Javier Echevarría Rodríguez

Javier Echevarría Rodríguez (14 June 1932 – 12 December 2016) was a Spanish Catholic bishop who served as the head of Opus Dei from 1994 until his death. He held doctorates in both civil and canon law.

Within the Roman Curia, the governing body of the Catholic Church, he was a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. He wrote a number of books on spirituality: ''Paths to God: Building a Christian Life in the 21st Century'', ''Para servir a la Iglesia'', ''Getsemaní'', ''Eucaristía y vida cristiana''. He also wrote his reminiscences of Josemaría Escrivá: ''Memoria del beato Josemaría.''

Pope Benedict XVI said on the fiftieth anniversary of Echevarria's ordination in 2005 that his pastoral work "provides effective help to the Church in her urgent evangelization of present-day society" and noted the prelate's concern for "culture and the sciences...the defense of life, the family and marriage, and the formation and pastoral care of young people." Pope Francis lauded his "constant service of love to the Church and souls", underlining his "fatherly testimony of priestly and episcopal life". Provided by Wikipedia