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| ] gave Opus Dei the status of his personal ] in ], and ] Josemaria Escriva in ]. Happened after so little time from his death, this canonization has been seen as controversial. | ] gave Opus Dei the status of his personal ] in ], and ] Josemaria Escriva in ]. Happened after so little time from his death, this canonization has been seen as controversial. | ||
| They are regarded by some as an extremely conservative religious ]. They effectively keep a certain secret about their activity and appear to be a compact group closed to external observation. They have however been accused to use highly developed psychological mind-control techniques to recruit and retain members. It is thought that they attempt to infiltrate and take over other organs of the Catholic Church in addition to operating behind recruitment fronts of different kinds. Their detractors accuse them of being involved with illegal practices, to be in relationships with South-American dictatorships and |
They are regarded by some as an extremely conservative religious ]. They effectively keep a certain secret about their activity and appear to be a compact group closed to external observation. They have however been accused to use highly developed psychological mind-control techniques to recruit and retain members. It is thought that they attempt to infiltrate and take over other organs of the Catholic Church in addition to operating behind recruitment fronts of different kinds. Their detractors accuse them of being involved with illegal practices, to be in relationships with South-American dictatorships and basically influenced by ] ideas: Escriva was certainly a supporter of ] and once declared that ''with Hitler's help Franco's government has saved Christianity from the communism''. | ||
| Many members of the group reportedly choose careers in banking and other lucrative occupations, making substantial donations to the organisation. Through this method, it has apparently amassed considerable funds. Also, some influential politicians have been suspected of secretly belonging to the organisation, like the ] former Heads of State Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and ], and a sort of mutual "respectful attention" is suspected laying behind the relationships between the organisation and ]. They consider to be influential on "''179 universities, 630 newspaper and magazines, 52 television networks''". | Many members of the group reportedly choose careers in banking and other lucrative occupations, making substantial donations to the organisation. Through this method, it has apparently amassed considerable funds. Also, some influential politicians have been suspected of secretly belonging to the organisation, like the ] former Heads of State Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and ], and a sort of mutual "respectful attention" is suspected laying behind the relationships between the organisation and ]. They consider to be influential on "''179 universities, 630 newspaper and magazines, 52 television networks''". | ||
Revision as of 12:03, 23 January 2003
Opus Dei ("The Work of God", "The Work", "God's Work") is a powerful and influential conservative Roman Catholic organization founded in 1928 by Josemaria Escriva (who styled himself with the aristocratic title "de Balaguer"), currently based in Rome.
Pope John Paul II gave Opus Dei the status of his personal prelature in 1983, and canonized Josemaria Escriva in 2002. Happened after so little time from his death, this canonization has been seen as controversial.
They are regarded by some as an extremely conservative religious cult. They effectively keep a certain secret about their activity and appear to be a compact group closed to external observation. They have however been accused to use highly developed psychological mind-control techniques to recruit and retain members. It is thought that they attempt to infiltrate and take over other organs of the Catholic Church in addition to operating behind recruitment fronts of different kinds. Their detractors accuse them of being involved with illegal practices, to be in relationships with South-American dictatorships and basically influenced by fascist ideas: Escriva was certainly a supporter of Francisco Franco and once declared that with Hitler's help Franco's government has saved Christianity from the communism.
Many members of the group reportedly choose careers in banking and other lucrative occupations, making substantial donations to the organisation. Through this method, it has apparently amassed considerable funds. Also, some influential politicians have been suspected of secretly belonging to the organisation, like the Italian former Heads of State Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and Francesco Cossiga, and a sort of mutual "respectful attention" is suspected laying behind the relationships between the organisation and Giulio Andreotti. They consider to be influential on "179 universities, 630 newspaper and magazines, 52 television networks".
Opus Dei was seen with a certain suspect by pope John XXIII, and directly was in contrast with Paul VI: Paul VI had asked the organisation to found a catholic political party in Spain, but Escrivà refused to obey the pope, already having some ministers in Franco's government. He was then accused of trying to create a parallel church. The following popes are seen as more open toward the organisation; pope John Paul II accelerated the canonisation of Escribà and his head of Press Office too, Navarro Vals, comes from Opus.
It is esteemed that the organisation includes some 1,500 priests. Laymen are divided into "numerari" (vowed to chastity and invited to give all their earnings to the organisation), "soprannumerari" (allowed to marry and have a family) and "co-operators" (eventually belonging to other religions too).
They practice mortification of the flesh, viewed by some as a form of algolagnia. Josemaria Escriva is recorded as having whipped himself until the wall of the room were splattered with blood.
- "Blessed be pain. Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. . . Glorified be pain!"
- (Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, The Way, 208)