Opus Dei- opinions

[bonvivantHermit]

Hello,
I am looking for opinions of Opus Dei and like groups.
Would you join? If so, why?
If you have, what is your opinion?
How do you reconcile scandals that have happened in other like groups (trad groups
with much lay influence)?

How do these groups profit Catholics? More than say traditional devotions?

Would you send your child to one of their schools? Would you join Opus Dei?
How do you answer charges against opus Dei by groups like ODAN?
What’s your opinion of revealing your failings (not sins) to others in a group?
Is there room for abuse of power?
Do they use friendship as a lure?

Feel free to PM me. Please note these are questions, not statements- I am asking.
Thank you!

 

[codefro]

I’m curious myself

 

[mikelionheart]

I’m a cooperator with Opus Dei.

We have monthly meetings in my city in a small group rangning from 6-8. We get a 40 min talk by a member. It is very helpful stuff. Very inspiring. As you know, it’s all about putting your faith into daily action.
Once a month there is also a meeting at an Opus Dei centre in Manchester, a city about an hour’s drive away. I’ve only been once. It involves confession, prayer, a talk by an Opus Dei priest and a bit of socialising afterwards.

It is really good stuff and I heartily recommend you give it a go.

I didn’t know they had schools but if I had kids I’d be happy for them to attend an Opus Dei ran school.

I don’t know about an ability for an abuse of power. Certainly not where I am involved. I imagine that must be more likely to be possible if you are a supernumerary.

I have not witnessed friendship being used as a lore. I did see friendship being used as a lore when I was a Protestant.

Try you nearest group. I think they’re great.

 

[tafan]

For personal reasons (which I care not to go into detail of), I have done quite a lot of investigation into Opus Dei. Here are my answers to your questions. Only relative to Opus Dei, not other “like groups”. And BTW, there are no other “like groups”, i do believe it is rather unique in the Church (but it is not unique in being a unique group, so don’t hold that against it).

Would you join? If so, why?

Likely not. It is a calling. I do not currently feel the call. At times I almost wish I did.

How do you reconcile scandals that have happened in other like groups (trad groups
with much lay influence)?

I am not for sure what you mean. I suppose an example for you would be the Legionaires of Christ. At one time, I certainly would have lumped these two groups together as being similiar. Having been close to both groups at different times of my life, I can tell you they are very different in character. I can simplify it best by saying, the Legionaires Of Christ seem to exist and focus mainly on the organization: Opus Dei exists and focuses on the individual member.

Would you send your child to one of their schools? QUOTE] In a heartbeat, if one was close by and available.

How do you answer charges against opus Dei by groups like ODAN?

They charges are way off base. However, that is not an answer, and like many untrue charges in this world, they develope from an small element of truth. I would suggest two things. First of all, here is a FAQ a former member of Opus Dei wrote that is very good and accurate (he actually made an appearance on this forum a couple of weeks ago). american-buddha.com/rome.mattopusdeifaq.htm . (note: he did not put it on this web page, it was taken from an old blog of his). If you really are interested, I highly recomment this book: amazon.com/Opus-Dei-Objective-Controversial-Catholic/dp/0385514506. It’s author is not a noted conservative or traditionalist Catholic (he writes for the National Catholic Reporter). But it is very objective and he addresses in detail each and every accusation made against Opus Dei.

What’s your opinion of revealing your failings (not sins) to others in a group?

Any orgainization will have people who commit sins and have failings. What you have to determine is are the sins and failings systemic based on the structure and character of the group. With Opus Dei, they are most definitively not.

Is there room for abuse of power?

Well, I suppose it is possible with any organization; but the founder of Opus Dei did a very good job of putting in place a very precise structure that should protect it against any systemic problem. It seems to me to be very decentralized, which can always lead to localized problems.

Do they use friendship as a lure?

A lure? As if you are being baited into something bad? No. Are they very friendly people, yes. Do they typically believe in their organizatoin and want you to understand it? yes. Do they do anything to coerice one to join? Not in my experience. I have been going to an Opus Deit priest for spiritual direction and it has not even come up. You have to decide to “whistle” on your own. It is a calling.

In summary:
I am very impressed with Opus Dei. They are exactly what they claim to be. A group who is trying to live the Gospel in the real world. A group who believes we are all called to holiness. A group which is focused on each individual member achieving that call to holiness and in bringing holiness to the world. A group that has the utmost respect for each persons freedom of will and decision making abilitiy. They will form you, they will not try to decide anything for you. Quite the opposite: the refrain “well you have to decide” seems to come out of their spiritual directors’ mouths a lot. Note: all of that are my words, not theirs.

 

[pdmillington]

Hey. I live in Madrid, Spain and so have had quite a bit of contact with Opus Dei and have many friends who belong to it. In fact, my girlfriend´s dad is a super-numerary. I´ll answer as best as I can from my impressions.

I am looking for opinions of Opus Dei and like groups.

- Would you join? If so, why?

• Personally I do not feel the call to become a numerary/super-numerary however the formation given is open to all. It´s quite a serious formation and often attracts intellectuals although it is certainly not limited to them. The thing that I´ve found most useful is that you know that whatever you hear during the Circles or talks etc. given by Opus Dei is that it is true Catholic teaching - they are very faithful to the Magisterium.

- If you have, what is your opinion? I haven´t joined but I have friends who have - and some who are in the process now - and they have only ever had positive things to say.

- How do you reconcile scandals that have happened in other like groups (trad groups with much lay influence)?

• I´m not sure to what you refer here. In any case what happened in the past wouldn´t affect the group as such now. As with the wider Church there are good and bad people.

How do these groups profit Catholics? More than say traditional devotions?

• I think they can compliment each other. Opus Dei focusses very much on being apostles of Christ “in the world” - in your office, with your family etc. and I think that is a very beautiful and relevant thing for our society right now.

Would you send your child to one of their schools?

• If I had the money! The one´s that I know here in Madrid are very expensive however the formation is excellent. Like all schools I´m sure they have their problems but I would have no problem sending my children there.

How do you answer charges against opus Dei by groups like ODAN?

• I´m not particularly familiar with ODAN. However, as with many groups they have their agenda and they stick to it. The experience of one, or a group of people, doesn´t have any baring on the usefulness of that group. Have people had bad experiences with Opus Dei? Certainly! But I think it´s always good to be wary about what you hear and separate what people do with what an organisation teaches etc. The best thing I can say is just go and try Opus Dei, it won´t be like what you read in these kind of groups.

What’s your opinion of revealing your failings (not sins) to others in a group?
Is there room for abuse of power?

• as Christians we´re called to confess our sins to one another - this is explicitly taught in the Bible! Is there room for abuse of power? Possibly, but I´ve never seen or heard about this actually happening.

Do they use friendship as a lure?

• this is something that I´ve heard about and to a slight degree have experienced. I know people who have been accepting and warmly welcomed but upon explaining that their calling lies elsewhere they have then been ignored…it´s very sad when this happens. But it is a fault of the people, not the organisation.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

“Christians ought to be bringing God into all environments”
When you hold Our Lord in your breast and you taste the delights of his Love, promise him that you will strive to change the course of your life in whatever way is necessary, so that you can bring him to the masses of people who do not know him, who live without ideals and who, unfortunately, go on behaving like animals. (The Forge, 939)

For this world of ours to set its course in a Christian direction which is the only one worth while we have to exercise a loyal friendship with all men, based on a prior loyal friendship with God. (The Forge, 943)

I often feel like crying out to so many men and women in offices and shops, in the world of the media and in the law courts, in schools, on the factory floor, in mines and on farms and telling them that, with the backing of an interior life and by means of the Communion of Saints, they ought to be bringing God into all these different environments, according to that teaching of the Apostle: ``Glorify God by making your bodies the shrines of his presence.’’ (The Forge, 945)

Those of us who bear in our hearts the truth of Christ have to put this truth into the hearts, and minds and lives of others. Not to do so would show a love of comfort and bad tactics too. Think it over once again: Did Christ ask you permission before coming into your soul? He left you free to follow him, but he was the one who sought you out, because he chose to. (The Forge, 946)

With our acts of service we can prepare an even greater triumph for the Lord than that of his entry into Jerusalem. For there will be no repetition of the Judas episode, or that of the Garden of Gethsemane, or of that dark night. We will succeed in setting the world alight with the flames of that fire which he came to cast upon the earth. And the light of Truth which is our Jesus will enlighten men’s minds with a brightness that never fades. (The Forge, 947)

These are quotes from St Josemaria from his writings for Opus Dei members. I think this sort of example is what all Christians/Catholics are called to. Some will do it from inside an organization like Opus Dei, some will be in other organizations, or not a part of any formal group. It doesn’t matter - we are all called to be light and salt.

 

[TimothyH]

I believe that one does not just decide to join Opus Dei. I believe rather, unless I am mistaken, that one has to be invited first.

-Tim-

 

[Monica4316]

I like Opus Dei I don’t have anything against them. I don’t know if I’m called to join them, and I’m not a member, but I really like St Josemaria Escriva and i have a book by him.

 

[JReducation]

Hello,
I am looking for opinions of Opus Dei and like groups.
Would you join? If so, why?

I received my doctorate in theology from them. Anyone who knows me from my years at CAF knows that I’m no extremist in either direction. I’m the best recommendation that I can give them.

If you have, what is your opinion?

They’re veyr solid and very faithful to the Church.

How do you reconcile scandals that have happened in other like groups (trad groups
with much lay influence)?

You have to take a step back and recall that a scandal is a scandal. It does not need to be reconciled with anything. One admits that it happened and moves on, making sure that the possibility of repetition is minimal. No one can promise that it will never happen again. We can only minimize the possibility. There is no need to explain ourselves for the poor choices that others make.

How do these groups profit Catholics? More than say traditional devotions?

The question is very utilitarian. The Church does not look at any group to determine how it profits Catholics. She looks at groups to determine if their existence is the will of God. How they profit Catholics, is God’s problem, not ours. Just look at St. Francis. He was not interested in doing anything in particular for anyone other than living poverty, obedience, penance and fraternity. Luther described it as a useless way of life, because it was not a productive way of life as that of the Benedictines or Dominicans. However, Luther ended up a heretic and Francis ended up canonized.

Would you send your child to one of their schools?

Matching a child and a school is not like choosing a brand of peanut butter. One has to carefully discern the child’s personality, learning styles, interests, one’s financial situation and other resources. The one has to look at the school to determine if it can meet most of the child’s needs. No school is ever going to meet 100% of any student’s needs. You go for the one that comes the closest.

Would you join Opus Dei?

I Christ invited me to do so.

How do you answer charges against opus Dei by groups like ODAN?

I don’t. I make it a policy to tell people that if they want an accused to answer charges against them, they should contact the accused, not me. I’m neither a lawyer nor a spokes person. We have a tendency to live with guilt and try to answer for every allegation that someone throws out there. It’s time that Catholics grew up.

What’s your opinion of revealing your failings (not sins) to others in a group?

It’s a very ancient custom that goes back to the Desert Fathers and is still practiced in many religious orders. My order does it. It’s called the Chapter of Faults. It keeps you humble.

Is there room for abuse of power?

Abuse of power can happen in any situation. Therefore, I don’t think about it. I only worry about me not abusing my power.

Do they use friendship as a lure?

It’s called marketing, vocation recruitment or just recruiting. Find one vocation director who does not do so and I’ll identify a miracle for you. There is no other way that you’re going to get a reasonable human being to look at any society, order, congregation or institute without some kind of relationship. Once in a while, you will get the one person who is moved by something they read or saw. Even in that case, the person establishes a relationship with those on the inside. That relationship is part of the discernment process.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

 

[Seamus_L]

I’ve been favorably impressed with everyone I’ve ever met who is a member of Opus Dei. In fact, I’m alot more suspicious of those who are critical of Opus Dei, then those who are members.

 

[Leon_Bloy]

There is a really good book by the journalist John Allen Jr. about Opus Dei. I recommend you read it.

 

[Marie5890]

I personally have no knowledge one way or the other.

I have heard from one extreme to the other and everything in between…

That said, JREducation is someone I trust because I have “followed”, if you will, his posts here on CAF over the years.

I take his comments about them as having credibility if that is of any help.

 

[JReducation]

I received my advance degree from their university in Rome. While there, I never saw or heard anything that raised red flags. The Opus Dei laity are no different from the laity anywhere. There are many very devout people and there are people who are not wrapped too tightly. You can’t blame that on an organization.

I believe that they get a bad rap because they have a lot of internal stuff, for lack of a better word. Call them privacy rules. My experience during the last 30 years is that we want to empty out our closets. Anything that is private, confidential, for members only or for a select group, we tend to come up with all kinds of conspiracy theories.

I do not deny the existence of conspiracies any more than I deny the existence of miracles. Like miracles, conspiracies don’t come by the dozen. Lately, if you don’t “out yourself” or “out your organization” then it’s assumed that you have something to hide.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

 

[Faithdancer]

I’ve been attending Opus Dei Evenings of Recollection for nearly a year now, sometimes twice in one month when I can swing it. Spiritually, the EOR is the highlight of my month. Like others here, I find the Work to be a great movement in our Church, one that empowers and at the same time puts demands on the laity to strive for holiness and sanctification in one’s everyday life.

I’m in sort of a mutual discernment process with Opus Dei right now, regarding becoming a single, celibate supernumerary. The members and cooperators I’ve met have been unfailingly sincere, friendly and obviously very devout.

For anyone who feels a possible vocation to the Prelature, I recommend attending an EOR as a place to start.

Pax Christi!

 

[Edward_H]

Opus Dei exists for solid formation of its members and any other Christian who wants to pursue holiness.

Formation comes in different types

Human (the many human virtues…generosity, fortitude, justice, cheerfulness, enterprise, etc)
Spiritual (interior life, prayer, sincere confession, resolutions, beginning again)
Doctrinal (the Bible, social doctrine, the Catechism, etc)

One doesn’t need to be a member or sense a call to receive great value from the formation that Opus Dei freely offers.

At a recollection there are typically 2 meditations given by a priest, opportunity for confession, a wonderfully healthy examination of conscience, a talk or some spiritual reading, and often the meditations are done in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

The talks vary on their topics…maybe marital chastity, maybe cheerfulness, maybe summer plans, or natural piety. Wonderful helps.

 

[Mark12]

I’ve been favorably impressed with everyone I’ve ever met who is a member of Opus Dei. In fact, I’m alot more suspicious of those who are critical of Opus Dei, then those who are members.

Seamus, that’s not a very charitable statement. I was a numerary for several years and I see good and bad things in Opus Dei.
Lots of people were critical of the Legionaries, and now we know that their criticism was based on true facts.

 

[Edward_H]

On balance, I’ve found much more smoke than fire. You will find some former members, mainly numerary, who joined early and have re-thought matters. And that’s fine. Charity to all, of course. The comparison above to LC/RC is a real stretch. It’s easy to spray paint scandal that way.

But the Dan Brown and other reactionary hype that seems to well up from time to time, fueled by curiosity and the media, doesn’t seem to have the actual proportional support (e.g., from former members, disgruntled, disaffected, or otherwise).

 

[Mark12]

On balance, I’ve found much more smoke than fire. You will find some former members, mainly numerary, who joined early and have re-thought matters. And that’s fine. Charity to all, of course. The comparison above to LC/RC is a real stretch. It’s easy to spray paint scandal that way.

Edward, thanks for your comment, I was not looking to spray paint scandal. Anyone that knows Opus Dei and the Legionaries knows that they’re very similar. More, it’s widely known that after the Vatican took over the Legionaries, Opus Dei had an “internal audit” from the Vatican to review some of the same issues that the Legionaries had (mainly the conflict between Confession and Spiritual Directors). Are you an Opus Dei member? In order to say that there is more smoke than fire you need to know the inside of the organization (as we said in sports: you cannot play the game on the bleachers, you need to be on the field).

 

[Edward_H]

Edward, thanks for your comment, I was not looking to spray paint scandal. Anyone that knows Opus Dei and the Legionaries knows that they’re very similar. More, it’s widely known that after the Vatican took over the Legionaries, Opus Dei had an “internal audit” from the Vatican to review some of the same issues that the Legionaries had (mainly the conflict between Confession and Spiritual Directors). Are you an Opus Dei member? In order to say that there is more smoke than fire you need to know the inside of the organization (as we said in sports: you cannot play the game on the bleachers, you need to be on the field).

Yes. I am a supernumerary member of Opus Dei.

Observation, intelligence, and patience allow one to go beyond superficial and apparent similarities, rejecting the easy comparisons. Fr Maciel clearly modeled many aspects of LC/RC after the Work.

I wouldn’t say they are all that similar. One is a personal prelature…one is not. One has priests to serve the lay…the other has lay to serve the priesthood of the Legionaires. One is under the Congregation of Bishops. One is under the Congregation of Religious. One seems to have a long-settled spirituality; the other seems to be struggling to find or redefine its “charism(s)”.

An internal audit may reveal nothing more than a safeguard vs. a substantial or systemic problem. “Inquring minds” are apt to reflexively conclude the latter.

One has a founder who has been declared a saint. Fr Maciel won’t likely become one.

 

[TimothyH]

Opus Dei exists for solid formation of its members and any other Christian who wants to pursue holiness.

Formation comes in different types

Human (the many human virtues…generosity, fortitude, justice, cheerfulness, enterprise, etc)
Spiritual (interior life, prayer, sincere confession, resolutions, beginning again)
Doctrinal (the Bible, social doctrine, the Catechism, etc)

One doesn’t need to be a member or sense a call to receive great value from the formation that Opus Dei freely offers.

At a recollection there are typically 2 meditations given by a priest, opportunity for confession, a wonderfully healthy examination of conscience, a talk or some spiritual reading, and often the meditations are done in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

The talks vary on their topics…maybe marital chastity, maybe cheerfulness, maybe summer plans, or natural piety. Wonderful helps.

There is an evening of recollection for men in Altanta, at St. Andrews in Roswell, this Friday at 7:30PM. I’ll be there. I’m bringing a few friends who have never been but are interested.

There is a morning for women on Saturday. I’m not sure where.

The recollections are wonderful, holy evenings with men who are trying to be faithful to Christ and his Church. There is so much garbage out there in society, and it is nice to meet other guys who are trying to do what is right in a world full of lies about what normal behavior is supposed to be.

-Tim-