Friday, December 28, 2007

The truth of Opus Dei

By J. Michael Parker, in Religion News Blog

Almost everybody from Kilimanjaro to Kalamazoo seems to know Opus Dei as a “rich, powerful, secret sect” that’s supposedly out to rule both the Catholic Church and the world. But most of this prevalent public image of Opus Dei (Latin for “Work of God”) seems based on a combination of anecdotal complaints from ex-members and popular fiction such as Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel “The Da Vinci Code.”

Brown produced a highly entertaining book that apparently has convinced millions that its claims about Opus Dei are factual while bearing little resemblance to the real organization, according to Opus Dei representatives.

John L. Allen Jr., Vatican correspondent for the independent National Catholic Reporter newspaper, had a different objective in mind: Comparing myth with reality. He is likely the only person to visit eight countries on four continents at his own expense for this purpose.

While his newest book won’t settle all questions to everyone’s satisfaction, it at least provides a factual basis for evaluating the 85,000-member movement’s character and practices.

Allen lays out his investigation and his conclusions in thorough detail, yet in a lively, eminently readable style.

He engages the reader while giving both defenders and critics of Opus Dei a due hearing and showing that many statements and attitudes in Opus Dei are open to differing interpretations.

Allen sees a significant gap between the myth and reality on almost every point: corporate wealth, elitism, secrecy, blind obedience, discrimination against women, an ultraconservative political agenda, manipulative and relentless recruiting tactics and concern for social justice. Yet he shows why the myths appear plausible to many.

Without casting doubt on critics’ claims of high-pressure, deceptive recruiting and mind control tactics, Allen concludes that such behavior is largely a thing of the distant past and even then was very exceptional, not the rule.

He points to the much larger numbers of Opus Dei members and ex-members who have had happy experiences with the movement and extol its contributions to their spiritual lives.

Whatever Opus Dei’s recruiting tactics, its nearly flat membership growth pattern seems to belie the image of an octopus-like monster grasping for control. Ditto for its finances. Its U.S. financial holdings are more analogous to a mid-sized diocese than to a corporate giant.

Most Opus Dei-related institutions aren’t owned by Opus Dei as such but by its members who found and operate them, he says.

Power in the Vatican? Same thing. Only about 20 Opus Dei members work there, and they tend to be in middle-level jobs without major influence. Only two cardinals and 20 bishops in the world have Opus Dei connections.

Two points where image and reality agree, he says, are Catholic orthodoxy and the resort of a minority of Opus Dei members to physical mortification.

On the first point, Opus Dei unapologetically emphasizes “thinking with the church” on matters of basic, settled doctrine. But he adds that most people who gravitate toward Opus Dei tend to be theologically conservative already; such attitudes aren’t imposed on them by Opus Dei.

Corporal mortification isn’t limited to Opus Dei and has centuries of history in Catholic spirituality, although it’s rare today. While crediting Opus Dei leaders for candor and sincerity, he encourages them to be pro-active in de-mystifying the movement’s finances, affiliated institutions, policies and the demands it makes on its members so as to dissipate the widespread suspicion.

Either you go totally for God or you don't

By Uncle Dick or rliong in Tsinoy.com, a Chinese-Filipino site.

Many thought that the Da Vinci Code is anti-Opus Dei but the fact is: it is anti-Christ. Mixing some facts with fiction with the aim of selling a book and making piles of money. But I am digressing.

Opus Dei means many things to many people. For some, it is a sneaking Catholic secret society. For others, it is a group of fanatics - the predecessors of the El Shaddai. Still for some, it is a group of snobbish, elitist, holier-than-thou conservative Catholics. For those who know them well - including myself - it is a Catholic organization trying to spread Christ's gospel and to help people to get into heaven in their own disciplined way.

Who is right? It depends on which side you are in when looking into the Opus Dei. Since it is an organization of men - and not everyone is perfect - it is not perfect with a few snobbish, elitist members. As for being fanatics and ultra-conservative, well, either you go totally for God or you don't. It is not whether you are conservative or progressive. There is only one Catholic Church teaching, you either follow it or not. (I was tempted to take the easy way out many times - to be a born-again following the bible in the way I want to interpret it and following my own conscience, the way I was brought up.)

Luckily, I met this group with an unbiased mind when there were no bad publicity surfacing yet. I was able to see it as it was - a religious group just like any other with its positive and not-so-positive sides. I believe that there is no such thing as "negative sides" in an institutions approved by our Catholic Church. It is more of a matter of more positive or less positive. The "negatives" belong to the "dark side."

I saw many dedicated priests and members. Like any institution, it has its share of "ex-members", its friends and foes, for many different reasons. For the same reason, there are people who hate and campaign against Mother Teresa and her works too.

What I simply know is this: St. Josemaria helps me when I asked for his intercession and he will surely help the institution that he had founded. Look at the "good apples" in the barrel and let those "bad ones" rot.

No, I am not a member and not everyone in the Opus Dei is my friend.

The best way to dispel the aura of mystery surrounding Opus Dei is to shine a bright light on it

By Ed Dobeas of Amazon.com

For readers of The Da Vinci Code, John Allen's book on Opus Dei may be something of a revelation. One opens it expecting to find at the very least GPS coordinates pinpointing albino monk training camps. Or perhaps full disclosure of untold wealth flowing through offshore bank accounts.

Instead one finds exhaustive research, interviews and careful analysis that reveal a group alive with ideas and purpose, but a bit short on sinister plans. Removing the sense of mystery surrounding Opus Dei may not serve future thriller writers well, but the journey is fascinating in its own right.

Allen's biography of Opus Dei is also necessarily a brief biography of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, born in Spain in 1902, whose vision of the sanctification of work gave birth to Opus Dei, or "The Work" as its members call it. The idea of finding sanctification through work was not original to Escrivá, but the power of his vision certainly brought it to a fuller realization within the Catholic church.

Allen explores this central idea that "one can find God through the practice of law, engineering or medicine, by picking up the garbage or by delivering the mail, if one brings to that work the proper Christian spirit." For Escrivá sanctification flowed in equal measure both in and outside the walls of the church.

Much of Allen's own work getting to know Opus Dei is done with numerous, wide-ranging personal interviews, from the halls of the Vatican, to Africa, to U.S. suburbs. Allen is also careful to include voices of ex-members. He recognizes the best way to dispel the aura of mystery surrounding Opus Dei is to shine a bright light on it, and with a remarkable degree of cooperation from Opus Dei itself, that is exactly what he does.

His aggressiveness in countering conspiracy theory with information reaches its apex in the only slow-going chapter in the entire book, a survey of Opus Dei's financial holdings and activities where a double-shot of cappuccino is recommended before attacking the endless lists detailing financial information.

Ultimately, Allen's work comes across as a balanced, perceptive inquiry into a group that, while perhaps not preferring the center stage limelight, does not suffer greatly when exposed to it.

Secret of Opus Dei: members do not wear religion on their armsleeves

By Fr. John Trigilio in EWTN

Msgr. Escriva devised a spirituality of and for the laity.

Opus Dei, the Work of God, is a means by which the Catholic faithful sanctify themselves and the world in which they live and work. It is comprised of all walks of life, doctors, lawyers, homemakers, teachers, students, bus drivers, retirees, etc.

The goal is for each member of Opus Dei to bring their Roman Catholic faith into their whole life, home, work & play.

As leaven in the world, the laity being in the world bring Christ and the Catholic Faith into that same world by the way they practice their Faith. The clergy's function is to help the laity find their spirituality and to help them bring the faith to the world.

Opus Dei, then, is a vehicle by which its members sanctify the world by sanctifying themselves in whatever situation and condition and vocation they find themselves.

The so-called "secret" of Opus Dei is that the members do not wear their religion on their armsleeves. They are very well read in the Magisterial teachings of the Church, are very loyal to the Holy See, and they quietly but effectively defend Church dogma and faithfully practice their Catholic Faith 24 hours a day without crediting it to Opus Dei, necessarily. Their absence of self-publicity breeds contempt from their enemies who see them as clandestine. In reality, it is nothing more than humility.

Opus Dei members study the Faith and they INFUSE Catholic virtues into a secular world and secular society. Rather than selling out to the social mores of the pagan culture like modern sycophants, Opus Dei members uphold the moral and doctrinal teachings of the Church and encourage all men and women of all faiths to obey the Natural Moral Law. Due to their resistance of diluting Church law, many opponents accuse Opus Dei of being anti-ecumenical.

All in all, Opus Dei is a superb method for any Catholic Christian to know their Faith more fully, to create a concrete strategy for Christianizing the world and to build up the kingdom of God via ALL members of the Church, lay and clergy.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

I'm gonna say something that many might gasp at

By Josh Fallaw at Catholic Answers Forum. He is 31 years old and his work involves Tech Support.

I, like many others I'm sure, never heard of St. Josemaria or Opus Dei until the DaVinci Code, after which I just had to check it out.

Now I'm gonna say something that many might gasp at: Thank God for the DaVinci Code!

Upon studying their excellent website, and reading a book on Opus Dei written by a non-Catholic (it was actually totally neutral, simply giving the history and practices of the organization), and reading The Way, as well as watching the videos of St. Josemaria that are regularly posted on the website, I started praying to that wise and wonderful Saint for intercession that I might find my proper place and career path at my place of employment, which I was considering leaving.

Not a week later, I was approached by the Training Coordinator and asked to train the class of new technicians starting in January! There is no raise, but I would be doing what I love- helping others! I already have so many plans on how I'm going to train them better than I was trained, and look forward to the day I can see them advance in the company.

I am certain that this blessing was solely due to the intercession of St. Josemaria. I immediately bought a medal of the Saint and took up a private devotion, and have received many spiritual blessings.

I have contacted the only Opus Dei members in the area (four hundred miles away in Albuquerque) and am communicating with the husband. I plan to attend a retreat or event at the earliest opportunity. I encourage anyone to visit www.opusdei.org or www.josemariaescriva.info/ and learn more about this man and his Work!
__________________

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Patriarchate of Moscow welcomes Opus Dei presence in Russia

By Catholic News Agency, Moscow, Dec 18, 2007 / 11:42 am (CNA)

The vice president of the Department of Foreign Ecclesial Affairs of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, welcomed the personal prelature of Opus Dei, which recently opened a community in Russia, and said its energy and fidelity “to Christian ideals are worthy of great respect.”

“Opus Dei has as its mission strengthening Christian values in today’s society, which moves us to sympathy,” the archpriest said in recent statements. The vicar for Opus Dei in Moscow, Father Jose Antonio Senovilla Garcia, said his community has gone to Russia “to encourage the people to be good orthodox believers, to find God in their daily lives and to help others.”

Father Senovilla noted that the Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed the presence of Opus Dei in the country, and he said he was “very happy to be here” and that he “has not had any problems.”

The new Opus Dei center in Moscow was inaugurated on June 26, the feast of its founder, St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Begin Again

By Sara, at Those That Wonder

This post could also be titled, "Back to the Drawing Board," as I am feeling the frustration all mothers feel at not having the time to do all that we'd like to do.

This past October when I was on a women's retreat at our parish, I was reading an excellent little book, The Way, by the Spanish priest and saint, Jose Maria Escriva. That is where I got "begin again," it is an exhortation from him, and it is inspired by Him who is merciful forgiveness.

I think we need to pull in and check up on our priorities when we feel overwhelmed. Are we, in this order: first, a disciple of Christ, second, a "dream" wife to our husband, and third, a loving mother to our children. All this must be lived at once, which is a tricky business. I wish I could express this better, but here goes: I am both an idealist and a realist. All this means that I think we should dream big, while, at the same time, be gentle and forgiving with ourselves and others (this is the realist part).

That's all for now as I am off to pray, do some math and fold some (and put away!) laundry.

Thank you Lord Jesus for unending new beginnings. You are the Word made flesh and you lift us up every time we fall. Please put Your Holy Desires on our hearts!

It is my conviction that there are many who wish to live to the mind and heart of St. Josemaria.

By Archbishop Cormac Murphy O'Connor of Westminster

Saint Josemaria calls everyone to holiness. He asks each and everyone to love no matter where they work or where they are. It’s the combination of work and prayer that’s at the heart of the apostolate.

It is my conviction that there are many who wish to live to the mind and heart of St. Josemaria.

The new millennium is a time of great challenge and great opportunity for the Church in our country.

It is very clear to me that you as members of Opus Dei have a clear part to play in the mission of the Church.

Monday, December 10, 2007

I was always free to come and go as I pleased

By Dave, at Political Dogs. Dave is a non-Catholic.

The Associated Press (AP) refers to Opus Dei as an "ultraconservative movement" which has "been accused of secretive, cult-like practices, brainwashing of members into blind devotion and murky financial dealings." Most people, even Catholics, have no idea what Opus Dei is about and are surprised to find that there may be a "secret society" within the Roman Catholic church.

If one reads the hot-selling book "The Da Vinci Code," which I have not, one might come away with the feeling that there is much secretive, perhaps clandestine, stuff going on behind the scenes in the Roman Catholic church. Then again, maybe this whole thing is just hype.

My experiences with Opus Dei came while I was a college student. I am not catholic but I did attend a catholic university and was befriended by a priest who happened to be my philosophy professor and an Opus Dei member. The way the group was described to me is a section of the church which owes allegiance directly to the pope and which practices prayer through work. To put it another way, there are some who believe that acting in a perfunctory and non-caring way is a form of blasphemy, it dishonors God.

Opus Dei members acknowledge that work fills the largest single chunk of our day after we are done sleeping, so to approach work as a means of prayer is truly to give a large chunk of your day up to God. I did not join the group nor convert to Roman Catholicism but I acknowledge that as a Protestant, I do hold much in common with Catholics in general and, as a person, I agree with Opus Dei that viewing my actions during the work day as a prayer is helpful on a number of levels.

As I said, I did not join Opus Dei. That probably had more to do with where I was at the time I made acquaintance with the group than it did with the group itself.

The group is conservative because it believes as a matter of philosophy that the World holds Truths, those Truths are absolute, and those Truths are God's law. There is no wiggle room for, as examples, the mandates of the Ten Commandments or the behaviors Jesus instructed upon in the Sermon on the Mount.

Killing is wrong. Killing is killing. Abortion is killing. Therefore abortion is wrong. To fantasize about another's wife is the functional equivalent of adultery. It is strict and simple but many would agree undeniable.

I never found the group to attempt brain washing. It is a group of very bright people who enjoy discussing classical philosophy. I was always free to come and go as I pleased. Members gave me a few philosophy books which helped me to grow and often took great pleasure in discussing the meanings behind books and ideas. It was very much like some sort of club of intellectuals which, of course, had religion at its core.

Opus Dei members hold firm to strict values. They live their faith. They also happen to mostly work in the real world, frequently as business people, and as a result they do tend to make a lot of money. It isn't that the group consists of a secret society of extremely wealthy and powerful business people. Rather it is that a person who views his work days as being watched over by God, at least as much as his one hour per week at church, is likely to succeed!

I doubt my mentor professor brought up the group because he felt I would be a good person for espionage operations. Rather he felt I was a moral individual who believed in God and hard work. So Opus Dei generates a few bucks for the church.

It also is very active in such movements as the anti-abortion one. As such it is ripe cannon fodder for pro-abortion activists and those who fear conservative thinking as stemming from brainwashing and the like.

Before you form your opinion about Opus Dei, take a look for yourself. The group is hardly secretive. Look 'em up and pay 'em a visit. But be forewarned, you may find them, their beliefs and mission irresistible.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Zhanara discovers Catholicism in Amsterdam

In the city of canals, it’s already dark. At the Church of Our Lady of Amsterdam, after the sun has set, the Pascal Vigil begins.

To Zhanara, this celebration has a special meaning: she will become a daughter of God in the Catholic Church. She came closer to the faith by the grace of God; the help of a group of friends made the way easier.

How did you prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion?

In September 2006, I found information on the Internet about the church of Our Lady of Amsterdam. That’s how I came in contact with its rector, Fr. Ploeg. From him I received all kinds of help and encouragement. He suggested that I follow a Christian doctrine course at the Aenstal Residence, located in the middle of Amsterdam.

I also attended meditations on the gospel preached by this priest at Aenstal. I met other girls and saw in practice what it’s like being a Catholic. I was impressed by the way they helped me to know the doctrine and to practice love for God. These weekly meditations were a great inspiration for me.

My friend Marco was a constant support along my path towards Christianity, always willing to explain different aspects of the faith. Another important part of my preparation was a spiritual retreat at the Zonnenwende Conference Center. I spent four days devoted to deepening my knowledge and love of God.