The Last of The Romantics

By Mariano Fazio

“I love the freedom of others,” said St. Josemaria, “yours, that of the person passing by right now on the street, because if I didn’t love it, I couldn’t defend mine. But that’s not the main reason. The main reason is this: that Christ died on the Cross to give us freedom, so that we could live in the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá referred to himself as the “last of the Romantics,” and under this title Mariano Fazio portrays the founder of Opus Dei as a passionate defender of freedom. As he does so, Fazio offers an orderly, clear, and attractive presentation of many of St. Josemaría’s key teachings. These teachings will challenge his readers and hopefully awaken in them the same love of freedom that St. Josemaría bore in his heart. “Don’t let me be ‘the last of the romantics,’” he would say. “This is Christian romanticism: to love the freedom of others, with love and affection.”