Opus Dei: Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church
By John L. Allen Jr. Doubleday (New York, 2005). 403 pp., $24.95. Opus Dei, an international association of Catholic men and women, has been for decades the darling of conspiracy theorists. John L. Allen Jr.'s new book, "Opus Dei," not only forcefully dispels many of the myths surrounding the organization, but offers a balanced overview of its founder, St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, and the spiritual formation program he created.
Allen makes clear that he is not and has never been a member of Opus Dei. If he were, he wouldn't be a particularly good member, as Opus Dei (Latin for "God's Work") believes that its adherents should work in the everyday world anonymously and not trade on the name of Opus Dei for personal gain.
The book is subtitled: "An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church." Allen begins with an overview of the organization and its founder. Father Escriva, a young Spanish priest, had the vision that inspired Opus Dei May 2, 1928. While Father Escriva claimed his vision arrived "whole and complete," Allen points out that changes and amendments to Opus Dei were made with Father Escriva's cooperation during his lifetime.
Next, Allen details the four fundamental beliefs that the recently canonized St. Escriva envisioned as a spiritual program for both Catholic laity and clergy. Most important of these is the position that all men and women participate in the redemption of the world in the ordinary tasks of daily life. He also taught that Christians are called to be contemplatives in the world and should see themselves as daughters and sons of God, not as slaves. As sons and daughters, Christians are free. That freedom includes holding any political position and voting for any candidate, as long as the teachings of the Catholic Church are respected. Even many ex-members of Opus Dei report they were never coerced to vote for or support any particular position.
Opus Dei was never intended to be an autonomous religious order. Instead, its members accept wholeheartedly the authority of the church and remain subject to the local bishop. In 1982, Pope John Paul II granted Opus Dei the canonical status of a personal prelature, which Allen describes as "a limited kind of diocese, only in this case the borders are defined by contract rather than geography." Opus Dei remains the only group granted this status.
Members of Opus Dei do not wear clothing or badges that might distinguish them. They are free to tell their families of their vocation, but Opus Dei discourages its followers from making their calling public knowledge. This anonymity is spiritually enriching, but it is often interpreted as secrecy. Allen argues that Opus Dei is far more open to examination than its critics maintain and is much smaller in number, around 85,000 worldwide, than most Catholics believe.
"The work," the term Opus Dei members use to describe its activities, is demanding. Members attend Mass and pray the rosary daily, go to confession frequently and attend weekly meetings with other members. While holding jobs and raising large families, they are expected to devote time to Opus Dei duties and donate significant portions of their income to the organization. Reception into Opus Dei is deliberately slow to discourage the merely curious; membership is a lifelong commitment.
After a brisk and fascinating 127 pages, Allen spends the remainder of the book clarifying misconceptions about Opus Dei. He explores the mortification practices of some Opus Dei members, the oppression of women within it, its finances, and its power within the Catholic Church. In brief, the mortification practices are reasonable; women enjoy more real authority in Opus Dei than in the wider church; it is not rich; and its power is limited.
Oddly, while his arguments are powerful and convincing, they simply are not as interesting as the story he tells so well of the complex and charismatic St. Escriva and the organization he founded.
Finally, one could wish for less of the author's presence in his tireless research. The fact that Allen went so far as to put the cilice, the band with tiny spikes used for self-mortification, on his own thigh, is undeniably fascinating, but it is hardly necessary.
Graham G. Yearley studies theology at the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore.
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