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St Josemaría website now available in Arabic

February 9, 2007

Tags: translations
Arabic is the official language of twenty countries, co-official with other languages in at least another six, and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. It is spoken by about two hundred million people around the world. Although the majority of these are Muslims, that figure also includes some fifteen million Christians. As well as countries whose official language is Arabic such as Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates, there are significant numbers of native Arabic-speakers in Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the UK, the US, and other countries.

News of devotion to and affection for St Josemaría has already been received from both Christian and Muslim Arabic-speakers.

From Lebanon: “I am married, and a Sunni. I had some family problems and I prayed a lot to God for help. That was when I heard about St Josemaría Escrivá and I asked God, through his intercession, to solve my worries and grant me patience to be able to live out my marriage in peace, and for my husband to change a little. (…) This does not mean that Islamic prayer is of no use, but I have to recognize that my prayer through St Josemaría’s intercession helped me very much. And so I am sending this letter to say that I have received a favor through this Saint.”

From the United Arab Emirates: “In the last eight years I have received many favors both spiritual and material through the intercession of St Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei. I came to have so much devotion to him that I pray to him for all my needs and petitions. The last help he granted us left my friends, both Christian and non-Christian, and myself, astonished at the greatness, kindness and power of God, Who can do whatever he chooses at any time.”

Some of the books by the Founder of Opus Dei have already been translated into Arabic: The Way in 1959, The Way of the Cross, Holy Rosary, and others. St Josemaría’s writings are thus helping to sow understanding and peace between Christians and non-Christians; as he said, “Charity, more than in giving, consists in understanding” (The Way, 463).

With the new version in Arabic of www.josemariaescriva.info, millions more people will now have access to news and documentation about St Josemaría, his life, his teachings and his writings. As in the other languages in which this website is available, Arabic-speakers will now be able to write messages, testimonies and suggestions to the website in their own language.