‘La virginidad en el siglo XXI: El ordo virginum, esperanza de la Iglesia’ (Virginity in the 21st Century: The Ordo Virginum, Hope for the Church) is the title of the book by Father Antonio Alcaraz, Director of the UCAM Department of Human and Religious Sciences, which offers a conceptual, anthropological, historical, canonical and theological reflection on consecrated virginity.

The book launch, held at the Los Jerónimos Campus, was attended by María Dolores García, President of the Universidad Católica de Murcia; by Monsignor José Manuel Lorca Planes, Bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena; by Inmaculada Parra Brisa, presence of the Ordo Virginum in the Council for Consecrated Life in the Episcopal Conference, and by Monsignor Francisco Gil Hellín, Archbishop Emeritus of Burgos.

‘Understanding the value of virginity and, specifically, of consecrated virginity, in the context of the diversity of charisms with which the Holy Spirit enriches women in the Church, was the intention we undertook this work with’, stressed Antonio Alcaraz.

‘This charism brings us closer to God, with it we see that God alone is enough’, said María Dolores García, praising the publication of this book. In the same way, Monsignor José Manuel Lorca Planes explained how ‘this work tells the story of an encounter with the Lord, how it is a specific vocation of consecrated virgins who have chosen Christ as the centre of their lives’.

All the speakers expressed the importance of this work in helping to understand and assess this reality, promoting reflection from the scientific and pastoral spheres in which it is developed and further enriching it with the contributions of the experts who study this reality.