Original interview published in Spanish by Jesús C. Díaz and Teo Peñarroja in the magazine Nuestro Tiempo at the University of Navarra.
Francisco Ponz Piedrafita (Huesca, 1919) has just turned 100 years old. He is beyond doubt the oldest person that Nuestro Tiempo has ever interviewed, and it is truly impressive to witness his good health, lucidity and cordiality. He knots his tie perfectly and says, “Just let me print a few papers,” going over to a computer and handling it with ease. “Let me just check this email,” he adds as he refuses to sit in the chair in front of the screen.
He still considers himself a university student. “That’s a life-long reality!” he says in his deep voice. And it is true that, at 100 years old, he still studies to keep up with the advances in his field. He has published more than 170 research articles, six scientific texts, four student manuals and many other publications on university education. He also has a book of memoirs, My Encounter with the Founder of Opus Dei (2000), in which he talks about his memories of Saint Josemaria.