Opus Dei

Founder of Opus Dei: Saint Josemaría Escrivá

The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin "The Work of God"), is a Roman Catholic organization founded on October 2, 1928, by Josemaría Escrivá, a Spanish priest who was later canonized by Pope John Paul II.

Opus Dei has approximately 85,430 members in fifty countries, with central offices in Rome. In 1982 it was erected as a Personal Prelature by Pope John Paul II, who also canonized its founder on October 6, 2002.

The professed aim of Opus Dei is "to contribute to [the] evangelizing mission of the Church" by spreading the universal call to holiness and apostolate"; it "encourages Christians of all social classes to live consistently with their faith, in the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives, especially through the sanctification of their work." [1]

Critics have described Opus Dei as a secretive, authoritarian organization; or even a cult, especially because of its practice of mortification of the flesh. They have highlighted its alleged links to right-wing and fascistic organizations worldwide. Some commentators have called it "one of the most controversial groups in the Catholic Church."

Foundation and mission

Opus Dei was founded by Josemaria Escriva, who as young lad saw "footprints in the snow" left by a monk walking in winter. This brought about, according to Escriva, "inklings" that God wanted him to do something. After years of trying to find out what it was, on October 2, 1928, Escriva, a priest by then, supposedly "saw Opus Dei."

The mission of Opus Dei, in the words of the founder, is:

"to help those Christians who...form part of the very texture of civil society to understand that their life...is a way of holiness and apostolate...The one and only mission of Opus Dei is the spreading of this message which comes from the Gospel...And to those who grasp this ideal of holiness, the Work offers the spiritual assistance and the doctrinal, ascetical and apostolic training which they need to put it into practice." [2]

Its main activity is to "is to give a Christian formation to its members and to other people who wish to receive it." [3] Escrivá summarized the organization's role as "a great catechesis."

Summary of Opus Dei's teachings

Opus Dei's teachings have been taken up, according to its supporters, by the Second Vatican Council which states that "by reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in the affairs of the world and directing them according to God's will." [4] Thus, these teachings do not lie outside mainstream traditional Roman Catholic spiritual and ascetic theology. These teachings form a lay spirituality, [5] and help build the spirit or culture which is practised in the Work.

The following are the main features of the founder's spiritual teachings, the basis of Opus Dei's message.

Opus Dei members feel called to find God in work and daily life and stay close to Him, following Jesus, who worked as a carpenter and lived as a son of a Jewish family in a small village for 30 years. "There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations," Escriva once preached, "and it is up to each of you to discover it." [6])

Whatever work they do is to be done with a spirit of excellence as an effective service for the needs of society. Their work then becomes a fitting offering to God. In his work of service, it is known that Jesus Christ "did all things well." (Mk 7:37) By allowing God to transform them into "other Christs," Christians can (and should!), says Escriva, become saints and apostles right there where they work and live.

Escriva preached that Christians should love freedom because God the Son himself, on becoming man, took on human freedom. He sanctified mankind through love: by freely giving himself, "obeying" his Father's will throughout his ordinary life, "until death on the cross." (Phil 2,8) Escriva notes that Jesus "gave himself, because he wanted to." (Is 53,7) Through his freedom, each man controls and shapes his life, being responsible for cooperating or not with God's loving plan of holiness. Recognizing such great dignity, Christians should therefore delicately respect the freedom of others, be open to a pluralism of opinions, and give themselves, with full freedom, to God and neighbor. [7]

Love, the essence of sanctity and apostolate, is nurtured by constant child-like prayer which is supported by norms of piety involving the Eucharist, the Bible, and the Virgin Mary. Mortification, "prayer of the senses," is especially done by striving to practice all the human virtues, like being kind, hardworking, sincere and cheerful despite difficulties and failures. "Do everything for Love. Thus there will be no little things: everything will be big...[8]'Great' holiness consists in carrying out the 'little duties' of each moment." [9]) These actions are co-offered in the Holy Mass, the same redeeming sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Sanctifying grace flows down especially through communion and confession.

Members are to give the highest importance to the virtue of charity: being understanding and caring for each person. Included is service towards the needy in society and the practice of human courtesy, refinement, warmth, affection and fraternal correction. [10] Love, which should be orderly, starts by performing one's duties well and is first directed towards the Pope. And it overflows when one generously gives the best to people, bringing them closer to their Father God, source of peace and joy.

To describe the practical result of his teachings, Escrivá frequently used the phrase "unity of life," an imitation of Jesus Christ, both fully God and fully man: no double life--prayer not divorced from daily work. [11]

According to Escriva, the foundation of Opus Dei's spirituality is what he calls "divine filiation," an awareness of being at his very core a child of God, who therefore should have a "supernatural outlook."

Opus Dei's spirituality commits lay people to sanctify themselves in the same place where they were before they met Opus Dei. Even more, Opus Dei supporters say, their place in the world is the means for their sanctification. (Rodriguez et al 1994) "Our cell is the street," Escriva used to say. The spiritual family of people who receive the vocation to spread God's specific message will have to receive pastoral care within an organization and collaborate with its apostolic work. (Fuenmayor et al 1996; Berglar 1994, p. 301-326)

For another exposition of these main teachings, see the Opus Dei website [12]. See also Holiness and the World: Studies in the Teachings of Blessed Josemariá, 1997), specially the article of moral theologian Prof. William May [13]).

A personal prelature of the Catholic Church

In his constitutional document Ut sit establishing Opus Dei as a personal prelature, Pope John Paul II said that Opus Dei was founded through Escrivá in 1928 "by divine inspiration." The prelature was given a double purpose: (1) to form and assist its members to respond to their vocation and personal commitment to practice a demanding Christian life, and (2) to spread God's specific message that all Christians are called to holiness and apostolate in the middle of the world by virtue of their baptism, emphasizing the sanctifying value of ordinary work. [14] (Fuenmayor et al 1996, Rodriguez et al 1994)

According to canon law scholars, this canonical structure was considered consistent with what they call "essential" characteristics of Opus Dei: the organization is international in scope, under one head, includes both clergy and laity working as one with no distinctions of class of membership between them. It is for men and women who are common laity or secular priests. Being a part of the Church's hierarchical structure which can incorporate into itself people with its special vocation establishes Opus Dei as a part of the Church itself, and not a mere product of voluntary association. (Fuenmayor et al 1996, p. 34-41)

According to these same scholars, because of the novelty of Opus Dei's characteristics and the inadequacy of available legal structures in the Church at the time of its foundation, it took many years of twists and turns (1928-1982) before Opus Dei was granted the legal framework that would fit its foundational idea. And so it was on November 28, 1982, that Catholic Church established Opus Dei as personal prelature, a framework envisioned in Vatican II, saying that it is "perfectly suited to Opus Dei." [15] See also [16].

Like dioceses and military ordinariates, personal prelatures are under the governance of the Congregation for Bishops, for they take charge of lay people with its own secular clergy and prelate, unlike the religious orders which are under the Congregation for the Religious, because they take charge of nuns, monks, friars, religious priests, and lay orders which follow religious practices.

Like the military ordinariates, personal prelatures take care of persons with some particular objectives, wherever these persons might be, unlike the diocese which are in charge of territories of Catholic faithful.

The authority of the Opus Dei prelate over the organization's members is restricted to their spiritual and apostolic commitments in pursuit of the prelature's mission. The work of the prelature and the dioceses are not meant to conflict. As Catholic faithful whose vocation is to sanctify their ordinary situation both civil and ecclesial, the lay members of Opus Dei "continue to be faithful of the dioceses...and are, therefore, under the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop in what the law lays down for all the ordinary faithful," in the words of the Apostolic Constitution Ut Sit. [17]

Vocation and membership

The Vatican Yearbook indicates that Opus Dei has 85,000 members about 1,900 of whom are priests. Members are distributed geographically as follows: Africa 1600; Asia and the Pacific 4700; Americas, North and South 29,000; Europe 48,700.

It is said that they have "one vocation", because they are called to "have the same apostolic goal...practice the same spirit and ascetical means." (Statutes 6. See Ocariz in Opus Dei in the Church p. 113). Because of this "oneness of vocation," Opus Dei purportedly says that it has "a Christian family atmosphere": family warmth, simplicity, confidence, spirit of service among the members. For some this terminology of having "one vocation" is mainly a way of saying that Opus Dei is one organization, as contrasted with traditional Catholic Religious Familes, which are confederations of different organizations with similar charisms and/or founders.

As they are not religious nor consecrated persons like the clergy, the lay members of Opus Dei are incorporated into the prelature by means of private contracts and not vows. To be incorporated in to the prelature, one must freely ask to do so, convinced that he has received a vocation. The request is made in writing and has to be accepted by the prelature's authorities. Admission is granted after a minimum of six months. After an additional period of at least one year, the person can be temporarily incorporated into the prelature through a formal declaration of a contractual nature, which is renewable yearly. After a minimum of five more years, the incorporation can become definitive.

According to the official literature, "there are no categories of membership in Opus Dei....There are, however, different ways of living that same Christian vocation, according to different circumstances." These differentiating circumstances especially refer to the degree of their availability to be involved in the prelature's formational and apostolic tasks. (See Thierry 1975)

Opus Dei additionally has many "cooperators," these are non-members who assist its activities through prayer, donations, or other means. Among these cooperators, Opus Dei says, there are some who are not Catholic, or not even Christian, e.g. Lutherans, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims. Religious communities as a whole can also be appointed as cooperators.

Supernumeraries

Most of the members are supernumeraries (currently about 70% of total). Generally they are married men or women, for whom the sanctification of their family duties is the "most important business," in the words of the Escriva. Supernumeraries are the least available for the formational tasks but assist in them as their circumstances permit. Married or unmarried, they live wherever they want. Theirs is not a second class membership.

The rest of the members are men and women who commit themselves to celibacy.

Numeraries

Numeraries, who comprise less than 20% of the membership, live in celibacy so as to be totally available to the formational tasks of the prelature. The term numerary is taken from Spanish and Latin American academe and government. Numeraries in Opus Dei consider Opus Dei as their family, to which they devote all their earnings. As a general rule, they live in Opus Dei centers. Most of them have secular jobs, but for some their professional work is to direct the apostolic activities of Opus Dei. The numeraries are the primary givers of spiritual direction to the rest of the membership.

Cilice - Mortification belt used by many Catholic organizations, especially monastic orders

In addition to the practice of celibacy, the numerary members follow practices of mortification of the flesh. (See below for more information on these practices).

It is generally from the numeraries that the prelate calls men to the priesthood. When a man becomes a numerary, he does so with the willingness to consider becoming a priest if the prelate should ever ask him. A male numerary may also ask to pursue ordination.

Associates

Associates also live in celibacy, but they typically do not live in Opus Dei facilities. Their personal circumstances do not permit them to be as available to the prelature's work as a numerary. The prelate can also ask them to become priests; they are free to decline.

Numerary assistants

There is another type of member among the women of Opus Dei called "numerary assistant". They practice celibacy and attend to the domestic needs of the centers of Opus Dei, both for the men and for the women. Since there is only one vocation, they are equal to the rest of the membership. And because of the importance of material things in transmitting the "incarnate" Christianity of Opus Dei, Escriva used to call their work as "the apostolate of apostolates."

Priestly Society of the Holy Cross

This is an association of clergy intrinsically united to Opus Dei which they say promotes brotherhood among priests and their personal sanctification. It is made up first of all of the clergy of the prelature who are automatically members. Secondly, it is made up of diocesan priests and deacons. The prelate of Opus Dei is the president of the society.

To be admitted to this society, a secular priest should be convinced that he has been called to sanctify his priestly work according to the spirit of Opus Dei. This spirit involves obedience and veneration for his bishop and unity with the members of the diocesan clergy.

These diocesan clergy of the Priestly Society are not incardinated into the presbyterate of the prelature. He depends solely on his bishop and just receives spiritual help from the Society to fulfill his priestly duties well. (Thierry 1975)

There are some 2000 deacons and priests, aside from the prelature's priests, who belong to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.

Formation

Opus Dei emphasises doctrinal formation, instruction in the revealed truths of the Catholic religion. Their founder taught: "Men, like fish, are caught by the head." The Vatican's Code of Particular Law for Opus Dei, known as its Statutes, states: "the instruction of the members is presented in a way that is in complete conformity with the Magisterium of the Church." (See Fuenmayor 1994; Messori 1997, p. 157)

Since all the members have received the same vocation, "being contemplatives in the middle of the world," they receive essentially the same doctrinal, theological formation, spiritual and ascetical formation (Escriva referred to having the "same cooking pot" for his children) whether they are men or women, young or old, university graduates or not, well-to-do or needy, laymen or priests. Their theological and philosophical formation include courses on the History of the Church, Christology, Sacraments, Liturgy, Metaphysics, and Anthropology. Numerary members receive a more intense formation due to their formational duties.

Spiritual and ascetical training is intended to develop the member's life of piety and to foster their practice of the human virtues. (See Romano 1995; Le Tourneau 2002) All their formation is geared towards teaching them to walk along the broad, expansive road of Catholicism, with maximum pluralism ("There are no dogmas in temporal matters" says Escriva), but always being consistent with their faith: "Nonsectarianism. Neutrality. Those old myths that always try to seem new. Have you ever bothered to think how absurd it is to leave one's Catholicism aside on entering a university, or a professional association, or a scholarly meeting, or Congress, as if you were checking your hat at the door?" [18]

Novelty of doctrine

A number of historians of theology and Church officials have said that Opus Dei has an innovative and revolutionary theological doctrine and anthropology, teachings which will have a decisive influence in the future of the Church and the world. (Badrinas 1992; Berglar 1994, p. 189) These attempt to provide ordinary people, the great bulk of the world-wide Church, a "truly lay spirituality" which can take them to heights of sanctity, and not just a religious spirituality applied to lay people. Its teaching on the universal call to sanctity, a doctrine which was half-forgotten for most of Christian history, has become a leitmotif of contemporary Christianity. (Illanes 1982) Cardinals and Vatican observers have called Escrivá a "precursor of Vatican II," an Ecumenical Council which made this teaching one of its centerpieces. (Berglar 1994, Orlandis 1993, Rodriguez et al 1994; see also article written by Cardinal Luciani aka John Paul I:[19])

In the work of spreading this message marked by novelty, Opus Dei faced challenges, misunderstandings and controversies, leading some observers of religious phenomena to see Opus Dei as a "sign of contradiction." (See [20]; O'Connor 1991, p. 1993)

Some traditionalist observers, especially during the 1940's when the organization was starting to develop, condemned Opus Dei's teachings as "a heresy," for saying that ordinary laity can be holy without the protection of cloisters and the support given by public vows and some distinctive clothing like habits.

Allegations of ultra-conservatism

On the other hand, Opus Dei has been criticized, by both secular and non-Catholic religious groups, for promoting an overly conservative or reactionary vision of the Roman Catholic faith.

Some analysts of the contemporary world also say, according to Opus Dei supporters and Church officials, that conservative is mainly and originally a political category which is misapplied when linked to religious, moral, or intellectual matters. These should be categorized as either faithful or heretical, good or evil, true or false. (Messori 1997, Weigel 1999) Opus Dei supporters refer to the present prelate, Bishop Javier Echevarria who said that "apart from that political context, one could say that everything in the Church is 'conservative,' for it conserves and passes on the Gospel of Christ...Similarly, everything in the Church is 'progressive' because she looks toward the future, puts faith in young people, seeks no privileges, is close to the poor and the needy. And so, Opus Dei is conservative and progressive like everything in the Church, neither more nor less." [21]

Feminist criticism

Critics in Ireland, including some ex-Opus Dei members, accused the organisation of 'sexist exploitation' of women, whom they claimed were restricted in Opus Dei run hostels to doing manual work such as cooking and cleaning and denied any role in leadership.

In response, supporters say that men and women are equal in Opus Dei, with half the leadership positions being held by women.

Radical demands on members and allegations of being a cult

One of Escriva's favorite teachings was the biblical injunction on loving God with one's whole heart, soul and might, a love which does not keep back anything, a kind of love which parents are supposed to transmit all day long to their children (Deut 6:4-9), and which Christ said is the "greatest commandment." (Mt 22:37-40) [22] "Christian faith and calling affect our whole existence, not just a part of it," he said in one of his published homilies. "Our relations with God necessarily demand giving ourselves, giving ourselves completely." [23] This, for Escriva is the "good use of freedom, when it finds its true meaning...put in the service of the truth which redeems" [[24]

According to Opus Dei supporters, these teachings are Christ's who demanded it from all his disciples. Jesus "asks for a radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything. (Mt 13:44-45; 22:1-14)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 546). They also refer to John Paul II who emphasized that Catholics should proclaim God's Word "without ever hiding the most radical demands of the Gospel message." (Novo Millennio Ineunte 40)

Due to the radical demands of Opus Dei, some critics accuse it of acting as a religious cult within the Church.

They suggest that Opus Dei shows characteristic cult behavior such as:

aggressive recruitment methods - includes love bombing techniques, monitoring of members' recruitment efforts, formation of recruitment teams and strategies
undue pressure to join - vocational crises are staged; threats are issued: saying no to a calling leads to a life of misery
lack of informed consent on the part of the new recruits - they vaguely commit themselves to a certain "spirit of the Work"
encouraging members to relinquish contact with their friends and families in favour of contacts within the group
controlling the environment of the member; loss of freedom of the members
threatening members when they try to leave. The strongest form of threat is the threat of condemnation. ie it is not a physical but psychological threat.
making members focus on efforts in favor of the growth of the group. The most important job for an Opus Dei member is to attract other people to become members too. His social life, the circles that he frequents, the kinds of people he tries to become a friend of, is always geared towards proselytism.
requiring numerary members to perform what critics view as highly suspicious practices such as mortification of the flesh, involving the use of the cilice and the discipline [25]; its founder is frequently alleged by critics to have whipped himself until there was blood on the walls. In his writings, he stated: "Blessed be pain. Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. . . Glorified be pain!" (The Way, point 208)

(See Opus Dei Awareness Network, Inc. an organization "founded in 1991 to meet the growing demand for accurate information about Opus Dei and to provide education, outreach and support to people who have been adversely affected by Opus Dei." "ODAN has been in contact with countless individuals, families, the secular and religious press, clergy, religious, cult awareness organizations, campus ministers, home-schooling parents and more." ODAN has the support of former members of Opus Dei and their parents. It provides a venue for people who left Opus Dei to discuss their views. [26])

A sociologist and doctor in law, Alberto Moncada, a former member of Opus Dei who was Pro-Rector of an Opus Dei related university in Latin America, says that Opus Dei is an "intraecclesial" sect, because for the Vatican "radical rightist groups and fundamentalisms are tolerated." (See "Catholic Sects: Opus Dei" in Revista Internacional de Sociologia, Madrid 1992). Critics argue that Opus Dei is indeed a sect. Dr. John Roche, a lecturer at Linacre College, Oxford stated "I am convinced Opus Dei is a sect, a cult, a malignant growth upon the body of the church." A Belgian Parliamentary Commission Report of the 28th of April 1997 officially classified Opus as a sect.

Opus Dei responses to cult accusations

There are basically two ways of looking at the accusation of cult status: One from the point of view of the Church and the other from the point of view of social scientists.

Opus Dei objections to being labeled as a cult or sect from the Catholic viewpoint include:

Church officials, like Cardinal Schönborn, editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, say that: "Nobody needs to have studied theology to recognize the basic contradiction in the slogan 'sects within the Church'; ...From a theological and ecclesiastical point of view, a group is considered a sect when it is not recognized by the relevant Church authority." L'Osservatore Romano, 13/20 August 1997.
While some individual members do commit mistakes in the process of winning new vocations to the Work, Opus Dei supporters say that diligence in the apostolate follows the radical demands of baptism as understood by the Church: "The Christian vocation is, of its nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well." (Catechism of the Catholic Church 863)
Berglar says that he cannot understand "why parents will allow a teenager the decision to drop out of religion class, but not the decision to serve God and the Church. The time-tested experience of the Church is, indeed, that a young person can generally recognize the signs of a divine vocation and at least begin to pursue it." He referred to many famous figures who lived in a saintly way at a young age and were canonized. (Berglar 1993, p 164) According to Opus Dei and Church rules, new members must be adults aged 18 or over. Before people are admitted, they are taught about the teachings of Escriva on free, total self-giving, obedience and mortification. They are also asked if they understand the demands and if they are deciding with full freedom. (Berglar 1994, Messori 1997)
According to Opus Dei supporters, parents "must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus: 'He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.' (Mt 10:37)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2232) At the same time Opus Dei teaches that the fourth commandment is the "the most sweet precept" which should be compatible with the priorities set by the first commandment.
Many experts in the history of Christianity affirm that the practice of mortification of the flesh exists in other Catholic organizations and even other religions, and have been taken up throughout the Church's history by many prominent saints, Saint Thomas More perhaps being the nearest example, due to his being a lay Christian and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, one of our contemporaries. Certain philosophers and theologians say that the modern-day perplexity over mortification of the flesh is rooted in secularism, a skepticism towards God, religion and supernatural realities. Secularists find it difficult to understand what John Paul II calls "the need for suffering" out of supernatural reasons. He explains in his Apostolic Letter on the Salvific Meaning of Suffering that "suffering, more than anything else, makes the powers of the redemption present." And understanding this is "a source of joy." [27]. (See Wikipedia article for a historical and theological study on mortification of the flesh)

Opus Dei supporters also cite the following sociological objections to their being labeled a cult:

The term "cult" has been subjected to strenuous criticism in recent decades by some social scientists who argue that the label is often little more than a pejorative term for religious groups that fail to sufficiently conform to a given society's values. Some cite the analysis of CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, an international organization of scholars from leading universities devoted to the study of new religious forms: "the category of 'cults' used by these [anti-cult activists's] documents is unscholarly and not acceptable. Methodologically, it is clear that these [anti-cult] reports rely primarily on sources supplied by the international anti-cult movement, and accept uncritically the brainwashing or mind control model of conversion, a model unanimously rejected by mainline sociological and psychological science." [28] (See also the investigation done by Vittorio Messori (1997) and the study done by Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR on Opus Dei and the anti-cult movement. Introvigne refers to the laicist roots of the anti-cult activists who cannot tolerate "il ritorno del religioso," the return of the religious.[29])
Some contemporary observers of social trends have suggested that many of the criticisms and allegations against Opus Dei are connected to an anti-Catholic bias, whereby the Catholic Church itself is tagged as a cult. According to these authors, anti-catholicism is the "last acceptable prejudice" in the western world. This approach assumes that western civilization finds other prejudices no longer so acceptable, such as discrimination against women, Jews, African-Americans and gays. (See Jenkins 2003 and Massa 2003; also [30])

Other criticisms

Aside from the criticisms on Opus Dei's doctrine and its perceived cult-like behavior, many criticize Pope John Paul II's rapid canonization of the organization's controversial founder.

There are many who criticize Escriva's lightning canonization in 2002. They argue that the whole process was plagued by irregularities. Kenneth Woodward, a journalist and an insider, found that the ‘Devil’s advocate’ system was bypassed and witnesses hostile to Opus were not called. Opus claims that eleven critics of Escriva’s canonisation were heard, but Woodward says there was only one. The "consultors" were mainly Italian and members of Opus. This stopped Escriva’s many critical Spanish peers upsetting the procedure. But it also broke the convention that "consultors" should be the fellow countrymen of the proposed saint. Opus argued that Escriva was too "international" to need this. Furthermore, wealthy Opus is alleged to have pressurised "hundreds" of Bishops, especially from the cash-hungry third world, to send favourable reports to Rome’s saintmakers. It is alleged that 1300 Bishops sent in glowing reports. Yet of these only 128 had personally met Escriva. There are also allegations that Opus tightly restricted the Canonisation material, even within the Vatican.

The late Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, issued a set of "Guidelines for Opus Dei within the Diocese of Westminster" in December, 1981. Some read these as implicit criticism of Opus Dei, although others point to the fact that Cardinal Hume was the principal celebrant at Opus Dei's 70th anniversary Mass in London (October 1998) by way of evidence that the cardinal and the organization enjoyed good relations. The latter also refer to his homily. [31]
Some traditionalists or ultraconservatives criticize Opus Dei's support for the Second Vatican Council's teachings on ecumenism and the role of the laity in the Church.
Others object to the nature of the foreign missions that it has undertaken, such as the one located in the Mountains of Yauyos in Peru.

Activities and work

The largest part of the apostolic activity of the prelature is what the individual members do with their friends and colleagues in their respective communities and places of work or what people nowadays call the grassroots. Collective formative activities consist of religious retreats and classes in Catholic doctrine.

Its members also undertake many social initiatives: Opus Dei operates several hospitals, clinics, schools, and inner-city tutoring programs. For example, in the United States, members operate one college and five secondary schools, and tutoring programs in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.. The U.S. National Headquarters is in 243 Lexington Avenue (Lexington Avenue & E. 34th Street) New York.

For more information regarding corporate works of Opus Dei and apostolic initiatives of members of Opus Dei all over the world, please see [32].

Opus Dei's self-perceived role in society

Members of Opus Dei know that the Catholic Church, through the laity, has a mission of Christianizing society and the whole temporal order. Responding to the Christian vocation, they strive to put the Christian imprint of love, justice and professional excellence in their workplace and in the society where they live. (Le Tourneau 2002)

"Out of a hundred souls, we are interested in one hundred," said Escriva, for indeed people, whether they are poor or rich, continue to be people. Since the Work started among the friends of Escriva in the university and realizing the immense impact of the intellectuals on people's mode of behavior, one of Opus Dei's priority apostolate for the evangelization of society is the apostolate of culture. (Fuenmayor 1994, Messori 1997, p.110-111)

Sanctification of work

P. Berglar, a German, said that Escriva's advice, "Sanctify your work, sanctify yourself in your work, and sanctify others through your work," is "the shortest and most popular definition of Opus Dei's spirit." Berglar calls this "an epigrammatic trinity." (1994, p. 265)

So that this sanctification can take place, the Opus Dei prelature provides "professional formation" for its faithful. This formation stresses the following: hardwork, study, cultural and professional development, human warmth and refinement in interpersonal relations, ethical behavior, prudence, honesty, social responsibility, respect for freedom and pluralism, not making use of the Church for one's gain, and the priority of prayer. (Le Tourneau 2002, Romano 1995)

Allegations of secrecy

Opus Dei has been alleged to function as a secret society. There have been rumours that some senior members of the U.S. judiciary and FBI are Opus Dei members. (This may be based on the fact that former FBI director Louis Freeh's brother is known to have belonged to Opus Dei.) Contrary to some other Catholic organizations in which all the teachings and writings of the founder are public, in Opus Dei there is a body of teachings, norms, and writings that are restricted to its members and are not public; even between members, there are different levels of the literature that they have access to. For example, the teachings and instructions for numeraries would not be available to supernumeraries, et cetera, much less to the general public. (See Walsh 1989)

Like some other Catholic organizations, dioceses and many private groups, Opus Dei does not in general comment on who is or is not a member, out of respect for their privacy. The prelature maintains that it "has no right to communicate the fact of membership if the person in question does not permit it. To confuse this with 'secrecy' is to be unwilling to recognize the standard practice of any organization with voluntary contracts," since Opus Dei members are incorporated by private bilateral contracts and not by public vows. (Gomez Perez 1992)

Like members of private clubs, the faithful of Opus Dei's membership is known by their relatives and close friends. Membership of public personalities can be known by the person's own public declaration of his private links. See also: List of prominent members of Opus Dei.

Political pluralism and Opus Dei

Opus Dei claims that it takes no side in politics. "Respect for its members' freedom is an essential condition for Opus Dei's very existence," said Escriva. "If Opus Dei had been involved in politics, even for an instant," he once wrote, "in that moment of error I would have left Opus Dei." (Le Tourneau 1989, p. 49)

Purportedly, among the inviolable and perpetual rules Escriva set up to ensure that the essential condition of the organization's life is fulfilled is this: "Each faithful of the Prelature enjoys the same liberties as other Catholic citizens in what concerns professional activity, social, political doctrines, etc. The authorities of the Prelature, however, must abstain from giving any counsel in matters of this nature. Therefore this full liberty can be diminished only by the norms that apply to all Catholics and are established by the bishop or Bishop's Conference." (Statutes 88.3) After investigating into the actual implementation of these rules and spirit, Messori concludes that (1) the members of Opus Dei receive nothing else but spiritual advice, (2) they do not operate as a herd in political affairs, but (3) consider respect for pluralism in matters of faith one way of obeying a central conviction of the founder. (See Messori 1997, p. 175)

Allegations of far-right links

Critics, however, say that there are links between Opus Dei and right-wing organizations, and point to a letter written on May 23, 1958 by Escrivá to Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain who was assisted by Nazi Germany into power. They also say that Escriva supported Franco. On the other hand, members of Opus Dei say that the letter of Escrivá (written 8 years after the US, the UN and Allies recognized Franco) shows his exemplary virtues as a citizen and a Catholic priest, as he says: "Although alien to any political activity, I cannot help but rejoice as a priest and Spaniard" that Spain's Head of State should proclaim that Spain accepts the law of God according to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, a faith which will inspire its legislation. Escriva tells him that "It is in fidelity to our people's Catholic tradition that the best guarantee of success in acts of government, the certainty of a just and lasting peace within the national community.... will always be found." According to supporters, by saying this Escriva was encouraging Franco (together with hundreds of Spaniards who wrote to Franco) to respect human rights, human dignity and freedom. They say that Escriva acknowledge Franco's role in bringing peace to the country but he totally rejected any form of clericalism whereby Catholics have a single-party mentality or use public power as a secular arm. Supporters also refer to an immediate correction given by Escriva to Franco when one of the numeraries was insulted by the regime as "a person without a family." (del Portillo 1996, p. 25-28) On the other hand, critics say that the Catholic Church, of which Escriva was a member, was a bulwark of the Franco regime, notwithstanding the dictatorship's unceremonious dispatch of some 50,000 souls to another world in the years of brutal repression following the Spanish Civil War.

The Unofficial Opus Dei Webpage says: Wladimir Felzmann, an ex-opus dei member tells about a talk with Escriva: after he (Escriva) insisted that with Hitler's help the Franco government has saved Christianity from the communism he added: "Hitler against the Jews, Hitler against the Slavs, this means Hitler against communism" - a statement that did not bar the way to subsequent sainthood. An article in the Telegraph also reports that Felzmann heard Escriva say to him, "Vlad, Hitler couldn't have been such a bad person," the Father apparently said. "He couldn't have killed six million. It couldn't have been more than four million." [33]

According to supporters, the one oral testimony regarding the supposed sympathies of Escriva towards Hitler is negated by various documented testimonies of non-members and members who state that Escriva vigorously condemned Hitler, whom he called "an obssessed man, a rogue and tyrant." He also condemned Nazism for being a "heresy," "anti-Christian," "pagan," "totalitarian," "a political aberration," and "racist." He was very sad for Nazi persecution against the Christians and the Jews: "one victim is enough to condemn it," he said. (Urbano 1995, p. 118-199) He condemned it,even going against Spain's public and official attitude of keeping silent about Nazism, despite the Holy See's condemnation of Hitler's ideology. Thus, del Portillo said that the attacks against the founder of Opus Dei is "a patent falsehood," part of "a slanderous campaign." (del Portillo 1996, p. 22-25) Various Jewish officials also came out publicly to Escriva's defense, for he is well known for having many times told people, Jewish and non-Jewish, that the persons he loves most are Jews: Jesus and Mary.

Critics say that several Opus Dei members were appointed ministers in General Francisco Franco's government, and the organization had relations with the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The fact that no fewer than 12 of the 19 ministers in Franco's 1969 cabinet belonged to Opus Dei is evidence of the organization's penetration into the highest echelons of Spain's Fascist regime. Others note the origins of Opus Dei itself and the decision of its founder, Escrivá de Balaguer, to flee first to France during the Spanish Civil War and then to join the insurgent generals in Burgos, then capital for the rebels seeking to overthrow Spain's democratically-elected government. It is worth noting that Opus Dei's first offices in Madrid were in the same building as the Ministry of the Interior. This was an unlikely coincidence, given Opus Dei's ambitions to play a political role similar to that of the Spanish Inquisition under Felipe II in vetting the ideological reliability of those considered for high public office.

To cite the ministers who served under Franco as proof of the link between fascism and Opus Dei, is, according to Prof. Berglar, a gross calumny. First, because as hardworking professionals striving after excellence, many Opus Dei members had the personal qualifications to be appointed in government. Secondly, this shows a "naïve" view of the dictator as a "fascist bogeyman." The Spanish government under the Generalissimo is more of "an authoritarian, clerical-minded technocracy." However, Vincenç Navarro - Full Professor of Political Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain) - draws a very different conclusion in his paper titled Franquismo o Facismo (Franquism or Fascism). He argues that the studious avoidance of the word "Fascism" in the country to describe the Franco regime is because the class wielding power under the dictatorship continues to do so in modern Spain. This interpretation is objected to by Opus Dei supporters since the Socialists have been in power for many decades. Supporters also say that there is no evidence that Opus Dei had relations with Pinochet. All the allegations, according to them, are hearsay.

Messori (who according to supporters is not a member of Opus Dei) also states that there were only 8 members of Opus Dei (5 of whom served for only one term or but a few months) of the 116 ministers under Franco's regime, and they started serving only after 1956, a few years after the Allies recognized it. There was no Opus Dei member in his last cabinet. They were never a majority: "The myth of an Opus Dei dominated Franco government is just that--a myth" (Messori 1997, p. 30)(Berglar 1994, p. 186).

A number of historians say that there were members who were sentenced to prison or left Spain under Franco because they did not agree with the politics of Franco and his regime (See Opus Dei: Prominent Members) Falangists, the main political organization supporting Franco, suspected Escrivá of "internationalism, anti-Spainish sentiment, and freemasonry," according to Berglar, who states that "during "the first decade of Franco's regime, Opus Dei and Escrivá were attacked with perseverance bordering on fanaticism, not by enemies but by supporters of the new Spanish state". Escrivá was even reported to the 'Tribunal for the Fight against Freemasonry.'" (Berglar 1994, p.180-181; see also Vasquez de Prada 1997). On the other hand, according to critics, P.Berglar's membership of Opus Dei and the organization's strenuous attempts to deny its links with the regime following Franco's death both throw doubt on this interpretation.

Moreover, aside from those working on the right side of the political spectrum, there are numerous Opus Dei members in many others parts of the world, e.g. Latin America, Europe, Asia, who are involved in left-wing politics and organizations: labor unions, left-of-center political parties, organizations working for the marginalized, poverty alleviation and reduction programs, etc. It is impossible for all of them to be herded into one political agenda.

History

Timeline

1902: January 9. Birth of the founder, Josemaria Escriva, in Basbastro Spain
1917: Escriva received "inklings" of a special call, after seeing "footprints in the snow," sign of the generosity of a monk who walked barefooted in winter
1925: March 28. Escriva is ordained as a priest
1928: October 2. Founding of Opus Dei. Having "no plans nor project" of his own, Escriva "saw Opus Dei." "On this day," he wrote, "our Lord started his Work. He founded Opus Dei"
1930: February 14. Founding of the Women's branch of Opus Dei. Against his personal opinion, Escriva was shown that women belong to Opus Dei
1933: The first center of Opus Dei was opened in Madrid: Derecho y Arquitectura, an academy teaching law and architecture. This would later become a residence for students, the base for giving catechesis to children and for taking care of the poor and sick in the area.
1936: Start of Spanish Civil War which unleashed an aggressive religious persecution
1939: The Way, Escriva's best-selling spiritual considerations, was first published. Opus Dei started to expand to other cities outside of Madrid.
1941: Opus Dei is granted first diocesan approval by the Bishop of Madrid, who told its detractors that the Opus (the Work) is truly Dei (of God)
1943: February 14. Founding of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, an organization for the sanctification of secular priests through their pastoral work. According to Escriva, God showed him during Mass the juridical solution to enable priests to be ordained for Opus Dei.
1946: Beginning of Opus Dei in Portugal, Italy, and England. Escriva moves to Rome to establish the headquarters of Opus Dei there ("All with Peter to Jesus through Mary") and prepare for final recognition
1949: Opus Dei spreads overseas. It starts in Mexico and the United States
1950: June 16. Opus Dei is given final and complete approval by Pius XII
1958: October 28. John XXIII is elected Pope
1962: Start of the Second Vatican Council, which proclaimed the universal call to holiness and initiates the legal framework called the personal prelature
1963: June 21. Paul VI is elected Pope.
1972: Start of international catechetical trips of Escriva
1975: June 26. Death of the founder. Alvaro del Portillo, his closest associate, was elected as his successor. At the end of Escriva's life, there were 60,000 members of Opus Dei from 80 nationalities.
1978: August 28. John Paul I is elected Pope, dies 33 days later on September 28
1978: October 16. John Paul II is elected Pope
1982: November 28. Establishment of Opus Dei as personal prelature. John Paul II appoints del Portillo as prelate.
1985: Inauguration of Roman Academic Center of the Holy Cross which in 1998 would become the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
1991 January 6. John Paul II ordained the Prelate, Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo, as bishop
1992: May 17. Beatification of the founder. One third of the world's bishops asked for the beatification. Many referred to the biblical logic: "by their fruits you shall know them." The Pope said during the Beatification Mass: "With supernatural intuition, Bl. Josemaria preached untiringly the universal call to holiness and apostolate"
1994: Msgr. Javier Echevarria is appointed by John Paul II as the second successor of Escriva after the death of del Portillo
2002: October 6. Canonization of the founder. John Paul II calls him "the saint of the ordinary"

(See Berglar 1994, p. 202, 327-330, passim; Coverdale 2002, Vasquez de Prada 1999 and other biographies)

Support of Popes and other Church leaders

Throughout Opus Dei's history, Church authorities have been supportive of its work of formation and its mission to promote the universal call to holiness.

John XXIII lauded Opus Dei and said on 5 March 1960 that it opens up "unsuspected horizons of apostolate." Paul VI said that the Work is "an expression of the perennial youth of the Church." (Handwritten letter to Msgr. Josemaria Escrivá de Balaguer, October 1, 1964)

John Paul I said just before the start of his brief papacy that Escrivá's teachings are "radical; he goes as far as talking about "materializing" --in a good sense-- the quest for holiness. For him, it is the material work itself which must be turned into prayer and sanctity." [34]

John Paul II was a strong supporter of Opus Dei and said that Opus Dei "has as its aim the sanctification of one’s life, while remaining within the world...This is truly a great ideal, which right from the beginning has anticipated the theology of the lay state, which is a characteristic mark of the Church of the Council and after the Council." [35] He established Opus Dei as a Personal Prelature in 1982 and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 1990, and canonized its founder in 2002. During the canonization, there were 42 cardinals and 470 bishops from around the world, general superiors of many orders and religious congregations, and representatives of various Catholic groups. One-third of the world's bishops (an unprecedented number) petitioned for the canonization of Escriva. (Messori 1997). However, Opus Dei's critics allege numerous irregularities in the canonisation process and the use of the organization's copious funds to buy support.

Benedict XVI, three years before becoming Pope, said "the theocentrism of Escrivá...means this confidence in the fact that God is working now and we ought only to put ourselves at his disposal...This, for me, is a message of greatest importance. It is a message that leads to overcoming what could be considered the great temptation of our times: the pretense that after the 'big bang' God retired from history."

References and readings

Writings of the founder

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Studies about Opus Dei: monographs

. ISBN 0933932650. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- The official story of Opus Dei based on the life story and work of its founder written by Dr. Berglar, a professor of history at the University of Cologne and published by Scepter, an Opus Dei publishing house
. ISBN 0852441363. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- a French scholar's authoritative synthesis
. ISBN 0895264501. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- an investigation (Una indagine, the original Italian title) done by a famous journalist who interviewed John Paul II in Crossing the Threshold of Hope
. ISBN 0818907398. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- a study of an Italian essayist
. ISBN 8432128929. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- University Professor of Anthropology explains various aspects of Opus Dei
. ISBN 0949773751. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- a 5-year research in 10 countries conducted by a senior journalist and deputy editor of the Australian
{{cite book}}: Empty citation (help) -- the first serious study on Opus Dei to be published, written by a prolific French journalist, a Laureate of the Academie Francaise whose works have been translated to four languages
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Theological and juridical studies

. ISBN 1851822216. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- two canonists and a theologian study the juridical nature and history of Opus Dei
. ISBN 1851821708. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- an ecclesiological and theological study of Opus Dei
{{cite book}}: Empty citation (help)-- collection of contributions to a theological symposium; contributors include Ratzinger, del Portillo, Cottier, dalla Torre, Ocariz, Illanes, Aranda, Burggharf and an address by John Paul II
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History and biography

Jose Orlandis, History of the Catholic Church, Four Courts Press, 1993. ISBN 1-85182-125-2 -- highlights of Church history
George Weigel, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, Harpercollins, 1999. ISBN 006018793X
Andres Vasquez de Prada: The Founder of Opus Dei. The Life of Josemaria Escrivá, Scepter Publishers 1997.
John Coverdale: Uncommon Faith: The Early Years of Opus Dei (1928-1943), Scepter Publications, 2002. ISBN 188933474X

Memoirs

Alvaro del Portillo, Cesare Cavalleri, Immersed in God: Blessed Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei As Seen by His Successor, Bishop Alvaro Del Portillo, Scepter Publishers 1996 ISBN 0933932855
. ISBN 0826410960. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) -- damning indictment of Opus Dei by a former high-flying member of the organization
B. Badrinas, ed., Testimonies on Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei, Sinag-tala 1992. – collection of some testimonies given by ecclesiastical officials which were used for the beatification process.
Pedro Casciaro, Dream and Your Dreams will Fall Short, Princeton 1998

Others

Francis Fernandez: In Conversation with God, Scepter Publications, 1993. ISBN 0906138191 (7 volume set)
Michael Walsh: Opus Dei: An Investigation into the Secret Society Struggling for Power Within the Roman Catholic Church, Harper San Francisco, 1989. ISBN 0060692685
O'Connor, William: Opus Dei: An Open Book. A Reply to the Secret World of Opus Dei by Michael Walsh, Mercier 1991
Elaine Shannon and Ann Blackman, The Spy Next Door : The Extraordinary Secret Life of Robert Philip Hanssen, The Most Damaging FBI Agent in US History, Liittle Brown, 2002 ISBN 0-316-71821-1

External links

Catholic Church sites and sites supporting Opus Dei:

Sites critical of Opus Dei:

Opus Dei Awareness Network
The Unofficial Opus Dei FAQ
Opus Libros, created by alleged former Opus Dei numeraries (in Spanish)
Opus Dei: links, press reports, critical witnesses (in French)
Opus Dei in Brazil (in Portuguese)
Opus Dei - The Unofficial Homepage
The Rising Spectre - allegations from Ian Paisley's European Institute for Protestant Studies
Opus Dei: "International Jewish Conspiracy"
www.deepblacklies.co.uk
El poder del Opus Dei (in spanish)

Others