Ramón Ibarra y González

The life and work of Archbishop Ramón Ibarra y González are intimately linked to the birth and development of the "Works of the Cross" (Obras de la Cruz), a major spiritual movement in Mexico inspired by the mystic Concepción Cabrera de Armida (nicknamed "Conchita"). Known as the "father and protector of the Works of the Cross," he provided decisive ecclesial support to these foundations. On May 3, 1895, under his impetus, the Apostolate of the Cross was officially founded in Mexico. On August 15, 1909, benefiting from a special indult from Pope Pius X, Archbishop Ibarra privately pronounced his vows as a "Religious of the Cross" while retaining his office as archbishop, thus becoming spiritually the first member of this religious family. On November 3, 1909, he approved by decree the Alliance of Love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an association of laypeople also stemming from the inspiration of Conchita. In 1913, he accompanied Concepción Cabrera de Armida to Rome for an audience with Pope Pius X to request authorization to found the priestly branch of the Works of the Cross. This initiative led to the official foundation of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit on December 25, 1914, in Mexico City, under the direction of Father Félix de Jesús Rougier. Alongside these foundations, Archbishop Ibarra distinguished himself through his educational and social commitment. In 1907, he elevated the Palafoxiano Seminary of Puebla to the rank of Catholic University (Universidad Católica Angelopolitana). He also created several free schools for underprivileged children and actively supported Catholic workers' associations to improve the living conditions of laborers.

The reputation for holiness of Msgr. Ramón Ibarra y González, marked by his simplicity, pastoral charity, and resilience in the face of the persecutions of the Mexican Revolution, led to the opening of his cause for beatification. The diocesan informative process was officially opened in the Archdiocese of Puebla on February 23, 1964, and closed on July 12, 1973. The validity of this diocesan inquiry was recognized by a decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on September 19, 1986. The Positio, a summary document on his life and virtues, was published in 1988. On April 9, 1990, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. The cause is currently being led under the direction of the postulator, Father David de Jesús Padrón Delgado, msps. Several reports of favors and extraordinary healings attributed to his intercession are being examined with a view to a future beatification.

Msgr. Ramón Ibarra y González is currently recognized as venerable by the Catholic Church. For his beatification to be pronounced, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and approved by the Pope is required.

After his death in 1917, his remains were first buried in the Tepeyac cemetery in Mexico City, near the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On February 19, 1931, his remains were exhumed and transferred to the bishops' crypt in the Cathedral of Puebla. Finally, on November 7, 1964, as part of the advancement of his cause for beatification, his relics were placed in a tomb located in the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, within the Cathedral of Puebla, where the faithful regularly come to pray.

The spirituality of Msgr. Ibarra is deeply rooted in the "Spirituality of the Cross," characterized by a configuration to Christ as priest and victim, a filial love for the Virgin of Guadalupe, and a constant docility to the Holy Spirit.

On January 30, 1917, feeling his end approaching, he dictated on his deathbed a spiritual testament that summarizes the pillars of his interior life: absolute fidelity to the Apostolic See, fervent devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, love of the Cross, and confident abandonment to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

His legacy endures today through the dynamism of the various branches of the Works of the Cross, in particular the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit and the Alliance of Love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, present in many countries. In 1970, a museum dedicated to his memory and the preservation of his personal objects and relics was inaugurated in the historic center of Puebla.