"I'm too young to be a god."
Posted on 01/06/2005 8:29:18 PM PST by Michael2001
Ok I'll admit that I'm starting this thread because of the book the Da Vinci code which I just finished.
What are people's opinions on the Catholic group Opus Dei?
Prior to reading the book I had never heard of them except for the Robert Hansen case. I do have Catholic friends, but I know of no one who is a member of Opus Dei
I've not had much to do with them, but I understand Opus Dei to be faithful to the Holy Father.
This may be a candidate for a move to the religion forum.
You read a book of fiction..I read part of it..
I'd have to say that if that book gets anything right it is purely by coincidence.
The eye with which you see God,
is the same eye with which God sees you.
WHAT? What are you talking about?
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I've known quite a few members of Opus Dei over the course of my life, and they were all good, faithful Catholics. There's some resentment against them on the part of some of the older orders and liberal Catholics, because Opus Dei has expanded while many of the older orders are dying. This is especially true of the Jesuits, who are regretably filled with dissidents.
The main mission of Opus Dei is the sanctification of lay people in their families and in their work. That seems like a good idea to me. What you might call the sanctification of daily work.
The author of the Da Vinci Code wants to damage the Catholic Church, as well as Christianity generally, which is obvious enough from his book. Those who feel this way have a particular hatred of Opus Dei because it is loyal to the Church.
You too? LOL, I saw the word 'Opus'and thought this thread could be fun until I read the Dei part.
Search for Opus Dei threads in the religion forum. We have had countless threads debating whether this is a good organization or not.
I vote not.
You also might want to Google Opus Dei. There are several sites documenting abuse and corruption.
The Opus Dei is a Roman Catholic religous order founded by Jose Maria Escriva (similar to the other religious orders like the Benedictines, Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans and so forth).
I was raised in a strict Roman Catholic home - the daily rosaries always had us praying for the canonization of Fr Escriva.
One of my cousins, became an insufferable religious fanatic after joining the group (she was a single mother recently separated from her husband). She travelled the world to attend their gatherings in the States, Rome and elsewhere. She would spend hours every day praying and slapping her thigh where she wore this thing (it's kinda hard to explain. It's like a belt containing thorns or sharp objects that inflicts pain by digging into the skin). As she explained it, she inflicted pain upon herself to become penitent and to atone for her sins, or something like that (it's been 20 years).
Well, this went on for years and her parents were beside themselves worrying for their daughter's sanity. Finally, they decided to join the group themselves for whatever reason, and my aunt has now become just like her daughter. The transformation was shocking. Here was my favorite aunt growing up - always kind and loving, turned into the worst kind of religious bigot imaginable. Everyone who wasn't a loyal Catholic was going to hell. Everything about Catholicism is pure and good, and on and on.
They too have now travelled the world attending Opus Dei conferences. They money they've given the organization is frightening. They have given an entire floor of their office building in Manila to the organization for free (it's easy recognizing my aunt's building - it's close to Virra Mall in Greenhills, the famous mall full of counterfeit movies and software and run by the Muslim syndicates). It's the only office building in Manila that has a statue of the Virgin Mary on its roof.
In short, I view the Opus Dei to be a Catholic cult and a stain upon the church's reputation. I attended Franciscan and Dominican schools and have nothing but admiration for thise orders despite not being Catholic myself.
The sad thing in my opinion is my aunt is utterly convinced she's one of the few who's going to heaven because of her involvement with the Opus Dei. This woman who stole the property of her deceased brother and didn't give a penny to his children letting them suffer in poverty and not being able to go to college, this woman who spurned her brother's children as not belonging to the family, this woman who daily tortures her bedridden sister on the phone verbally and emotionally but hasn't visited her in person in years and who threatens to seize the house of that sister and kick her niece out on the street just because she's rich and powerful. Yes, she has a spot with the saints in heaven - all thanks to the glorious Opus Dei [gag]
I've actually been invited to a night of recollection on Friday night at the Opus Dei HQ in NYC. I don't know if I'm going to go yet, but I guess I'll make up my mind tommorrow.
The only problem that I might have with Opus Dei is that they only celebrate the Novus Ordo mass, while I belong to a Latin Mass Parish. Besides that they seem to be a very solid Conservative, Orthodox, Catholic organization.
Great new bishop for San Antonio
http://www.opusdei.org/art.php?w=32&p=9220
some of the commentaries that I post each day (and they are right on) were authored by St. Josemaria Escriva of Opus Dei.
I was raised a Catholic in the 50's/60's when it was all traditional, taught by Sisters of St. Joe, Ursulines, and Jesuits.
Never heard of Opus Dei until about 20-25 yrs ago. My sister-in-law, of Spanish descent via Cuba, had some friends and acquaintances, whose families, as it turns out, were members of Opus Dei. These were well-to-do Spaniards. The men completely ignored the women when they expressed opinions in conversations about serious topics. They also discussed their acts of physical penance. My sister-in-law, also raised a Catholic, was shocked.
Here's a portion of an editorial from the Madison Catholic Herald that attempts to refute the portrayal of Opus Dei in The Da Vinci Code, but actually confirms the use of "corporal penance." (from http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org/2003-12-18/bishop.html ):
"What annoyed me the most is that the author fixates in a very unfair way on the use by certain members of Opus Dei of corporal penance in terms of the flagellum (a small whip of cords with which one might strike one's back to realize the pain of the suffering of Christ). The other instrument of corporal penance in the book is called cilice -- in the tradition it was also called the catena, the Latin word meaning chain, and it was wrapped around either the thigh or the stomach area, to cause genuine discomfort, again a means of reminding oneself of and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. The use of the flagellum was not meant to draw blood nor was the use of the chain."
"The use of these penances as described in Brown's book would insinuate a certain masochism built into the spirituality of Opus Dei which is outrageous. In fact the use of the flagellum and the catena are not unique to Opus Dei. They have a long tradition in the practice of the Church and Opus Dei like so many other religious movements or communities simply adopted them."
"When I was a Jesuit novice (1964-1965), we were asked to discuss the use of the flagellum and the catena with the novice master on an individual basis. He would or would not give permission for their use -- in most cases he did -- but in any event he always revisited and reconsidered this whole matter with each individual novice so that the whole dynamic of the penance would remain properly ordered and so that no abuse or misunderstanding would creep in. Over the two years of the noviceship I myself used the flagellum and catena with some regularity. Most did in those days. To insinuate that somehow these penances are inherently masochistic and are some kind of an abuse which should discredit Opus Dei before the eyes of the world is outrageous."
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Whew! I thought The Lord was leaving Free Republic because He was pissed at us.