Opus Dei to Elect a New Prelate -- Election Begins on 21st of January

On January 23rd the third Prelate of Opus Dei will be selected to chose
the successor of Prelate Javier Echevarria who passed on Dec 12th.

(Rome) This coming January 21 begins in Rome to elect a new prelate of Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei , called Opus Dei for short, the only previously existing personal prelature in the Church. Upon the death of Prelate Javier Echevarría on December 12 in Rome, an has election become necessary.

The "Work of God," founded in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás (1902-1975) in Madrid received the legal status in the Church of a personal prelature. The approximately 90,000 members are directly subordinate to the prelate of the bishop's rank and not to the respective diocesan bishop. The third successor of the founder, and also the third prelate, will be elected. Josemarìa Escrivá was sanctified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His feast day is June 26, his dies natalis (death).

His first successor, and also the first prelate, Álvaro del Portillo, was proclaimed as beatified in 2014 by Pope Francis. He directed the Opus Dei from 1975-1994.

As Opus Dei explains on its website, the new prelate must be a priest who has completed his 40th year of life,  be a member of the electoral body, and belong at least ten years of the Prelature and  be incardinated as a priest for at least five years. These prerequisites are currently fulfilled by 94 priests from 45 states.

The election meeting will begin on 21 January with the General Assembly of the Council for the female members. On the 23rd, the actual election congress will follow. Any member of the Women's Council may give a vote. The election congress, which is occupied by men, would take these recommendations into account.

If the chosen person accepts the election, Pope Francis is asked for his confirmation. Officially, he has the right of appointment for the prelate of Opus Dei. Election and appointment of a prelate is for lifetime. The favorite candidate is Fernando Ocáriz, the long-standing Vicar General of the "Work", who was named by Prelate Echevarría to be his representative a few days before his death until the choice of his successor. Ocáriz has been the primary co-author of the Declaration Dominus Iesus of 2000. Since 1986 he has been Consultor of the Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith. Under Pope Benedict XVI he was one of three theological members appointed by the Holy See who participated in doctrinal discussions with the Society of St. Pius X.

The electorate will have 194 voters, priests and laity. They must have reached the age of 32 and have been a member of the Prelate for at least nine years.

Besides the election of a prelate, the election congress will also make the choice of the General Council that supports the prelate in the management of the Prelature. The term of office of the General Council lasts eight years.

The elections, however, are not the only issue. It examines the situation of prelature and talks about worldwide apostolic activities. For the forthcoming, eight-year term of office of the General Council, the election congress will elaborate a corresponding management program.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Infovaticana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
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Important Strategic Course in Selecting the Head of Opus Dei

Right of Pope Francis is Prelate Echevarria, Left
Msgr. Ocariz

(Rome) Prelate Javier Echevarría, who has been at the head of the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei since   1994,  has engaged an important personnel decision and thus undertook a strategic course in naming  his successor at the head of a Personal Prelature.

Echevarria, who has the rank of bishop, is the second successor of Opus Dei founder Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albas (1902-1975). Escrivà was canonized  in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, and his first successor, Monsignor Álvaro del Portillo (1914-1994) was beatified by Pope Francis on September 27, 2014.

Monsignor Javier Echevarría has now appointed a deputy.The decision was justified with the proliferating  global tasks and his advanced age. Echevarría, born in 1932 who reached his 82nd birthday last June 14, had appointed the former Vicar General of the Prelature, Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz as his deputy.

Msgr. Fernando Ocariz Coadjutor Prelate 

In Dec. 9 came the appointment came into force transmitting to  Msgr. Ocáriz all that is necessary for the responsibility  the management of the Prelature, including the prelate's reserved decision-making powers. The only exceptions are the responsibilities associated with the episcopal office of the prelate.

The appointment was made ​​in accordance with Article 134, paragraph 1, and Article 125 of the Codex iuris particularis Operis Dei ,   which  John Paul II. approved with the Apostolic Constitution Ut sit on 28 November 1982.

In contrast to countervailing tendencies to  bureaucratize ministries occupied for life in the church and to limit their time, the prelate of Opus Dei continues its life in accordance with statutes. For this reason, the statutes provide for the possibility that the prelate may freely appoint a deputy  in the form of a coadjutor. The General Council of the Prelature can also recommend such an appointment.

Msgr. Ocariz was Co-author of the Declaration Dominus Iesus

Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz was born in 1944 in Paris. He studied physics at the University of Barcelona and then theology at the Lateran University in Rome. At the University of Navarra, he received his doctorate in the New Evangelization. In 1971 he was ordained a priest and later taught Fundamental Theology as Professor at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. Since 1986 he has been Consultant of the Congregation and since 1989 a member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology . Since 1994, he exercised the office of Vicar General of the Prelature. He is regarded as one of the principal authors of the Declaration Dominus Iesus on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church in 2000.

Opus Dei, canonically erected in 1943,  is the only personal prelature of the Catholic Church. The prelate has the rank of bishop. Already, Msgr. Echevarria held  the Office of the Vicar General in Opus Dei before his appointment as  Prelate.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Osservatore Romano

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link Katholisches...

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