On May 4, 2003, in Madrid, Pope John Paul II canonized Pedro Poveda Castroverde, with Jesuit José Maria Rubio and religious Genoveva Torres, Angela de la Cruz, and María Maravillas de Jesús.
Canonization Mass
Plaza de Colón, Madrid
Third Sunday of Easter, 4 May 2003
Servant of the Servants of God for perpetual memory
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world [...]. From now on, let no one make trouble for me: for I bear the marks of Jesus in my body" (Gal 6: 14,17).
Saint Pedro Poveda Castroverde, humanist and educator, recognized as such by UNESCO on the centenary of his birth, lived the concerns created by the deep crisis of values and lifestyles of the beginning of the XX century. He was one of a small Christian minority concerned with formulating the basic principles of an anthropology that would liberate people from the rejection of transcendence.
St. Pedro José Luis Francisco Javier Poveda Castroverde was born on 3 December 1874 in Linares, Spain, to a solidly Christian family.
By Card. PAUL POUPARD.- Always alert to the celebration of the anniversaries of eminent personalities in the field of education, science and culture, Monsieur René Maheu, active and tireless Director General of UNESCO, invites us this evening to celebrate, at the request of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, and Peru, the centenary of Fr. Pedro Poveda Castroverde, Spanish educator and humanist. Let us thank publicly such happy initiative.
By ÁNGELES GALINO CARRILLO.- This presentation discusses the pedagogical anthropology of Pedro Poveda with the desire to deepen into the relationship between his educational concepts and the man or woman to educate in accordance with them. This is not aseptic, as it might seem. Judging by the educational meetings –or conferences-, or by specialized publications, discussions focus on content, methods, techniques, organization, and others. Fundamental issues of pedagogy. However, relatively rarely the subject to be formed emerges at the forefront, the one about whom educators could and should say: "I am here because you are here."
Saint Pedro Poveda was responsible for a mission in the Church and decided to offer it so that others might live it, too. He was given the gift to bring people together. He called others to live at the service of God in the heart of the world, in everyday life, living out faith and vocation in the tasks entrusted to everyone in society.