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Opus Dei

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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", or "God's Work") 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.

Introduction

Opus Dei has approximately 85,000 members in 60 countries, with central offices in Rome. It was erected as a Personal Prelature by Pope John Paul II in 1982, who also canonized its founder on October 6, 2002.

The aim of Opus Dei is "to contribute to [the] evangelizing mission of the Church by spreading the universal call to holiness;" 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." Many people have found this teaching remarkably coherent with the vision of the Second Vatican Council, which has stated 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."

Critics have described it as a secretive authoritarian organization that borders on being a religious cult with links to right-wing organizations worldwide. The organization is also controversial for its practices of mortification of the flesh. For details of these criticisms, see below.

Main teachings

Opus Dei's stated mission is one of proclamation and formation, i.e. Christian education. Escriva summarized the organization's role as "a great catechesis." The teachings of Opus Dei are essentially the doctrines of Roman Catholic Christianity incarnated by the laity: a lay spirituality suited to the circumstances of ordinary working people.

  • Divine filiation. This is the foundation of the lives of Christians: they are children of God. They then have a deep trust in God their Father who loves and sanctifies them, a sense of fraternity with all people made in His image, and a passion for the world which came from the hands of God.
  • Ordinary life. They are called to find God in daily life, following Jesus, the Son of God, who worked as a carpenter and lived as a son of an ordinary family in a small village for 30 years. "There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it." (Conversations with Msgr. Escriva, 114)
  • Sanctifying work. 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 "has done all things well." (Mk 7:37) By allowing God to transform them into another Christ, Christians can become saints and apostles right there where they work and live.
  • Love of freedom. The prelature of Opus Dei, according to Escriva, is an "unorganized organization," whose main function is to teach, train and form people. Each person is responsible for his free actions by which he shapes his own life. Thus, he should also respect the freedom of other persons and value their great dignity.
  • Prayer and sacrifice. Love of God, the essence of sanctity, is nurtured by constant prayer and mortification, especially those done through acts of virtue in their ordinary life, e.g. being hardworking, honest and cheerful despite difficulties and failures. "Do everything for Love. Thus there will be no little things: everything will be big...'Great' holiness consists in carrying out the 'little duties' of each moment." (The Way 813, 817) These actions are co-offered in the Sacrifice of the Mass, the same redeeming sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
  • Charity and apostolate. Christians give the highest importance to the virtue of charity: being understanding and caring for each person, and performing their family and social duties generously. They give the best to people when they try to bring them closer to God, source of the greatest joy and peace.
  • Unity of life. This term, which Escriva frequently used, describes the happy result in each person who practices these teachings: no double life; instead a life in the secular world consistent with the beauty of the Christian faith. "Any honorable work can be prayer and all prayerful work is apostolate. In this way the soul develops a unity of life, which is both simple and strong." (Christ is passing by, 10)

A longer exposition of these main teachings can be found in the Opus Dei website (http://www.opusdei.org/art.php?w=32&p=5397) and in the Opus Dei Information Handbook (see link below) under the heading "Spirit of Opus Dei."

Activities

Opus Dei states that its activities consist of "offer[ing] spiritual formation and pastoral care to its members, as well as to many others", via 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, it operates one college and five secondary schools, and tutoring programs in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. In Spain, Opus Dei founded Universidad de Navarra and in Mexico the Universidad Panamericana. In the Philippines the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise provides technical training to marginalized youth. In South America, especially in Venezuela, Opus Dei runs several schools and colleges in the most important cities in the country (Caracas, Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Maracay and Valencia). In these schools, there is an atmosphere of freedom, an educational environment conducive to the development of personal responsibility. Like most schools with particular cultures and traditions, it is not uncommon that there are some mandatory special activities outside of the necessary class hours. The spirit of Opus Dei and of Catholicism pervades the entire school system and structure.

Membership and practices

The Vatican Yearbook indicates that Opus Dei includes about 1,800 priests. The remainder of the 85,000 members are laypersons. Approximately a quarter of Opus Dei's members are "numeraries", who have committed themselves to celibacy in order to be more available for the organization's activities. The majority of the lay members are "supernumeraries", who are involved in Opus Dei's activities but do not make a commitment of celibacy. Opus Dei additionally has many "cooperators", who assist its activities through prayer, donations, or other means.

There are three types of members in the men's branch: numeraries, associates and supernumeraries. The distinction is in their availability to direct and assist in the apostolic activities of the prelature.

Numeraries

Numeraries are the most available. They live in celibacy and devote all their free time and money to Opus Dei. As a general rule, they live in Opus Dei centers. They receive intense training in the philosophy and theology of the Church. Most of them hold regular secular jobs, but for some their professional work is to direct the apostolic activities of Opus Dei or to hold an internal position in the governance of the prelature. For most of those who hold internal positions, this is a temporary situation. The numeraries are the primary givers of spiritual direction to the rest of the membership. They are at the disposal of the prelature and are ready to move wherever the prelature needs them.

Cilice - Opus Dei Mortification Belt

In addition to the practice of celibacy, the numerary members follow practices of mortification of the flesh. This has led some to criticize the organization and led others to compare it to a religious order. Opus Dei's supporters have said that these are all traditional Catholic practices that can be suitable for the lay state as well as religious orders, and that the organization's secular mentality and emphasis on living the Christian faith in the secular world distinguish it from a religious order.

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. However he always remains free to decline the invitation. A very important point is that he does not become a numerary with the intention of becoming a priest. Rather, he simply remains open to seriously considering the possibility if it is offered to him.

Associates

Associates are the next type of member, in order of availability. Associates are similar to numeraries, in that they 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 Opus Dei as a numerary, perhaps because they have an elderly parent they have to take care of, or they run a family business that would interfere with their ability to move to another city. There are a whole host of reasons they would be less available than a numerary. Associates also are involved in giving spiritual direction to other members of the prelature and to non-members, too. The prelate can also ask associate members to become priests. Like numeraries, they remain free to decline.

Supernumeraries

Supernumeraries are the third type of member. These are the least available to Opus Dei. Supernumeraries may be married or unmarried. They live wherever they want. Most of the members are supernumeraries. They assist with the apostolic aims of the prelature as their personal circumstances permit. Their vocation is the same of the associates and numeraries — it is not a second class membership. They nevertheless form the 'coal-face' of Opus Dei in that they epitomize fully the life of the Christian struggling to live sanctity in daily life be it in the family, the workplace or both. They may be less available for specific apostolic tasks but are expected to strive just as assiduously to support them through turning their work into prayer. Through their friendships with others, they strive to bring others closer to God. Sometimes this leads to people joining Opus Dei, although often it doesn't. Even so, the so-called 'apostolate of friendship' is fundamental to the charism of Opus Dei.

Supernumeraries' training is substantial, though less intensive than that of numeraries and associates.

Both the women's branch and the men's branch have numeraries, associates and supernumeraries, and they perform the same functions in each branch. While the women numeraries can't be ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood, they receive the same philosophical and theological training as the male numeraries.

Numerary assistants

There is another type of member in the women's branch called "numerary assistant". Numerary assistants attend to the domestic needs of the centers of Opus Dei, both for the men and for the women. They run Opus Dei's conference centers, and perform other essential duties such as cooking and maintaining accommodation.

Controversies

Critics say that there is evidence of several links between Opus Dei and right-wing organizations, particulary a famous letter from Escriva to Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain who was assisted by Nazi Germany into power. In this letter Escriva addresses Franco as "his Excellency", as he was Spain's head of state. Several Opus Dei members were appointed ministers in Franco's government. Conversely, there were members who were sentenced to prison or left Spain under Franco because they didn't agree with the politics of Franco and his regime. Moreover, there are numerous Opus Dei members in many parts of the world, e.g. Latin America, Europe, Asia, who are involved in left-wing organizations: labor unions, left-of-center political parties, etc.

There have also been numerous rumours about Opus Dei which appear to be conspiracy theories .

Allegations that Opus Dei is a secret society

Like most religious movements, Opus Dei does not in general comment on who is or is not a member. This has tended to create suspicion that Opus Dei functions as a secret society. There are persistent rumours that some senior members of the U.S. judiciary and FBI are Opus Dei members. The trial of FBI spy Robert Hanssen caused some controversy when it was revealed that he was an Opus Dei member.

The Italian parliament investigated Opus Dei in 1986 and cleared it of being a secret society. Church historians point out that the allegation of secrecy in Opus Dei stems from a misunderstanding that occured in Spain in the 1940's. Since Opus Dei members are but ordinary people who have taken their religion seriously, they did not wear any distinctive clothing like that of monks and priests who were the stereotype of Christian holiness at that time. This feature of "indistinguishability" of Opus Dei members from the common man has led to suspicions that they were camouflaging their identity for certain purposes. These suspicions later developed --and in some key places in the Iberian Peninsula they were deliberately propagated--as rumors that Opus Dei is a secret society.

Allegations of ultra-conservativism

Opus Dei has been criticized, by both secular and non-Catholic religious groups, for promoting an overly orthodox vision of the Roman Catholic faith. Opus Dei has also been accused of focusing on recruiting students from prestigious universities, who can then enter professions where they could influence public policy from an Opus Dei perspective. Others object to the humanitarian and spiritual relief missions that it has undertaken, such as the one located in the Mountains of Yauyos, Peru. 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 state that men and women are equal in Opus Dei, with half the leadership positions being held by women.

It is a fact that Opus Dei preaches total fidelity to the teachings of the Roman Catholic religion, since it believes that this fidelity (from the Latin fides faith) is an integral part of the Christian faith itself. According to analysts of the contemporary world, the propensity to apply political categories like "conservatism" and "liberalism" to religious phenomena is typical of secularist ideologies which do not see beyond the temporal sphere.

Moreover, historians of theology point to Opus Dei's radical and revolutionary theological doctrine and anthropology which have provided ordinary people a "truly lay spirituality" and not just an external religious spirituality applied to lay people. Its teaching on the universal call to sanctity has become a leitmotif of contemporary Christianity. Cardinals and Vatican observers have called Escriva a "precursor of Vatican II," an Ecumenical Council which made this teaching one of its centerpieces.

According to scholars of Canon Law, Opus Dei being an established prelature of the Church, i.e. an integral part of its hierarchical structure, cannot be said to be "ultra" or beyond-Church.

Allegations of being an independent church-within-the-Church and a clandestine monastic order

Many critics are saying that Opus Dei has been so much favored by the Vatican that it now enjoys a status whereby the Bishops no longer have control or at least have highly diminished control over Opus Dei members. It is also said that this situation is a break from years of church practice. Opus Dei is now like a "church-within-the-church". Other critics say that Opus Dei is a monastic order or a lay order with religious methods being applied clandestinely to penetrate secular society.

These allegations, according to canonists, are understandable given the novelty of the theological and canonical phenomenon of Opus Dei and its juridical classification as personal prelature. This novelty, which can even be confusing for well-meaning supporters, requires some clear step-by-step explanations.

As a personal prelature, Opus Dei has a prelate, clergy and laity who "cooperate organically" with each other.

Like dioceses and military ordinariates, personal prelatures are under the governance of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops, for they take charge of lay people, unlike the religious orders which are under the Sacred Congregation for the Religious, because they take charge of nuns, monks and friars.

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

As the military ordinariates are composed of lay people whose mission is to defend their country, the Opus Dei Prelature is composed of lay people whose mission in life is to proclaim that everyone is called holiness in their ordinary circumstances, wherever these may be.

As Catholic faithful whose vocation is to sanctify their ordinary situation both civil and ecclesial, the Opus Dei laity are therefore fully under the jurisdiction of their bishops in the dioceses where they reside, just like any other ordinary Catholic lay persons.


Allegations that Opus Dei is a cult

Some critics accuse Opus Dei of acting as a religious cult within the Church, stating that it shows characteristic cult behavior such as love bombing new recruits, encouraging members to relinquish contact with their friends and families in favour of contacts within the group, and threatening members when they try to leave. Members say this is completely false. They also point to the large number of people who have ceased to be directly involved with Opus Dei but still speak positively of the group.

Some supporters of Opus Dei also point out that the notion of "cult" has itself been subjected to strenuous criticism in recent decades by 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 organisation of scholars from leading universities which is devoted to the study of new religious forms:

"...when scholars are ignored or regarded as less reliable than anti-cult activists, serious mistakes are made...the category of "cults" used by these [anti-cult] 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. It is this methodology that should be exposed as faulty." [1]

Critics are often highly suspicious of practices such as mortification of the flesh, involving the use of the cilice and the discipline [2]; its founder is frequently alleged by critics to have whipped himself until there was blood on his walls (members do not imitate him in this). In his writings, he stated: "Blessed be pain. Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. . . Glorified be pain!" (The Way, 208).

However, these practices exist in other Catholic organizations, 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.

According to contemporary thinkers, specifically historians of philosophy, the modern-day perplexity over mortification of the flesh is rooted in secularism--an attitude or philosophy which denies the existence of God, heaven, grace and other supernatural realities. Modern secular man understands the self-sacrifice, the "no pain, no gain" attitudes of athletes, weight reducers and patients of cosmetic surgery to attain physical goals. However, because of the loss of the sense of the sacred and the eternal, he finds it difficult to understand "the need for suffering" for supernatural reasons. John Paul II expains this in his Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, on the salvific meaning of suffering. (See Wikipedia article on a historical and theological study on mortification of the flesh)

Contemporary observers of social trends have commented that several of the criticisms and allegations against Opus Dei, like mortification of the flesh, ultra-conservatism, proselytism, attempts to Christianize society, spirit of discipline and obedience, are connected to a prevalent anti-Catholic bias. This bias has been growing unabated and is considered by some sociologists as the "last acceptable prejudice" in the western world, after it has overcome the prejudice and discrimination against the Jews and Africo-Americans.

Other criticisms

Some critics have alleged that Opus Dei was looked upon with suspicion by Pope John XXIII and Paul VI, though supporters claim that, in fact, those popes supported the organization. There is documentary evidence that John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul I looked fondly on Opus Dei.

John Paul I wrote just before the start of his brief papacy:

"Msgr. Escriva, with Gospel in hand, constantly taught: 'Christ does not want us simply to be good, he wants us to be saints through and through. However, he wants us to attain that sanctity not by doing extraordinary things, but rather, through ordinary common activities. It is the way that they are done which must be uncommon'. There, nel bel mezzo della strada (in the middle of the street), in the office, in the factory, we can be holy provided we do our job competently, for love of God, and cheerfully, so that everyday work does not become a daily tragedy, but rather a daily smile". (Article in Il Gazzettino, Venice, 25-VII-1978)

Paul VI also wrote to the founder:

"We have seen in your words the vibration of the generous and enlightened spirit of the whole Institution, born in our times as an expression of the perennial youth of the Church... We consider with paternal satisfaction all that Opus Dei has done and continues to do for the kingdom of God: the desire to do good that guides it, the ardent love for the Church and its visible head which characterizes it, the ardent zeal for souls which leads it along the difficult and arduous paths of the apostolate of presence and of witness in all sectors of contemporary life." (Handwritten letter to Msgr. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, October 1, 1964)

Blessed John XXIII lauded Opus Dei and stated on 5 March 1960 that it opens up "unsuspected horizons of apostolate."

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 organization enjoyed good relations.

Finally, some ultra-conservative critics focus on Opus Dei's support for the Second Vatican Council's teachings on ecumenism and the role of the laity in the Church.

Opus Dei and politics

Critics and supporters alike agree that Pope John Paul II has been a strong supporter of Opus Dei. John Paul II's press spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, is perhaps the most famous member of the organization.

In 1960s Spain, Francisco Franco appointed several members of Opus Dei as ministers. These ministers are generally acknowledged to have introduced to Franco's rule a capitalist, technocratic ideology which contrasted with previous falangist, carlist and military influences. Simultaneously, some other members of Opus Dei were exiled on account of their political ideas, like the founder of Diario Madrid who lived in Paris and would later have a leading role in the Spanish transition to democracy.

In present-day democratic Spain, some ministers of the former Partido Popular leader José María Aznar government were members of Opus Dei.

In Ireland, members of Opus Dei (along with other religious or political organisations) have for decades been required to declare their membership if asked to serve in the government. In recent times, no known Opus Dei members have held cabinet posts.

Some have claimed that Ruth Kelly, United Kingdom education secretary, is a member, which she neither confirms nor denies.

In the United States, the Boston Globe reported connections between the Opus Dei priest father C. John McCloskey and some conservative Catholic politicians.

Opus Dei states that its members are completely free in their personal, professional and political lives, and that the organization plays no role in the professional decisions made by members, including those who work in politics, and therefore cannot be held responsible for them. Each member is responsible for his own public actions, and of making sure that these actions are consistent with his beliefs and knowledge of the truth. Thus, Escriva gave the following reminder:

"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?"

Fictional portrayals

Opus Dei played a large role in Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. Although not wholly inaccurate, some of Opus Dei's practices were misleadingly described in the book, including mortification of the flesh. The novel also erroneously characterized the organization as monastic. After the book's publication, Opus Dei published a comprehensive set of responses which can be found on their website [3].

Locations

U.S. National Headquarters:

243 Lexington Avenue ( Lexington & E. 34th Street ) New York.

If you want to see the Opus Dei inscription it is actually at the entrance way on E. 34th Street in the alcove on the right.

Opus Dei Schools

Reading list

  • Josemaría Escrivá: The Way, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932545
  • Josemaría Escrivá: Furrow, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932553
  • Josemaría Escrivá: The Forge, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932561
  • Josemaría Escrivá: Christ Is Passing By, Scepter Publications, 1982. ISBN 0933932049
  • Josemaría Escrivá: Friends of God, Scepter Publications, 1981. ISBN 0906138027
  • Josemaría Escrivá De Balaguer: Conversations with Monsignor Josemaría Escrivá, Scepter Publications, 2003. ISBN 1889334588
  • Francis Fernandez: In Conversation with God, Scepter Publications, 1993. ISBN 0906138191 (7 volume set)
  • John Coverdale: Uncommon Faith: The Early Years of Opus Dei (1928-1943), Scepter Publications, 2002. ISBN 188933474X
  • Amadeo Fuenmayor, Valentin Gomez-Iglesias and Jose Luis Illanes: The Canonical Path of Opus Dei, Four Courts Press, 1996. ISBN 1851822216
  • Dominique Le Tourneau: What Is Opus Dei?, Gracewing, 2002. ISBN 0852441363
  • Vittorio Messori: Opus Dei, Leadership and Vision in Today’s Catholic Church, Regnery Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0895264501
  • Pedro Rodriguez, Fernando Ocariz and José Luis Illanes: Opus Dei in the Church, Four Courts Press, 1994. ISBN 1851821708
  • Andres Vasquez de Prada: The founder of Opus Dei- The life of Josemaria Escriva, Scepter Publishers 1997.
  • Giuseppe Romano: Opus Dei: Who? How? Why?, Alba House, 1995. ISBN 0818907398
  • William West: Opus Dei. Exploding a Myth, Little Hills Press, 1987. ISBN 0949773751
  • Peter Berglar: Opus Dei. Life and Work of its Founder, Versa Press. ISBN 0933932650
  • George Weigel, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, Harpercollins, 1999. ISBN 006018793X
  • Jose Orlandis, History of the Catholic Church, Four Courts Press, 1993. ISBN 1-85182-125-2
  • María del Carmen Tapia: Beyond the Threshold, Continuum, 1998. ISBN 0826410960
  • Michael Walsh: Opus Dei: An Investigation into the Secret Society Struggling for Power Within the Roman Catholic Church, Harper San Francisco, 1989. ISBN 0060692685

Opus Dei sites, and sites supporting Opus Dei:

Sites critical of Opus Dei:

Other:

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