For me, one of the most striking aspects of Josémaría Escrivá's biography is his deep concern for priests. This is evident from his time in the seminary and remained a constant throughout his life. In the 1970s, he organized mass gatherings in Spain and other countries, some specifically for diocesan priests.
This notable interest in priests (which extended to people from all walks of life) had two driving forces. One was his open and expansive personality, his great ability to cultivate friendships. His first close friends were some of his seminarians, as well as other priests he met in Zaragoza (such as José Pou de Foxá), in Madrid (like Pedro Cantero, Casimiro, Morcillo, José María Bueno Monreal), and later in Rome. The second driving force was his sense of being called by God to spread the message of Opus Dei, which he began sharing in 1928, a message centered on encountering God in daily life. These two elements – an open, social character and the diffusion of a divine message – came together to address a critical need in the Church at the time, one that remains essential today: the care and attention of the clergy.
His concern for his fellow seminarians can be seen in the young Josémaría at the San Carlos Seminary in Zaragoza. In 1922, the Archbishop of the city (Cardinal Soldevila) appointed him inspector of the seminarians studying theology. This role allowed him to engage with and care about the everyday aspects of his peers’ lives, such as order, discipline, and study. This was not an isolated incident; he later went on to help several priests in very tangible ways, not just through small favors typical of friendship. During the years of the Spanish Republic, for example, he attempted to help a fellow seminarian return to priestly ministry, though without success. However, he did manage to reconcile a priest from León who was thinking of leaving the priesthood with his bishop and diocese, allowing him to resume his ministry.
Undoubtedly, the event that most strongly amplified his natural concern for other priests was the grace he received in October 1928, when he received the light to spread a message of holiness through an institution he would later call Opus Dei. Understanding that this foundation was also meant for diocesan priests, Josémaría sought out others in Madrid – many of them non-diocesan clerics, like himself, who had come to Madrid in the 1920s and 1930s seeking better opportunities – to share with them the message of holiness in daily life, to pray together, and to cooperate in spreading this young movement. Hence, the presence of diocesan priests in Opus Dei was not a peripheral or secondary matter; it was central to the founder’s vision, drawing directly from the light he received in 1928. Although many of these diocesan priests did not fully grasp the message of Opus Dei, Josémaría's friendship and connection with them never ceased. This “failure” did not distance him from diocesan priests; on the contrary, it strengthened his bonds of fraternity with them and motivated him to seek further ways to meet them during and after the Spanish Civil War.
Between 1938 and 1942, he preached numerous spiritual retreats for several hundred diocesan priests across various dioceses in Spain. Through this, he came to firsthand experience the virtues and flaws, challenges and hopes, illusions and failures of diocesan clergy, for whom he prayed fervently during those difficult times. His talks with them positioned him as one of the pioneers of priestly renewal in Spain, alongside figures like Rufino Aldabalde, Joaquín Goicoecheaundía, Baldomero Jiménez Duque, Antonio Rodilla, José María García, and Lahiguera. These men joined countless other pastors – popes, bishops, and priests – who showed exceptional concern for the holiness and well-being of diocesan clergy in the mid-20th century. They all contributed to raising awareness about the importance of caring for diocesan presbyteries, as later emphasized by the Second Vatican Council in Presbyterorum ordinis
The ordination of the first numerary priests, who joined the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross in 1944, did not interrupt Josémaría’s attention to the diocesan clergy. In fact, after Opus Dei was approved as a secular institute in 1947, and believing that the Work was sufficiently consolidated, he considered abandoning it to found a new institution specifically for diocesan priests. This, however, did not happen, because the Holy See authorized the incorporation of diocesan priests into Opus Dei in 1950.
His concern for diocesan priests remained strong. He trained candidates for the priesthood in Rome, numeraries who later brought the message of Opus Dei to diocesan clergy and many others. He also supported Pope Pius XII’s call to evangelize territories lacking clergy, which led to the founding of the prelature of Yauyos in 1957. Diocesan priests from Opus Dei, with the permission of their respective bishops, joined this mission. Furthermore, he launched intellectual initiatives to improve priestly formation, such as the creation of the Canon Law Institute at the University of Navarre in 1959, which later gave rise to a theology faculty in the 1960s. Over the years, he also met with groups of priests in Spain, Italy, and Portugal to strengthen their Christological identity and mission, which had been challenged in the post-Vatican II period.
In large part, his practical contribution to diocesan clergy has been channeled through the numerary priests of Opus Dei, as they are the ones who communicate the message of Opus Dei to diocesan clergy in many countries. Inspired by the founder's example and teachings, these numeraries have approached diocesan priests in many dioceses to offer them spiritual help through a priestly fraternity that strengthens bonds, creates opportunities to share time together, provides resources to overcome difficulties in the priestly journey, encourages obedience to the local bishop, and offers a positive vision of the Christian life, beneficial for them and for the faithful they shepherd.
In summary, Josémaría Escrivá’s desire for Opus Dei’s openness to diocesan priests aimed to enhance the identity and mission of priests, in service to the Church and the people of God.
Santiago Martínez is a professor and researcher at the University of Navarra and directs the Josemaría Escrivá Center programs of study at that university.