Alvaro del portillo biography of william

Alvaro Portillo

Leader of Opus Dei from 1975 to 1994.
Date of Birth: 11.03.1914
Country: Spain

Content:
  1. Alvaro del Portillo: A Life of Faith and Leadership
  2. Early Life and Education
  3. Joining Opus Dei
  4. Vatican Involvement
  5. Second Vatican Council
  6. Head of Opus Dei
  7. Papal University and Bishop
  8. Death and Legacy

Alvaro del Portillo: A Life of Faith and Leadership

Alvaro del Portillo was a Spanish prelate and the second head of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church.

Early Life and Education

Alvaro del Portillo was born in Madrid, Spain. He studied engineering and earned a doctorate from the Complutense University of Madrid while simultaneously pursuing studies in philosophy and theology.

Joining Opus Dei

In 1935, del Portillo joined Opus Dei, a lay Catholic organization founded by Saint Josemaria Escriva. He became a close associate of Escriva and was ordained a priest on June 25, 1944.

Vatican Involvement

Del Portillo was appointed a consultor to the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law in 1963 by Pope John XXIII. He served as a consultor to various organizations of the Holy See, including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for the Clergy, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Second Vatican Council

Del Portillo participated in the Second Vatican Council, initially as president of the Preparatory Commission for the Laity and later as secretary of the Commission for the Clergy and consultor to other commissions.

Head of Opus Dei

Following the death of Saint Josemaria Escriva in 1975, del Portillo became the head of Opus Dei. In 1982, Opus Dei was granted the status of a personal prelature, with del Portillo becoming its prelate.

Papal University and Bishop

In 1985, del Portillo founded the Pontifical Academic Center of the Holy Cross in Rome, which later became the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 1998. In 1991, he was ordained a bishop by Pope John Paul II.

Death and Legacy

Alvaro del Portillo died on March 23, 1994, upon returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He is remembered as a devout and influential figure in the Catholic Church and in Opus Dei.