During these days we Christians live the "Advent", preparing ourselves to celebrate the coming of Christ. That arrival of the Savior has already been final for D. José Morales Marín, Professor Emeritus of the School of Theology of the University of Navarra, who has just been called to the house of the Father. On the 13th, after several years of illness, Professor Morales passed away when he had just turned 88 years old, last December 4.

José Morales was one of the pioneers of School of Theology, where he worked for more than thirty years. doctorate Before arriving in Pamplona, he had obtained a degree in Law from the University of Barcelona (1960) and in Theology from the Lateran University in Rome (1962). Since his incorporation into Opus Dei in 1955, and especially since his ordination to the priesthood in 1961, Mr. José's life was directed towards pastoral service in the Church. Among other tasks, for a time he moved to the Philippines, where he was the Consiliary of Opus Dei from 1964 to 1967.

Professor Morales leaves behind him a published work B . As J. Bosch points out in his Diccionario de teólogos/as contemporáneos (Burgos 2004, p. 692), J. Morales has worked directly in four areas of theology: fundamental theology and theological method; the thought of Newman, the theology of creation and the theology of religions. On these and other questions he has left important works, such as Introduction to Theology or The Mystery of Creation, translated into several languages; editions and programs of study on the figure of St. John H. Newman (especially his biography: Newman: 1801-1890), books on religions (especially Islam), works on spirituality, etc. In all of them appears his vast knowledge, as well as his sharp and direct wit that allowed him to synthetically express his judgment on the issues he studied.

José Morales has not been a well-known figure, partly because of his character, which is not given to showing off or to cultivating merely social relationships. For this reason, despite being the author of more than twenty books and hundreds of scientific articles, he has not appeared much in the media or in ecclesiastical circles. Pepe Morales, as his friends called him, was a man of deep and permanent friendships, which he cultivated by dedicating time and interest to attention and attending to the needs of his friends, colleagues, students and disciples.

Among Professor Morales' friends were not only people from the academic world, but also others from outside that environment, people in need - in the "existential peripheries", as the Pope often says - for whom he was concerned in a very concrete way. It was common to see him sitting on a street bench with people at status in poverty, with migrants in difficulty, etc., whom he helped materially and spiritually, often also welcoming them into his home. We know some of these stories in which D. José was deeply involved, with all his priestly spirit; but there are many more that, although they have remained veiled to us, are very present before God.

Of the righteous, the book of Revelation says that they rest in the Lord and that "their works are with them". The works of the priest and professor José Morales Marín are not only his writings, which remain, but above all the example of charity and service that admires and inspires us. He has been, in final, a very complete theologian at the service of all.