the former Solidarnosc leader Mr Lech Walesa, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini and Spanish Foreign Minister Ana de Palacio.
Pilgrims of all ages were also present, ranging from a two-week-old baby, Mary Immaculate Ngwengeh Amungwa from Yaoundé, to 99-year-old Father Quirino Glorioso from the Philippines. Also in attendance was the Spanish doctor, Manuel Nevado Rey, the man whose recovery from a potentially carcinogenic skin condition was attributed to a miracle brought about by the intercession of Saint Josemaria Escriva.
More than 900 Irish pilgrims also attended yesterday's canonisation, held on a day of brilliant autumnal sunshine. Michael Kirk from Donegal, a member of Opus Dei, probably spoke for many present when offering this assessment of the day: "This is a day that underlines the universality of the message of Josemaria Escriva. The whole importance of today was what the Pope said about him, namely that he was telling everybody something, all of us and not just the members of Opus Dei."
Completing the happy picture for Opus Dei followers yesterday was the news that Maria Carmen Del Tapia, a former high-ranking member and subsequent bitter critic of the group, had earlier this week offered her support for the canonisation, stating that she had never doubted the "divine origin" of Opus Dei.