Three Capital Sins of Opus Dei

Saint Josemaria Escrivá at 19 Years Old

  

THREE CAPITAL SINS OF OPUS DEI

In the past I have been asked to explain my negative evaluation of Opus Dei. By way of a short answer, I offer what I would say are the three principal transgressions of Opus Dei.

Idolatry of Saint Josemaria Escrivá

Escrivá speaks and acts for God, and in effect, is God.

This point I develop in multiple posts:

“The Infallibility of the Opus Dei ‘Spirit,’” October 2, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-infallibility-of-opus-dei-spirit.html

“The Tatterdemalion Tunic of Opus Dei,” October 2, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-tatterdemalion-tunic-of-opus-dei.html

“Angelism,” November 4, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/11/angelism.html 

“Moral Lobotomy in Opus Dei,” June 26, 2017 

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/06/moral-lobotomy-in-opus-dei.htm

“The Fourth Level of the Magisterium,” September 4, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-fourth-level-of-magisterium.html

“The Doctrine of Reception,” October 9, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-doctrine-of-reception.html

“Is Opus Dei Influenced by Fascist Ideas?” November 4, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/11/placeholder.html

“Opus Dei—a Fascist Organization?” January 1, 2018

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2018/01/opus-deia-fascist-organization.html

“Is Opus Dei a Cult?”November 4, 2017

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2017/11/is-opus-dei-cult.html

“Work of God or Work of Man?” December 10, 2020

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2020/12/work-of-god-or-work-of-man.html

“Authenticum Charismatis,” February 23, 2021

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2021/02/authenticum-charismatis.html

“Cults Were Established and Maintained under John Paul II, the Saint,” July 20, 2021

https://oddsandendsgonzalinhodacosta.blogspot.com/2021/07/cults-were-established-and-maintained.html

Clerical Authoritarianism

The Opus Dei director speaks and acts for God, and in effect, is God.

Primacy of conscience, which teaches the precedence of conscience over obedience to a spiritual director, is repudiated, in effect.

The discernment of the spirits is not taught in Opus Dei. Why is this detail of spiritual practice important?

The practice of the discernment of the spirits liberates the soul from the tyranny of the spiritual director. It bestows spiritual freedom because it allows the soul to respond to the spirit of God according to their own lights—for which they assume proper responsibility—rather than have the voice of God substituted by that of the spiritual director who claims not only interpretative precedence but a sort of practical infallibility—“You are always wrong.”

Brainwashing

Brainwashing is indoctrination in only one version of the truth when truth inhabits a spectrum of interpretative points of view—it works in subversion of truth because it imposes a way of proceeding that depends principally or solely on the exposition and proclamation of religious and spiritual authority. This way of pursuing the truth is unduly constraining because truth is advanced and attained in a variety of ways, e.g. the scientific method.

Bullying and censorship in Opus Dei entails spiritual abuse, including the abuse of the right of conscience and the right to information.

Propagation of the contingent claims of the Opus Dei cult—often enough, questionable and objectionable—transgresses the basic obligation of the Roman Catholic clergy to teach the truths of the Roman Catholic faith.

“Can. 528 §1. A pastor is obliged to make provision so that the word of God is proclaimed in its entirety to those living in the parish; for this reason, he is to take care that the lay members of the Christian faithful are instructed in the truths of the faith, especially by giving a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation and by offering catechetical instruction. He is to foster works through which the spirit of the gospel is promoted, even in what pertains to social justice. He is to have particular care for the Catholic education of children and youth. He is to make every effort, even with the collaboration of the Christian faithful, so that the message of the gospel comes also to those who have ceased the practice of their religion or do not profess the true faith.”

https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib2-cann460-572_en.html#TITLE_III

—“Title III. The Internal Ordering of Particular Churches (Canons 460-572),” Code of Canon Law