What you’re getting is a picture of American and European obsession with transparency. In our Euro-American culture we have turned transparency into a vice instead of a virtue. Any organizaion that attempts to exercise discretion, to reserve certain information for itself and its members is suddenly suspected of some nefarious activity. The truth is that Opus Dei operates like a family. No family is totally transparent. There is something to be said for privacy and discretion. There are some things thare meant only for the members of that family, even blessings and graces. God does not give blessings and graces to all equally, but to each according to his need. It is not necessary for the world to know everything that we do for God or that God does for us. Nor is it necessary for the world to know all of our sins either. It is enough to know that we are all sinful.
As far as St. Jose Maria’s teachings on obedience, what’s wrong with it and what’s so new about it? There again, our Euro-American culture shows its ugly side. We have been raised to suspect all authority, before authority has a chance to do anything wrong. We have been raised to believe that authority must be questioned at every turn. We have been taught to believe that authority only extends as far as we decide, which is a foolish thought, because every authority, religious and civil functions without the consent of the governed at some point or another. Does the President ask the citizens for permission to issue an executive order? Did he ask for permission to invade Iraq? Does he ask for permission to extend unemployment benefits to workers? No. Why not? Because people in authority have rights as well as duties. However, our Euro-American culture wants to pretend that those rights do not exist, especially when it comes to religious authority.
The truth is that St. Jose Maria has said nothing new. In his rule and admonitions St. Francis of Assisi binds his sons, under pain of mortal sin and excommunication to obey without questioning. He explains that even when authority is in error, we must obey and not question, because such obedience is pleasing to God and man. The Christian vocation is to love God and man. The only time that one may decline to obey is when commanded to do something that the Church, not us, only the Church, has condemned as sinful.
St. Teresa of Avila writes the same thing in The Way of Perfection for the Discalced Carmelites. St. Benedict wrote it into his rule.
The scriptures tell us that Christ was obedient even unto death. As I always tell those who are in formation, Pilate and Caiphas were wrong. But one does not get to heaven for being right. One gets to heaven for obeying as Christ obeyed, without murmurring, without resentment, without pride, and without questioning. This has been taught to us by the Masters of Catholic Spirituality.
Some people like to quote Aquinas on this subject and they misquote him. Aquinas said that no one had to obey a sinful command and that everyone had the right to think critically. He never said that superiors did not have the right to command and that subordinates had the right to question. The right to think is one thing. Questioning every command is childist or arrogance. The child asks "Why?’ at every turn. The arrogant simply want to find an excuse to impose their agenda. There is nothing new about obedience in the writings of St. Jose Maria Escriva. There is a lot of misunderstanding, because the poeple who are looking at his writing are unfamiliar with the history of Christian Spirituality. They think that St. Jose Maria pulled this out of his sleeve.
They’re being silly. Don’t worry about what writers say. Go and meet them. You may like them very much. I have found them to be friendly, prayerful, holy and very charitable.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
