Romana

The National Library of Spain (Madrid) hosted the presentation of the 100th edition in Spanish of Camino, the book by St. Josemaría that has transcended borders and generations and become, according to the Cervantes Institute, one of the most translated titles in Spanish literature. To date, five million copies of Camino have been published in 142 languages. This 100th edition, prepared by philologist Fidel Sebastián, offers the original text with brief annotations and an introduction to its content, style, and context.

The event was opened by Javier Ortega, director of the cultural division of the National Library of Spain, and also featured Fidel Sebastián, Marcela Duque, Santiago Herraiz, and Fernanda Lopes.

Almost ninety years after its first publication (1939), Camino “is a book that is still alive, and the passage of time makes it increasingly valuable,” said Santiago Herraiz, CEO of Ediciones Rialp, which has published the book since the 1940s, starting with the 4th edition.

On her part, Marcela Duque, poet and writer, spoke about the figure of St. Josemaría as a writer, highlighting his “contemplative and symbolic vision,” which led him to develop a writing style “filled with everyday images because he sees in them a whole spiritual universe.” “The author achieves a true unity between the form of expression and what is expressed, and this, which is the nature of poetry, becomes a symbol of the poetic message of Opus Dei, that of transforming everyday prose into hendecasyllables,” she said.

Fidel Sebastián revealed some of the secrets of this edition of The Way. He said that, with his experience working on a special edition of the writings of St. Teresa of Jesus, while respecting the original text, he has tried to bring the message of St. Josemaría closer to new generations. In the process, he said he had discovered the saint as a mystic and his book as a true classic of literature.

Fernanda Lopes, president of the Centenary of Opus Dei Committee, recalled St. Josemaría’s desire to “write books of fire, which would race through the world like a living flame, setting people’s hearts ablaze with their light and warmth.” This desire came true in The Way, a book that “has inspired thousands of paths to intimacy with Christ.” She framed this 100th edition in the context of the 100th anniversary of Opus Dei, which will be celebrated between 2028 and 2030.

The publishing phenomenon of The Way continues today: in March 2025, it reached 7th place on Amazon’s general bestseller list in the United States (and 1st place in the spirituality category). This spike in sales was due to Hallow, the world’s most downloaded Catholic prayer app, which used points from the book for its Lenten “prayer challenge.”