For
almost 100 years, the Opus Dei has inspired faith - and
suspicion - among followers and members of the Roman
Catholic religion.
It
is a lay and clerical Catholic Group that firmly
believes that an individual's spiritual and Christian
life must be 100% aligned and combined with their
work/professional, social, and family lives.
How
the group achieves this is unclear to non-members, but
Opus Dei followers strive to "sanctify" every aspect of
their being and everyday lives.
Opus Dei - which means "Work of God" - has its roots in
Pamplona, Spain, where it was founded in 1928 by the
Catholic priest Josemaría Escrivá.
It
sided with the dictator General Franco during the
Spanish Civil War and greatly benefited from the
connection.
Many
of its members became political and economic leaders all
over Spain.
By
1950, Pope Pius XII and the Vatican officially
recognized it as a lay and clerical institution.
It
is a theologically conservative group, following the
Catholic Church's authority and doctrines without
question and all the teachings and orders of the Holy
See.
The Opus Dei is not a religious order; it does not have
many priests, no nuns, and its members are mainly made
up of laypeople to help them emphasize what they
believe.
And
despite the relatively small size of the Opus Dei, it is
an extremely powerful group, causing controversy and
suspicion within the Catholic Church.
Members of the Catholic priesthood have called the Opus
Dei a "diabolical sect" with cult-like rituals and
practices.
Former members have also accused them of being extremely
political, pushing the right-wing agenda by influencing
those in power.
It's
almost impossible to discover their group's inner
workings or find those willing to share their
experiences as members.
Early in the group's history, all Opus Dei members were
required to take vows of obedience, chastity and
secrecy.
However, since it is not an order, members can't take
any vows but must sign contracts or make commitments
that they will not share anything about the group and
attend spiritual formation classes and retreats.
Any
person who leaves the group faces persecution and
harassment for speaking out.
Today, the Opus Dei has over 900,000 members spread out
over 80 countries worldwide.
It recruits heavily,
choosing young and impressionable people, pressuring
them to join, and once they do, it's very difficult to
leave.
It
has been described as a very controlling organization,
demanding extreme faithfulness, that even daily errands
such as food shopping or watching movies needed
permission or were not allowed.
Over the years, Opus Dei has expanded its influence in
the Catholic Church, where they had staunch supporters
in former Popes John Paul II and
Benedict.
In
Germany, they run many schools, including daycare
centers and the IESE, their business school, while in
Spain, they have many members both in the educational
and judicial sectors
Despite all the controversies, the Opus Dei denies all
these accusations.
It
continues to enjoy the support of
the Vatican and a
steady increase in its members as it soon reaches its
100th anniversary in 2028.
Source
