My name is Matthew Collins. I'm the author of this blog, Trust the Truth. I'm happily married with 3 children, live in Baltimore, MD and work at a hospital in Baltimore as a computer programmer.

I was a supernumerary member of Opus Dei for almost 27 years. I left Opus Dei on my own initiative for personal reasons, but remain friendly toward the organization, and am now a cooperator. The FAQ was originally written while I was still a member but I have not changed any of the substance it contains since I left, and have no reason to do so.

Why should you trust what I say? Well ... read this FAQ, and if it seems to you I'm being open and honest, then believe me. If not, then don't.

Besides, I'm staking my reputation on it, and I'm putting everything I say out there for the whole world to see.

I promise to tell the truth about Opus Dei according to my perspective, and to acknowledge other perspectives. I don't apologize for it. I'm not embarrassed by it. I'm just telling it like I see it.

One reader noted that because I live in Baltimore, where there is no center of Opus Dei, I may not be aware of some of the more subtle abuses Opus Dei is accused of. He has a valid point. However, I believe that over the 29 years I have known the Work (as Opus Dei is often called) I have received enough formation and been close enough to get a pretty good feel for how things work.

To find out more about me read my resume.

Opus Dei was founded in 1928 by a Spanish priest, Josemaría Escrivá. Escrivá died on June 26, 1975. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 6, 2002 amid some controversy. You can find out more about St. Josemaría at this site dedicated to spreading information about him.

Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Roman Catholic Church, composed of both laity and priests, whose purpose is to fulfill a specific pastoral mission under the jurisdiction of its own prelate, who may or may not be a bishop. Personal prelatures are sort of like dioceses, but they consist of people rather than territory. Opus Dei may operate in dioceses around the world, but only with the express permission of the diocesan bishop. Opus Dei reports directly to the Vatican Congregation for Bishops.

Personal prelatures are discussed in Canon Law, canons 294-297.

Personal prelatures were foreseen by Vatican II, largely through the efforts of St. Josemaría, who wanted a juridical structure in the Church which he believed suited Opus Dei better than the old structure of a secular institute. Currently Opus Dei is the only personal prelature in the Church. It was given this status by Pope John Paul II in 1983. Hopefully the Holy Spirit will make use of this relatively new and flexible organizational structure in the church and inspire the church to create other personal prelatures to address the various needs of the apostolate.

The specific pastoral mission of Opus Dei is to spread knowledge of the universal call to holiness and to offer its members and others who wish to take part in its activities the assistance they need to become saints in the middle of the world according to Opus Dei's spirit and practice.

One of the specific characteristics of Opus Dei is its emphasis on one's work, whatever it is, as a means of sanctification. We are encouraged to see all the circumstances and events of our lives as opportunities to grow in love for the Lord and to serve the Church.

Opus Dei teaches that holiness is not only for priests and nuns. It is the obligation of all Christians to seek holiness. And for lay Christians, we have to seek it right where we are, in the ordinary circumstances of our lives. We don't seek holines despite the activities of our ordinary life as lay people, but precisely through those activities. The "stuff" that goes into being a lay person is the very "stuff" that can make us holy. As part of this path to sanctity, members of Opus Dei follow an intense "plan of life" (see Question 6) which focuses on traditional methods of prayer, such as the Rosary, mental prayer, daily Mass, etc.

In a nutshell, and following up on the ideas in the previous question, Opus Dei is about spreading the universal call to holiness.

One of the basic responsibilities of ALL Christians is to spread the Good News. Opus Dei encourages its members and all Christians to take this responsibility seriously and provides a sort of "framework" in which to do so. The work people do in service to the Gospel message is called "apostolate". In Opus Dei, the members' apostolate is a "directed apostolate." That is to say, it is supervised by the directors of Opus Dei and is discussed with the member as part of his or her spiritual direction. The director may suggest topics to bring up with specific friends, ask the member to invite someone to become a cooperator or member, suggest he or she invite someone on a retreat, etc.

Opus Dei emphasizes that members are ordinary Catholics. In terms of Canon Law (i.e., the law of the Church) this is true. Nevertheless, members of Opus Dei do have a contractual bond with the prelature that other Catholics don't have, which obliges them to perform certain duties and give obedience to the prelature in all that relates to the prelature's aims. See Question 5 for more details.

Apostolate is simply the activity one carries out in the service of the Gospel. It is being an apostle. While there may be some technical difference I'm not aware of, it is also known as "evangelization," and I use the terms interchangeably. Around Opus Dei you are more likely to hear the word "apostolate", but as far as I'm concerned, "evangelization" means the same thing.

One reader wrote with the following observation: "Apostolate includes evangelization, but it also includes many things which would not normally be considered evangelization -- for example, setting up schools, soup kitchens, programs for the homeless, job training, etc. We are apostles (we are sent) into the world to serve the world, partly by evangelization but partly by 'simple' Christian service."

I suppose if there's a difference, that's it. Anyway, it works for me.

Members of Opus Dei are encouraged to carry out their apostolate by continually looking for opportunities to impart the spirit of Opus Dei to their friends, family, and colleagues through conversations, doctrine classes, study clubs, retreats, evenings of recollection, etc.

Before being formally admitted to Opus Dei, prospective members are instructed that:

1. they must commit themselves to strive for personal holiness according to the spirit and practice of Opus Dei;
2. they will be under the jurisdiction of the directors of the Work and should obey them in all that pertains to the aims of the prelature, its government, spirit, and apostolate;
3. they should assiduously try to live the plan of life in its fullness, especially daily mental prayer, the Holy Rosary, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion;
4. the spirit of Opus Dei encourages them to lead a life of intense work;
5. they should try to fulfill all the obligations that come with the type of membership (i.e., numerary, associate, supernumerary);
6. they should try to carry out an active apostolate under the supervision of the directors of Opus Dei which is primarily aimed at spreading the universal call to holiness;
7. they must provide for their own economic support; and
8. they should generously contribute financially to the apostolic works of Opus Dei according to their personal circumstances.

In return, members have the right to receive appropriate means of formation and the ministerial care of priests of the Prelature.

The prelature provides its members formation in the spirit of the Work primarily through personal spiritual direction (weekly for numeraries and associates, biweekly for supernumeraries), weekly "circles", evenings of recollection, retreats, classes in Christian doctrine, philosophy, and theology, and the ministry of the priests of the prelature. Members commit themselves to receive this formation in a spirit of docility. Supernumerary members, because they are not as available to the prelature, receive it according to their personal circumstances. Numeraries and associates, who are more available to the Work, receive it in a much more intense way.

All members commit to carry out the apostolates of Opus Dei generously, according to their availability. Thus, it may not be possible for members to be as active in their home parish as other parishoners, although there is no prohibition against such involvement. See What relationship does a member of Opus Dei have with the parish he or she lives in? for more information.

When I first asked Opus Dei to teach me about their way, the numerary who was helping me, apparently thinking I understood more about Opus Dei than I did, asked me how the plan of life was going. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I figured it had something to do with my future professional plans. I replied that I was going to get my degree in Speech Pathology and then work on my master's degree. Then I figured I'd get married and have a family. He got a good laugh out of that and then told me what he meant.

The "plan of life" is simply a plan for daily prayer. The specific practices in the plan of life are called "norms." I don't know where the term came from. Members of Opus Dei are committed to live a specific plan of daily prayer established by the founder. The plan consists of:

• Morning offering.  They try every morning to get up on time and to offer the day to the Lord. I always used (and continue to use) the prayer of St. Francis because I think it perfectly encompasses the spirit of Opus Dei in a way that is applicable to all Christians.
• Daily Mass.  St. Josemaría said the Mass is the "root and center" of the interior life of members of Opus Dei, so they put a serious effort into attending Mass every day.
• The Rosary.  This is the one part of the plan of life that St. Josemaría wanted members never to miss. Sometimes it's hard to find the 15-20 minutes necessary, so they may say part of it now and part of it later, if necessary. Driving in the car is a good time if you're not too distracted by traffic.
• Mental prayer.  Mental prayer is simply spending time in intimate conversation with the Lord. Sometimes words don't form, and it's simply sitting in His presence, keeping Him company. St. Josemaría wrote in The Way: "You write: 'To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About what? About Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know him and to get to know yourself: 'to get acquainted!'" The plan of life calls for 30 minutes of mental prayer in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening, for a total of 1 hour per day.
• The Angelus or Regina Coeli.  In traditional Catholic piety the Angelus is said at noon and at 6:00 PM. It is part of the Opus Dei plan of life to say it as close to noon as possible. During the Easter season (Easter Sunday through Pentecost) they say the Regina Coeli instead.
• Particular examination of conscience.  This is where members examine a particular aspect of their spiritual life to see how they're doing today. They typically do this immediately after the Angelus.
• Spiritual reading.  Members spend about 10-12 minutes per day reading a spiritual book, typically one of the classics of spiritual literature. Naturally they are encouraged to read the writings of Opus Dei's founder, too.
• Reading of the New Testament.  Members also spend about 3-5 minutes per day reading the New Testament. This allows them to read the entire New Testament over the course of a year.
• Visit to the Blessed Sacrament.  Members try to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament sometime during the day, even if it's only to pop their head in the door, genuflect, and say a quick informal prayer. In centers of the Work and on retreats the visit is made immediately after supper and consists of 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Mary's, 3 Glory Be's and a spiritual communion.
• Preces.  The Preces is a set of prayers members of Opus Dei say every day. It takes about 5 minutes to say them and they are prayed in Latin. See Question 42 for a fuller explanation.
• General examination of conscience.  Before going to bed at night members spend about 3 minutes examining how they've lived their day in confomity with the Gospel message, and make a specific resolution or two for the next day. Many members keep track of how they lived the plan of life so they can discuss it with their spiritual director.
• Weekly Confession.  Members are supposed to go to confession each week, preferably, but not necessarily, to a priest of Opus Dei.
• Aspirations.  St. Josemaría would encourage us to turn to the Lord many times during the day and say short prayers like "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul" or "Jesus, I love you with all my heart," or anything else that springs from our heart.
• Days of Recollection.  Every month members attend a day (or evening) of recollection. They consist of two "meditations" preached by a priest, a short talk by one of the lay members on a virtue or a topic like "the good use of time", benediction, confession, and time for personal prayer. Most of these days of recollection are open to the public, but occasionally there are special days of recollection held for members only in which the topics are more geared to those with a vocation to the Work.
• Retreats.  Every year members go on a retreat. These are silent retreats with a number of preached "meditations," plenty of time for personal reflection and prayer, etc. Generally speaking, retreats are open to non-members as well as members.

As you can see, with the exception of the Preces, there's nothing in their plan of life that is peculiar to Opus Dei. It's all stuff Catholics do all the time, though they may not do all of it every day. It's a lot, and it's usually a real challenge to do it all every day. And perhaps that's why Opus Dei isn't for everyone.

The founder of Opus Dei used to say that the vocation to Opus Dei is the vocation to be a "contemplative in the middle of the world", and as any Catholic can see, the practices in the plan of life will certainly foster a contemplative spirit.

There are three types of members in the men's branch: Numeraries, associates and supernumeraries. The vocation is the same for all 3 types. The distinction is in their availabilty to direct and assist in the apostolic activities of the prelature.

Numeraries are the most available. They live celibacy and give all their free time and money to the Work. As a general rule, they live in centers of the Work. They receive an intense formation in the philosophy and theology of the Church. Most of them hold regular secular jobs, but for some of them their professional work is to direct the apostolic activities of Opus Dei or to hold an internal position in the governance of the prelature. For most of those who hold internal positions, this is a temporary situation. The numeraries are the primary givers of spiritual direction to the rest of the membership, and the intense formation they receive prepares them for this role. They are at the disposal of the prelature and are ready to move wherever the prelature needs them.

It is generally from the numeraries that the prelate calls men to the priesthood. When a man becomes a numerary, he does so with the willingness to seriously consider the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood if the prelate should ever ask him. However he may decline the invitation. A very important point is that he does not become a numerary with the intention of becoming a priest. Rather, he simply remains open to seriously considering the possibility if the prelate asks him.

When you hear horror stories about life in Opus Dei it is generally in reference to life as a numerary. See Question 49 for a discussion of what I believe is the source of these stories.

Associates are the next type of member, in order of availability. Associates are similar to numeraries, in that they live celibacy, but they typically do not live in centers of the work. Their personal circumstances do not permit them to be as available to Opus Dei as a numerary. Perhaps they have an elderly parent they have to take care of, or they run a family business that would interfere with their ability to move to another city. There are a whole host of reasons they would be less available than a numerary. Associates also are involved in giving spiritual direction to other members of the prelature and to non-members, too. The prelate may also ask associates to become priests. They also remain free to say no.

Supernumeraries are the third type of member. These are the least available to Opus Dei. Supernumeraries may be married or unmarried. They live wherever they want. Most of the members are supernumeraries, and it is they who carry out the real apostolate in Opus Dei. It is in the supernumeraries that "the rubber hits the road," so to speak, because, as St. Josemaría used to say, the real apostolate of Opus Dei isn't the schools, the hospitals, etc. The real apostolate of Opus Dei is the apostolate carried out by its members among their colleagues, their friends, and their families.

Both the women's branch and the men's branch have numeraries, associates and supernumeraries, and they perform the same functions in each branch. While the women numeraries can't be ordained, they receive the same philosophical and theological formation the male numeraries receive.

There is another type of member in the women's branch called "numerary assistant". Numerary assistants attend to the domestic needs of the centers of Opus Dei, both for the men and for the women. They run Opus Dei's conference centers. They do all the cooking and cleaning. They take care of the chapels (actually, they're called oratories, but that's addressed in question 9). St. Josemaría used to call the work they do the "apostolate of apostolates" because it is they who imbue the centers with the family spirit that characterizes Opus Dei, and their work frees up the other members to devote more time to giving formation.

There are a lot of reasons. It's just a matter of prudence. There's an old Spanish saying "Entre santa y santo, pared de cal y canto." (Thanks to L. for giving me the correct Spanish!) It means "Between a male saint and a female saint, a wall of brick and mortar." Of course, that's an exaggeration, but the point is that you've got normal people who are trying to be faithful to a life of celibacy. Too much contact between them can lead to all sorts of moral dangers and scandal.

Yet there's another good reason: Men and women are simply very different. The purpose of Opus Dei is to give spiritual direction and other means of spiritual formation. When a priest preaches a meditation to a group of men he's likely to say things in a different way than he would to a group of women. He'll emphasize different points. He'll use different words. He'll use different examples and different humor. The women who give spiritual formation to the women in Opus Dei are much more likely to understand a woman's point of view and her struggles than a man would, and vice-versa.

This view may not be popular today in a world that tries to pretend that the differences between women and men are merely physical, but psychology and psychiatry are continually affirming these differences. In my opinion, St. Josemaría, was truly wise in this matter.

As I understand it, chapels are open to the public and oratories are private. The centers of Opus Dei are residences. People live there, so the "chapels" in them are private.

Yes. "Opus Dei" is Latin for "The Work of God." "The Work" is just a sort of nickname for Opus Dei.

Members of Opus Dei are encouraged to be active members of the parish in which they reside. When I got married I did so in my wife's parish. My uncle, who is a permanent deacon, received our vows. The parish priest said the Mass. Our children were baptized in our parish and attend the parish school. They received their first Holy Communion in our parish, as well as the instruction leading up to it. They made their first confessions in the parish. I was a lector in our parish for many years and served on the parish's pastoral council. I'm a scout leader in our parish's scout troops. My wife served on the Board of Directors of the parish's Home/School Association. We attend weekly and daily Mass in our parish. If we can't attend Mass in our parish we go to another parish, just like anyone else would.

Nevertheless, members of Opus Dei commit to assist the apostolates of Opus Dei and therefore often give more of their time and energy to Opus Dei than to their parish.

From a financial perspective, they contribute to their parish just as every Catholic should contribute to the financial support of his or her parish. Any contributions they make to Opus Dei are above and beyond, but not necessarily equal to the contribution they make to the parish.

This is the relationship members of Opus Dei have with their parish. It's the same as any other Catholic. They're subject to the pastor and local bishop in everything other Catholics are subject to them in. The jurisdiction Opus Dei has over them is in addition to any authority the local priest or bishop has, not in place of it, and extends only to those things that are the proper aim of the prelature: their personal spiritual direction and the apostolic aims of the prelature.

No. It is not true.

Like all Catholics, members of Opus Dei may confess to the priest of their choice. This is a fundamental right of all Catholics and is explicitly stated in canon 991.

Yet it's also true that it's good for a member of the Work to confess to a priest of Opus Dei because they are most familiar with their spirit and can more readily give advice that is harmonious with that spirit. They share the same vocation, after all. So members are encouraged to make a priest of Opus Dei their regular confessor.

Given that the purpose of Opus Dei is to give spiritual direction, and confession is a primary means for doing so, this should not be surprising or difficult for people to understand.

Still, when a priest of Opus Dei is not available members are encouraged to go to confession to a non-Opus Dei priest if necessary.

Fraternal correction is the practice in which brothers and sisters in the faith support each other in the pursuit of the perfection they're both striving for. Jesus recommended this practice in Matthew 18:15 - "But if thy brother sin against thee, go and show him his fault, between thee and him alone. If he listen to thee, thou hast won thy brother."

In Opus Dei fraternal correction is practiced in a way that is intended to ensure that:

• The perceived fault in the other person is, in fact, a fault or failing in the spirit of the Work;
• The person receiving the correction doesn't get hit with the same thing over and over and over again;
• If the directors of the Work are aware of some fact that makes it inopportune to make the correction, it isn't made;
• A spirit of fraternal charity is the motivation for the correction;
• The person receiving the correction is aware that the matter in question isn't simply the opinion of another member but is, in fact, an issue of the spirit of the Work.

Any member of Opus Dei may give a fraternal correction to any other member. There is an established procedure to ensure that the above criteria are respected. The person who observes a fault or failing in another member first prays about the issue and for the person to whom he will make the correction. He then goes to that person's director or the director of the center and confidentially mentions it. If the director agrees the correction should be made he gives permission. The person making the correction then confidentially tells the other person what he observed, simply and clearly. The person receiving the correction then thanks his brother or sister for making it. When the correction has been made, the person goes to the oratory to pray for the other, and then tells the director that the correction has been made.

When receiving a fraternal correction members should do so cheerfully and without making any excuses. If he disagrees with the correction he may go to the director for an explanation.

Any fault or failing in living the spirit of the Work would be matter for fraternal correction.

Priests of Opus Dei say the Mass according to the new rite that came out after Vatican II. When they celebrate Mass in a center of Opus Dei they often say it in Latin, but sometimes it's in the vernacular.

Those who find this practice objectionable should note that Vatican II, while allowing the vernacular to be introduced into the Liturgy, actually ENCOURAGED the continued use of Latin. See Sacrosanctum Concilium for more information.

Aside from the liturgical reasons for saying the new Mass in Latin, there is the practical reason that centers of Opus Dei tend to have people living in them and visiting from many different countries. Having the common language of Latin used at Mass allows those attending to participate more readily. Mass is usually said in the vernacular during retreats and other public functions.

There's also the symbolic reason that Opus Dei, being spread throughout the world, and having a universal mission, more readily expresses that reality by the use of Latin.

Having attended Mass in Latin while on my "annual course" (see Question 18), and relying on the fact that many English and Spanish words have their roots in Latin, I've learned a lot about the true meaning of many of the words and phrases in the English translation of the Mass. The experience has definitely improved my understanding of the Mass.

In Opus Dei members are encouraged to see their professional work as a means of sanctification. They're taught that they must do it to the best of theirr ability if they're going to offer it to the Lord as prayer. Naturally those who are particularly gifted may reach the top of their profession. The prestige they attain can be a genuine help in their apostolate.

Imagine for a moment that you're an atheist. If you were to work with some Catholic who seemed like a nice enough guy, but wasn't particularly good at his work, you probably wouldn't take anything he says about Christianity very seriously. In the Work, members try to remember that their professional reputation can be either a great help or a great hindrance to their apostolic activity.

It is the explicit desire in Opus Dei to help people of all social classes and conditions, especially intellectuals and those at the top of their professions, to accept the teachings of Christ and to sanctify their work so that they may influence civil society according to the will of God. Thus, you will find centers of Opus Dei close to many of the best colleges and universities, and many of Opus Dei's corporate works of apostolate are schools and colleges. See What is a "Corporate Work of Apostolate" of Opus Dei? for more information.

Still, Opus Dei is not only for the professional elite. I was an average college student at a relatively good college, graduating with a C+ average. After 20 years in my profession I'm a staff-level computer programmer at a local hospital with no particular reputation for computer programming greatness. I just do the best I can. I know cops, accountants, teachers, housewives, low and mid-level bureaucrats, bakers, computer network "cable pullers", and even janitors who are in the Work. One of the numeraries I know sells men's clothing in a department store. These are hardly the "professional elite," and most of the members of Opus Dei are like me. They're people who are just trying to support their families and get to heaven doing it.

The "norms" are the specific practices of our daily plan of personal prayer. They are discussed in Question 5.

Opus Dei encourages its members to view their professional work as a means of sanctification. They're taught that they must do it to the best of their ability if they're going to offer it to the Lord as prayer.

If a member of the Work is particularly gifted and works diligently, like anyone else he will likely rise to the top of his profession. This applies to those who work in politics as much as it applies to anyone else.

According to Vittorio Messori, author of Opus Dei: Leadership and Vision in Today's Catholic Church:

Of the 116 ministers named by Franco for the 11 different cabinets that existed from 1939 to 1975, only 8 were members of Opus Dei. There were no members of Opus Dei in the Spanish government until 1957; there were none in the final cabinet. Of the 8 who did serve under Franco, 1 died 3 months after his appointment, and another 4 were in office for only 1 term. At no time did members come close to representing a majority in any cabinet. The myth of an Opus Dei dominated Franco government is just that - a myth.

Moreover, several known members of Opus Dei were opposed to the regime. Rafael Calvo Serer, editor of the daily Madrid, was hounded into exile for his criticism of Franco, who closed the publication. Working underground, Calvo Serer helped to bring democracy to Spain. Antonio Fontan was likewise a journalist who advocated free elections and trade unions. He too was persecuted, but after Franco's death he returned as president of the Senate in 1977 to help draft Spain's new democratic constitution.

Also significant is that the Falange, the political arm of the Franco Regime, conducted several smear campaigns in the press against Opus Dei over the years. The Falangists were opposed to the liberal tendencies of the so-called technocrats - some of whom were members of Opus Dei, including Alberto Ullastres and Mariano Navarro Rubio - who wanted to modernize the economy and introduce cultural freedoms.

Opus Dei claims to take no political position whatever, and that has been my experience. I have never heard anyone in Opus Dei give a political position as part of any kind of Opus Dei activity. That isn't to say that I never discussed politics with other members of the Work. To ensure that Opus Dei never even gives the appearance of promoting one political position over another, the priests of Opus Dei are expressly forbidden to discuss politics. Of course, members of Opus Dei, including priests, are fully entitled to speak out, even in activities of Opus Dei, on issues like abortion and stem cell research - issues which have clear moral implications and where the Church has given clear guidance on what constitutes acceptable behavior for Catholics.

I would agree that there is a tendency among the members toward political conservatism. But Opus Dei does not impose any political ideology and there still exists a wide variety of political opinion among the members of Opus Dei, even if it is somewhat lopsided. I've known members who worked in the administration of President Carter. I've also known members who worked in the administration of President Reagan. I myself am a tree-hugging pro-life Democrat, and I'm not the only one.

Should anyone be scandalized by the fact that a member of Opus Dei worked in the administration of a pro-abortion president? Does that mean that Opus Dei supported President Carter or his policies? Of course not.

Should members of Opus Dei be prohibited from working in politics? Absolutely not. As long as Catholics in general can work in politics, there will be members of Opus Dei who do so.

As far as Hitler goes... The only thing I've ever heard from a source I consider to be credible regarding St. Josemaría and Hitler was a comment he once made that implied that when compared to the communists, Hitler was the lesser of two evils. The comment was made during or shortly after the Spanish Civil War, in which the communists persecuted the Church mercilessly, even executing a man they thought was him. It was also before the full extent of the horrors of Nazism were known to the world.

I remember viewing a movie of a get-together with St. Josemaría in which he said that "Jesus is a Jew and Mary is a Jew." He then emphasized "Notice that I say he IS a Jew, not that he WAS a Jew, because Jesus still lives!"

As an aside, the sentiments he expresses here are the same ones that make it so difficult for me to see how any Christian could ever be anti-semitic. It just makes no sense.

An important aspect of a vocation to Opus Dei is the vocation to give good doctrine to those around us. This requires extensive and ongoing doctrinal formation ourselves. Thus, every year members try to go away for a short course in philosophy or theology. These courses are typically held at a conference center run by Opus Dei and are taught by a member who has received a higher degree in one of the sacred sciences, either a priest or a lay person. They are also called "workshops."

Because of time constraints these courses last about a week for supernumeraries. For numeraries and associates they are typically 3 weeks long.

Because Opus Dei is a spiritual family these courses also provide the opportunity to experience the fraternity of the other members, and to get to know them better. The time spent together in an environment conducive to fellowship and prayer serves to strengthen their commitment to the Work and to each other, and to get to know the spirit of the Work more deeply.

Because they're madly in love with their spouses and they (... um ... how shall I put this?...) like to express it!  (If you know what I mean.)  ;-)

And they don't use birth control. (Gasp!)

See Pope Paul VI's masterful work, Humanae Vitae, for details.

Members of Opus Dei are encouraged to be exemplary in their witness to the beauty of large families. In today's world where so many people, Catholics included, view both children and the elderly as distasteful burdens, this witness is sorely needed. Still, members must exercise their own judgment about the number of children to have. If, in their own conscience, formed in the privacy of their own prayer they believe they have a serious reason to limit the number of children, they enjoy the same freedom other Catholics have to use Natural Family Planning. It's good for all Catholics to consult a priest in this matter when making this decision, but the decision belongs to the couple alone. The decision should be made taking into account the financial, physical, and emotional needs of the spouses and the children they already have. This includes the likelihood of being able to provide a suitable home and an adequate education.

Over the years I have seen slanders which claim that Opus Dei insinuates itself into this and other intimate decisions between spouses. This has never been my experience or the experience of others in Opus Dei to whom I have spoken. I would never have tolerated such an intrusion and I don't know of anyone in the Work who would have.

No.

God does.

See Pope Paul VI's masterful work, Humanae Vitae, for details.

I'd be very surprised if that's all it was!

Let's do some math...

Assuming they had only 5 people working on the canonization for the 20 years it took, and if it cost only $10,000 per year to support each of them, that would be $1,000,000 right there!

If you add in the cost of travel, documentation, research, bulletins promoting his cause, verification of the required miracles, the beatification ceremonies, etc., etc., etc., you can see that the total cost would be well over the $1,000,000 figure that critics complain about.

These are costs that are simply part of the process. Those who are promoting any person's cause for beatification and canonization have to find a way to pay for them.

Given that Opus Dei has over 84,000 members, the $1,000,000 figure critics find so offensive would work out to less than $12 per member. And that would be assuming no one outside of the Work contributed.

Between 300,000 and 500,000 people attended the canonization. That's three to six times the total membership of Opus Dei. And there were many, many thousands of people who wanted to attend but couldn't.

It seems to me that this "criticism" is much ado about nothing. But that's just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

One reader accused me of being disingenuous in my answer to this question. He says that the question had to do with accusations that Opus Dei "paid" the Vatican in a sort of "quid pro quo" to have Escrivá canonized. I have encountered these accusations on the Internet, but obviously would have no way of knowing whether they are true any more than any other ordinary Catholic, let alone those making the accusation. What can I say to defend the canonization? All I can say is that I haven't seen any evidence that this is true - just vague accusations of impropriety - and there would need to be complicity with many people in the Vatican, including Pope John Paul II, to pull off such a travesty of justice. You decide...

I will agree, though, that there is a kind of "cult of personality" in Opus Dei with regard to St. Josemaría. I, personally, don't have a problem with this. I would be surprised if there weren't, given that he was the founder, and obviously was fairly charismatic. He wouldn't have been able to guide and "grow" Opus Dei as effectively as he did if he did not have such a dynamic and attractive personality. Wouldn't it be kind of odd if the Franciscans didn't venerate their founder (even the order's nickname, "Franciscan", points to a cult of personality!)? Or the Jesuits?

No.

When someone joins Opus Dei he does so by means of a verbal contract between himself and Opus Dei in which he agrees to try to live the spirit of Opus Dei, to live the plan of life described above, to carry out an active apostolate, and to help the apostolic activities of the prelature, according to his talents and availability. Opus Dei, for its part, agrees to provide the spiritual direction and the assistance needed to do so.

Every March 19th members must renew the contract in the privacy of their own prayer and then notify Opus Dei that they have done so. Failure to do either of these two things without a serious reason automatically results in the member no longer being in Opus Dei. It's that easy to leave.

After 5 years a supernumerary may make the "fidelity," which is a life-long commitment to remain in Opus Dei. It is not a vow, but a promise, based on his honor as a Christian. After making the fidelity the supernumerary no longer has to make the yearly renewals. Supernumeraries are never required to make the fidelity.

Numeraries and associates must make the fidelity after 5 years, or become a supernumerary or leave the Work.

All Christians are required to live the virtue of chastity according to their state in life. Numeraries and associates, being single, live chastity as a single person. Supernumeraries who are married live chastity according to their state in life. There are no vows involved.

As St. Josemaría used to say, "We are interested in virtue, not vows."

This is one of the many things that distinguish members of Opus Dei from members of religious orders. If you were to strike a numerary in anger, you would be guilty only of assault. If you were to strike a vowed Religious, in addition to assault you would be guilty of a sacrilege.

Another practical effect of the fact that we don't take vows is that there is no need for the involvement of the Holy See when a member of the Work leaves, even if they've made the fidelity. There are no vows to be released from. This is not to say that a numerary could abandon his vocation to Opus Dei in such a manner without it being a mortal sin, at least objectively speaking. But the sin would be due to the serious nature of the obligation he was leaving behind, i.e., the obligation all Christians have to follow the will of God in their vocation, not because of any vows.

A reader pointed out to me that, philosophically speaking, if there is no identifiable difference between two things then they are, in fact, the same. His point was that while we don't call them vows, members of Opus Dei do make an explicit "personal commitment" to live the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to their state in life, and that this "personal commitment" is really the same thing as a vow. While I agree that "if it looks like a duck, smells like a duck and swims like a duck, it must be a duck", I don't agree that it applies here because of the clear differences mentioned above and because canon law clearly defines what a vow is, and for it to be a vow, it must be called a vow. Still, I see his point...

A circle is a geometric shape in which all points are equidistant from the center.

I just could't resist. ;-)

But seriously... A circle is what members call the meetings they attend, usually weekly. These meetings are designed to teach them the spirit of Opus Dei. They receive talks related to the virtues, or the norms of piety mentioned above, or some other aspect of Opus Dei's spirit. Part of the circle is an examination of conscience in which a standard set of about 30 questions is asked relating to their spirit. An example would be "Do I always work with the joy of one who knows he is a son of God?" They reflect on each question for a moment in the privacy of their own conscience.

There are circles for each of the types of members, numeraries, supernumeraries and associates. There are also circles for "cooperators," who are not members of the Work, but who wish to receive some formation in the spirit of Opus Dei. Cooperators are covered in Question 24.

A cooperator is just what the word means. It is someone who, while not being a member of the Work, would like to cooperate with Opus Dei in its apostolic activities. Anyone who believes what Opus Dei is trying to do is worthwhile may be a cooperator, including non-Catholics, non-Christians, and even those who don't believe in God.

Cooperators agree to help the Work first of all by praying for it every day. Secondly they assist in some material way, such as assisting in one of the Work's apostolic activities, or making a financial contribution.

In return, members of Opus Dei pray for the cooperators every day in the Preces (See Question 42). They may also partake in special means of formation Opus Dei offers to cooperators, like the circles mentioned in Question 23, or workshops, spiritual direction, doctrinal classes, etc. The church has also granted cooperators the privilege of receiving a plenary indulgence each year on the anniversary of the day they became a cooperator, under the usual conditions.

November being the month when special attention is paid in the church to those who have died, all priests of the Work offer a Mass during November for the repose of the souls of all those cooperators who have died. For one day in November, the members of Opus Dei are asked to offer up the Mass they attend, Holy Communion, and the Rosary for the repose of the souls of the deceased cooperators.

Often people who are not yet ready to join Opus Dei become cooperators instead, but that is not a requirement, and most cooperators never become members.

Pretty much anyone of good will may attend the apostolic activies offered by Opus Dei, whether or not they are Catholic. They do NOT have to be a cooperator. In practice, Opus Dei rarely advertises its means of formation, choosing instead to rely on the members and others who attend to personally invite others. Still, normally no one is prevented from attending.

Opus Dei offers the circles mentioned above, evenings of recollection, retreats, doctrinal classes, etc.

Probably the most distinctive "activity", though, is spiritual direction. Anyone may receive the spiritual direction offered by the Work, and this is really the most important reason for the Work's existence. This direction is intended to be geared to the individual and designed to help the individual discover how they can find God right where they are, in his job, among his family and friends, by fulfilling his ordinary duties. Numeraries and associates receive spiritual direction once a week. Supernumeraries receive it biweekly. Others may receive it on a mutually agreeable schedule.

In addition to these, Opus Dei carries out numerous "corporate works of apostolate" (see Question 29). These works, usually of a social, educational, or health care nature, are imbued with the spirit of the Work and are designed to help fill some need of the community. Examples are The Heights, in Maryland, a school for boys in grades 3-12. Another example is Midtown Center, in Chicago's inner city.

The best exposition of all the technical "nits and grits" I can find on the web is a series of pages written by Beat Muller of the Information Office of Opus Dei on the Internet, at http://www.kattoliko.it/opusdei/ingdati.htm.

The statutes have never been officially published in English. However, they are published in Latin in the back of a book called "The Canonical Path of Opus Dei - History & Defence of a Charism." Click here to find out more about the book.

Corporate works of apostolate are those activities which Opus Dei itself promotes and which Opus Dei guarantees are authentically Catholic. Opus Dei takes responsibility for everything related to their Christian character. The professional aspects of the corporate work are the personal responsibility of the individuals running the institution.

The prelate of Opus Dei appoints the chaplains and religious instructors. The boards of directors usually consist of members of Opus Dei, but may include cooperators. As a matter of common practice Opus Dei oversees the board of directors to ensure that the institution is being run according to the spirit of the Work. Opus Dei itself does not usually own the assets of the corporate works.

Corporate works include schools, universities, vocational training centers, medical clinics, farming schools, student residences, etc.

Anyone may participate and be served by the corporate works of Opus Dei. They serve the following purposes:

• To provide a genuine service to the community;
• To promote the ideal of sanctity in one's ordinary life, especially among those who might have a vocation; and
• To promote the Gospel message.

Naturally, some of those who participate in these activities will be attracted to the message of Opus Dei and will become official cooperators. Through their contact with the members of the Work who run the institution, others may even come to the conviction they have a vocation to Opus Dei.

All the conference centers of Opus Dei are corporate works. In the United States these include Arnold Hall in Massachusetts, Longlea Conference Center in Virginia, Shelbourne Conference Center in Indiana, and Featherock Conference Center in Texas. I believe there's one in California, too.

In addition to the conference centers, Opus Dei has the following corporate works in the U.S. Each link is followed by the blurb contained on the center's web site.

• The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland
  "Since our founding in 1969, The Heights has earned the reputation of providing excellent academic and personal preparation for higher education and professional work. Ours is a school where students are known by their teachers and are given friendly encouragement to develop their intellectual and moral capacities. Each student is important and success is measured one student at a time."
• Oakcrest School in McLean, Virginia
  "Oakcrest School is an independent college preparatory school (grades 7-12) for girls, which focuses on academic excellence, character development, and active parent involvement."
• Lexington College in Chicago
  "Lexington College is a private, accredited, two-year college for women specializing in hotel, restaurant and institutional management and located in Chicago."
• Midtown Center in Chicago
  "Midtown Center for boys is one of two supplementary educational centers directed by Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF). The centers aim to promote the educational and personal development of Chicago's inner city kids, providing them with hope and positive alternatives to the perils of the street."
• Tenley Study Center in Washington, DC
  "The Tenley Study Center is a not-for-profit supplemental education center dedicated to the academic and character development of young men. The goal of the Center is to provide young men between the ages of 15 and 25 with the direction and encouragement that they need to see their studies, their work, and family responsibilities in a broader and more complete perspective. Tenley’s programs stress that these everyday commitments make up an arena in which they can serve God and others, contribute generously to the common good of society, sharpen their intellects, and develop strong moral characters. By helping young men to accept and carry out their current duties well and with a spirit of service, Tenley hopes to enable them to lead stable, committed, and happy lives as fathers, husbands, friends, and professionals."
• Bayridge in Boston
  "For over 42 years Bayridge has served women, married and single, of all ages, races, creeds and professions as a unique resource center for those who wish to live by Judeo-Christian principles. Through a variety of programs, Bayridge continually looks for ways to inspire and encourage women, assisting and challenging them to be leaders with strength of character and a positive influence among their peers at the university, in their family life, and with their colleagues at work. At Bayridge, we strive to create an environment for women students that truly stands behind our vision of creating a culture of genuine feminism one woman at a time."
• Chestnut Center in San Francisco
  "Chestnut Center organizes activities for professional, college, and high school women. The spiritual and doctrinal activities offered at Chestnut Center are entrusted to Opus Dei, a personal Prelature of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei's purpose is to help people find God in their everyday lives of work, family, and social relations."

These are just a sample of the corporate works in the U.S. There are many others.

In all cases, the statutes of the Work specify that the corporate work's association with Opus Dei must be made known to all participants.

I am personally unfamiliar with this practice, so I'll quote from an ABCNEWS.com interview with Brian Finnerty, an Opus Dei spokesman:

"It's something different than some years ago, as far as the directors might open the mail. They don't read mail. They stopped doing that. That custom was changed. I think the spirit is still the same, in that people are encouraged to share it, if people think there is something important that they need to talk to or get advice on, they're encouraged to do that. I think the idea is that that's a helpful process."

Of course not!

It has often been reported that members must confess their sins to the other members of the Work during the weekly meetings. (See What is a circle?). This is absolutely not true!

The practice that has been so distorted is called the "emendatio," or in English, the "emendation." This is when, after the examination of conscience that is part of the circle, a member of the Work kneels down and says aloud "In the presence of God Our Lord I accuse myself of _______." The person giving the circle then assigns some task as a sort of reparation for the fault. Such a task would typically be "Pray a Memorare for the intentions of the Pope."

There are some important things to note with regard to the emendation:

• No one is required to do this.
• The fault that is mentioned must be just that: a fault. It should NOT be a sin. It should be a fault in living some aspect of the spirit of the Work, such as "not going to Mass on Tuesday without a good reason," or "failing to get out of bed on time."
• The person who plans to do the emendation should check with the director beforehand to make sure that it would be appropriate matter, and not a sin or something else that should be kept private (such as arguing with our spouse).
• There is no pressure to do the emendation with any particular regularity. It is left COMPLETELY up to the individual, and the individual must take the initiative.

The purpose of the emendation is to foster a spirit of humility. It also serves to encourage the other members, who see that they are not alone in their struggle to be ever more faithful to our spirit. It is very encouraging to see that even those who have been in the Work for a very long time are not perfect in the way they live their vocation.

St. Josemaría said the apostolate of members of Opus Dei should be an apostolate of "friendship and confidence." What this means is that they should be true friends to those around them, and their friends should be able to confide in them. As a brother supports his brother, members of Opus Dei should support their friends in their journey of faith.

However, like everyone else, members of Opus Dei are not perfect. I've personally witnessed situations where a member of the Work seemed (and I emphasize seemed because one can never truly know another person's motivations) to befriend a person only so he could bring him to Opus Dei. When someone thinks this has happened, he might get the impression that this is the Opus Dei way of recruiting new members. It is not!

The directors of the Work occasionally remind the members not to fall into this trap, emphasizing that if they are to be effective apostles, bringing the truth and light of the Gospel to those around them, it must come from a heart that genuinely loves their family and friends. Members are reminded that it is wrong to "instrumentalize" their friendships in the way that sometimes happens.

Please pray for Opus Dei and for all the organizations in the Church so that they may be more faithful to the Gospel and to their particular charisms.

The cilice is a chain or strap with small spikes in it. Numeraries and associates wear it around their thigh for 2 hours a day. It has also been described as a wire mesh, with the ends of the wires pointing inward. Sometimes the points are filed down.

The discipline is a cord with knots in it. Once a week numeraries and associates use it to strike themselves with.

Jesus invites all Christians to help him carry the cross. It's true that for most of us there are plenty of crosses in our daily lives, and we don't need to invent new ones. Nevertheless, it's a good and longstanding Christian practice to deny ourselves some simple pleasures in order to fortify our will, remind ourselves of the passing nature of this world's goods, unite ourselves to the sufferings of the Lord in his passion, and to offer atonement for our sins. This is the purpose of the ancient practice of fasting and abstaining from meat, for example.

It's interesting that many people understand the need to deny themselves sweets and excessive amounts of food and to get up early in the morning, regardless of the weather, to run miles and miles, enduring great physical pain. They will submit to painful operations and medical treatments, even to the point of injecting poisons (chemotherapy, botox) into their bodies. They do all these things to preserve or restore their physical health, or even just their beauty. Yet they recoil at the idea of doing things that cause far less physical discomfort if the motivation is spiritual in nature. These are the people who don't understand and are horrified at the practice of corporal mortification.

It seems to me that the controversy over the use of these means of mortification arises from the fact that they're intended to fortify the soul rather than the body, and they don't involve the use of Spandex^® or a membership in a health spa. However, these are traditional means used by many saints in the church's history, and even if they aren't used quite so much today, that doesn't diminish their value.

It's true that these types of corporal mortifications are not for everyone. In Opus Dei, only numeraries and associates use them and they must ask permission to do so more frequently than prescribed. It is my understanding that supernumeraries are not allowed to use them.

It has been reported that the cilice causes severe pain, and can even draw blood. It seems to me that would depend on how tightly you wear it. It has also been reported that numeraries whip themselves with the discipline to the point where blood splatters the walls. While I've never seen either a cilice or a discipline, I find it preposterous to believe that. The best I can tell, this lie is based on a true story about St. Josemaría in which he did use the discipline to the point of drawing quite a bit of blood. But he tried to hide this from others and even forbade his sons and daughters from imitating him in this matter. He believed that his unique role as founder required this sacrifice from him, but not from others.

Like I said, I have never seen either the cilice or the discipline, much less used them, but this answer has been read both by a former numerary who is now opposed to the Work and by a current numerary, and they agree it is accurate.

Opus Dei does not keep records of what people discuss in spiritual direction, and all spiritual direction is confidential.

It is possible, though, that the director will ask someone else for guidance if he feels he can't give sufficiently adequate advice in spiritual direction, but this is always done with as much anonymity as possible.

Obviously, in matters of assessing the suitability of new members and of the progression of members through the various stages of incorporation in the Work (admission, oblation, fidelity), it is necessary for the directors to discuss matters which may have been brought up in the context of spiritual direction. Likewise, if there is a particularly grave problem with a member which could require disciplinary action, the directors may have to discuss things that may have been discussed in spiritual direction.

ALL legitimate work offered up to God is "equally sanctifiable." How well it is sanctified depends entirely on the person performing it. There's no reason the work offered up by a janitor would be less worthy than that of a doctor. In fact, if the janitor does his work with a genuine spirit of service, does it as well as he can, and offers it up as a prayer, it is far more sanctified than a doctor who performs a heart transplant for his own glory, and does far more to spread the Gospel and build the Kingdom of God.

In no way is any profession considered to be intrinsically superior to another, at least in terms of it being a path to holiness.

All this presumes, of course, that the work being offered up is not contrary to the Gospel message and has some genuine value for society.

The Church's 2000 years of experience in leading souls to heaven have demonstrated that most people who are striving to become a saint need a sort of "coach" in the spiritual life. Many people receive this help in the form of advice given by the priest in the context of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Formal spiritual direction, however, usually takes place apart from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and often with someone other than one's confessor. The topics discussed with one's spiritual director go beyond sin, and are usually more "ascetical" in nature. The idea is that we don't simply want to have our sins forgiven and to avoid sinning again. Rather, we want to make positive progress in our relationship with the Lord. We want to continue to grow in love for Him and to get to know Him more and more deeply.

The role of the spiritual director is to guide and assist us in this process. As we progress in our spiritual lives, the spiritual director will suggest books to read and serve as a kind of "sounding board" for thoughts and inspirations we've received in our prayer. He will encourage us to persevere in our spiritual life, even when we don't feel like it. He'll suggest topics for our prayer, and assist us in getting solid answers to questions we have about our faith.

In Opus Dei, a member's apostolate is a "directed" apostolate. That is to say, they discuss the apostolate they are doing with their spiritual director to ensure they are carrying it out in a manner consistent with the spirit of the Work. This is done in the context of their regular meeting with their spiritual director. He or she may make suggestions about how to approach a particular topic with a friend or suggest they start a cooperator circle, or make some other suggestion.

Certainly it is possible to get to heaven without ever having a spiritual director. Probably most of the people in heaven never had one. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be too difficult to see that spiritual direction can be a great help in our journey of faith and love.

For those not involved in an organization like Opus Dei it would be appropriate for spiritual direction to occur less frequently than it does for members of the Work (weekly for numeraries and associates, biweekly for supernumeraries). In Opus Dei much of the spiritual direction is geared toward growth in the spirit of the Work, including their apostolate. This would not be the case for others.

One of the criticisms of Opus Dei is that spiritual direction becomes nothing more than a weekly "status report" concerning one's apostolic activity. This does happen, and when it does, members should ask for a new director if they can't find a way to make it what it should be.

Another criticism is that members of Opus Dei are bound to obey their spiritual director in everything. This is not true. They are bound to obey the directors of the Work in matters related the spirit of the Work, but we are not bound to obey him in other matters. The problem occurs when either the director or the member does not understand what the proper limits of this obedience are. There can be a large gray area. For example, a director may tell someone to start a cooperator's circle. If the member believes he can't do so, it is up to him to say "I can't do that because of this or that reason." Unfortunately, sometimes the member does not feel he has the freedom to say "No". Whatever the cause, this is unfortunate because it betrays a lack of understanding of true Christian freedom on the part of the director or the member, or both.

My experience, and the experience of most others I know, is that in practice, this problem generally does not arise, and when it does, it is easily dealt with.

There are 4 things that distinguish members of the Work (specifically, supernumeraries) from other lay Catholics who are trying to sanctify their ordinary lives and to bring other souls to Christ. They are:

1. The "plan of life." St. Josemaría specified a particular plan for members of Opus Dei to follow in their prayer life. They refer to this plan as the "plan of life." It consists of a set of practices that Catholics throughout the centuries have performed. There is nothing in the plan of life that is specific to Opus Dei, and there are plenty of other things good and holy people do in their life of prayer that members of the Work don't do. For example, I know plenty of lay people who pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Certainly that's a laudable thing to do, and it has brought many people to love God more deeply. But it doesn't form part of the Opus Dei plan of life. Nevertheless, they do have a specific plan that they try to follow. The plan of life is discussed in detail in Question 5.
2. The formation they receive. The evenings of recollection, circles, annual courses, the specific set of formative classes when they join the Work, the spiritual direction, confession to a priest of the Work, etc. This includes the spirit of that formation: completely lay, and designed to help them spread the universal call to holiness as a member of Opus Dei.
3. Apostolate. All Christians are called to be apostles, but members of Opus Dei do commit themselves to promote and assist the apostolates of the prelature. This is certainly not to the detriment or exclusion of the main apostolate they do (i.e., through their ordinary friendships), but it is a real obligation they take on, and they should fulfill that obligation generously, according to their availability, and given the specific circumstances of their lives.  In Opus Dei apostolate is a "directed" apostolate. That is to say, members discuss the apostolate they are doing with their spiritual director to ensure they are carrying it out in a manner consistent with the spirit of the Work. This is done in the context of their regular meeting with their spiritual director. He or she may make suggestions about how to approach a particular topic with a friend or suggest the member start a cooperator circle, or make some other suggestion.
4. Vocation. Membership in Opus Dei is a divine vocation, and is recognized as such by the Church. While it is certainly possible for a member to leave Opus Dei without committing a sin, they join the Work with the idea of remaining for the rest of their lives. They also join in response to their (and the directors') discernment that it is God's will for them.

To be more specific, members of Opus Dei:

1. must commit themselves to strive for personal holiness according to the spirit and practice of Opus Dei;
2. are under the jurisdiction of the directors of the Work and must obey them in all that pertains to the aims of the prelature, its government, spirit, and apostolate;
3. should assiduously try to live the plan of life in its fullness, especially daily mental prayer, the Holy Rosary, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion;
4. must lead a life of intense work;
5. must fulfill all the obligations that come with the type of membership (i.e., numerary, associate, supernumerary);
6. must carry out an active apostolate under the supervision of the directors of Opus Dei which is primarily aimed at spreading the spirit of Opus Dei;
7. must provide for their own economic support; and
8. must generously contribute financially to the apostolic works of Opus Dei according to their personal circumstances.

In return, members have the right of receiving appropriate means of formation and the ministerial care of priests of the Prelature.

Membership in a third order like the Third Order Franciscans would not be compatible with a vocation to Opus Dei. This is because membership in a third order is also considered a vocation.

However, members of third orders are always welcome to participate in the spiritual activities sponsored by Opus Dei and to become cooperators.

Members of third orders can join Opus Dei after leaving the third order under certain circumstances and with the approval of the prelate. The prelate may release them from any vows they took as part of membership in the third order.

Opus Dei is a spiritual family, and the prelate is the head of the family. It wouldn't do to have children call their father by some formal name such as "Msgr. Escrivá", or today, "Bishop Eccheverría". So when Opus Dei was beginning, the members would refer to Msgr. Escrivá as "the Father", which sounds much more natural in Spanish ("el Padre") than it does in English. The tradition has continued.

When St. Josemaría died Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo, also known as Don Alvaro, was elected to be the new head of Opus Dei. He became the new "Father" of the family, so we started calling him "the Father". Of course, that would lead to confusion... Who would we be referring to when we used the term "the Father"? Would it be Msgr. Escrivá or Don Alvaro? So it was decided that Don Alvaro, or whoever was the head of Opus Dei, would be called "the Father" and the founder, Msgr. Escrivá, would be called "our Father", much in the same way the Franciscans, for example, might refer to St. Francis as "our father, Francis".

No. Mel Gibson is not a member of Opus Dei.

I have gotten a number of emails from people explaining why they did a search on "Mel Gibson and Opus Dei". The answers have to do with the publicity surrounding Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ". It seems that because of Mr. Gibson's well known religious conservatism, some people thought he might be associated with the Work. The queries have continued in recent months due also to the book "The Da Vinci Code", in which, I am told, Opus Dei is portrayed in an unflattering light. I'm not sure if Mel Gibson is also mentioned in the book.   ;-)

Thanks to all who have written explaining why you did the search.

The Latin word "preces" means "prayers". The Preces is a set of prayers members of Opus Dei say every day. It takes about 5 minutes to say them and they are prayed in Latin.

The prayers start with invocations to the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Guardian Angels, and St. Josemaría. They're followed by prayers for the Holy Father, the bishop of the diocese, unity among all those working to spread the Gospel, the prelate of Opus Dei, and the other members of the Work, both living and dead. The next section is a prayer asking for forgiveness for their sins, for the Holy Spirit to reign in their hearts, and that all their efforts both begin and end in God, followed by prayers for joy, peace, greater sorrow for their sins, the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit, and perseverence in their vocation. The Preces end with invocations to Sts. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Peter, Paul, and John (the patrons of Opus Dei) and finally, with a greeting of peace to the other members present.

Opus Dei has been accused of this for a long time, often because they don't publish a list of members, or because their centers and corporate apostolates don't have religious-sounding names, or some such reason.

In my opinion this is due to a misunderstanding on the part of some of those in the Work and those outside the Work about what the general public has a right to know. For example, it would not be proper for Opus Dei to publish a list of members. Membership in Opus Dei is a private matter. However, the public does have a right to know of a foundation or corporate work's affiliation with Opus Dei.

Another explanation for the secrecy, real or perceived, is that given the attacks Opus Dei has suffered over the years, there is sometimes a reluctance to open themselves up to situations where their words or actions can be misconstrued.

Another frequent criticism of the Work is that prospective members (especially numeraries) are sometimes advised not to tell their families for some time that they've joined the Work or are considering doing so. When I joined Opus Dei I was given this instruction myself and it is sometimes still given.

Frankly, I don't know why it's given, and it seems kind of odd to me. Still, to put this in its proper context I think it might be helpful to remember that during its early development in Spain the Work was viciously attacked by people who truly didn't understand what it was that St. Josemaría was trying to do. Opus Dei was an entirely new reality in the Church, and there was nothing for parents to compare the Work to so they could get a better understanding.

Nevertheless, parents have a very important role to play in a young person's discernment of his vocation. They know the person better and love him more than anyone else. I sincerely believe St. Josemaría would be the first to agree with this. But he would also say that parents should educate themselves about Opus Dei if their son or daughter is considering a vocation before giving their advice. And parents should realize that it is their son or daughter's decision, just as much as it would be if they were considering becoming a priest or nun.

In at least some cities, if a young person is considering a vocation to the Work, the director of the center will meet with the parents to answer any questions they have, and if the parents don't approve, the person is not allowed to join until he is older. This, of course, would be inappropriate for a fully grown adult.

It's my hope that as Opus Dei becomes better known, all the circumstances that might lead to a young person being given this advice will become less and less frequent.

After attending the means of formation Opus Dei offers, usually for some months, a person may ask to receive spiritual direction from a priest or other member of the Work. Through spiritual direction they may come to believe they have a vocation to the Work. If the directors of the local center agree, the person will write a letter asking to be admitted. If he is asking to become a numerary or associate, the letter is addressed to the prelate of Opus Dei in Rome. If he wants to become a supernumerary, the letter is addressed to the Regional Vicar of the region in which the center is located.

Once a person has written the letter asking to be admitted he begins a period of formation lasting 6 months, during which he receives an extensive series of talks, called the "Programa", about the nature of the Work, life in Opus Dei, and Catholic doctrine. It is important to know that during this time he is not yet formally a member of Opus Dei. If he has requested admission as a numerary, he will move into a center of the Work as soon as is practical so that he can begin to live the life of a numerary up close, and begin the formation process. In the case of younger numeraries, this may not be possible for several years.

The programa ensures that before being formally admitted, the candidate is instructed that:

1. he must commit himself to strive for personal holiness according to the spirit and practice of Opus Dei;
2. he will be under the jurisdiction of the directors of the Work and should obey them in all that pertains to the aims of the prelature, its government, spirit, and apostolate;
3. he should assiduously try to live the plan of life in its fullness, especially daily mental prayer, the Holy Rosary, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion;
4. the spirit of Opus Dei encourages them to lead a life of intense work;
5. they should try to fulfill all the obligations that come with the type of membership (i.e., numerary, associate, supernumerary);
6. he must carry out an active apostolate under the supervision of the directors of Opus Dei which is primarily aimed at spreading the spirit of Opus Dei;
7. he must provide for his own economic support; and
8. he should generously contribute financially to the apostolic works of Opus Dei according to his personal circumstances.

After the candidate has completed the Programa, if both he and the directors still agree that he has a vocation, he is formally admitted to the Work by means of a verbal contract between himself and Opus Dei in which he agrees to try to live the spirit of Opus Dei, to live the plan of life (See Question 5), to carry out an active apostolate, and to help the apostolic activities of the prelature, according to his talents and availability. Opus Dei, for its part, agrees to provide the spiritual direction and the assistance needed to do so.

After being formally admitted, the new member continues to receive an intense formation in the spirit of the Work, Catholic doctrine, theology, and philosophy, going over many of the same topics covered in the Programa, but in more detail. After 1 year, if both the new member and the directors still agree that he as a vocation, he makes the "oblation", by which he becomes a "full-fledged" member.

All members of the Work receive ongoing classes in theology and philosophy throughout their lives, but for new numeraries, it is particularly intense early on, and involves several years of living in a special center of studies set up for providing these courses.

Every year on March 19, members must renew their commitment to the Work in the privacy of their own prayer and notify the directors that they have done so. Failure to do either of these two things on that day without a serious reason automatically terminates the person's membership in the Work. After 5 years of making the annual renewal, numeraries are required to make the "fidelity", which is a life-long commitment. After making the fidelity it is no longer necessary to make the annual renewals. If a numerary chooses not to make the fidelity after 5 years, he must either leave the Work or become a supernumerary. Supernumeraries are never required to make the fidelity, but they may do so at any time after 5 years, with the approval of the prelate.

The statutes of Opus Dei specify that candidates may be admitted to Opus Dei at the age of 17 years.

I've always found it interesting that among the criticisms that are often levied against Opus Dei there are two which are diametrically opposed. The first is that we are secretive and only invite the elite to join. The other is that we are too aggressive in recruiting new members.

Sometimes, it's true, someone steps over the line, one way or the other. But I think the members of Opus Dei generally strike an appropriate balance between encouraging people to consider a vocation and leaving them enough space to make a truly free decision. The criticism that Opus Dei is too aggressive in recruiting new members is particularly aimed at Opus Dei's work with younger people, including teenagers, who may not have the maturity to resist perceived pressure from an authority figure like a spiritual director, or may not have the life experience to make a fully informed decision. Fully grown adults are fairly immune from pressure of this sort, and are usually too busy or too settled in their ways to be pressured into making a commitment like this. While I can't say no one in Opus Dei has never put undue pressure on a young person to join, I can say that it absolutely did not happen in my case, and it doesn't happen in most cases.

I've seen sites on the web that point to several passages from The Way which they claim prove that St. Josemaría taught us to force people to join Opus Dei. Invariably, these accusations are based on taking the quote completely out of context. For example, St. Josemaría refers to the parable of the wedding feast, where Jesus says "Go out into the highways and hedgerows and compel - compelle intrare - people to come in." I'm going to quote from St. Josemaría's homily, Freedom, a gift from God:

In the parable of the wedding feast, when the master of the house finds out that some guests have declined his invitation with poor excuses, he tells his servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedgerows and compel - compelle intrare - people to come in.' Surely this is coercion, an act of violence against the legitimate freedom of each individual conscience?

If we meditate on the Gospel and reflect on the teachings of Jesus, we will not mistake these commands for coercion. See how gently Christ invites: 'If you have a mind to be perfect... If any man would come after me...' His compelle intrare implies no violence, either physical or moral. Rather, it reflects the power of attraction of Christian example, which shows in its way of acting the power of God: 'See how the Father attracts. He delights in teaching, and not in imposing necessity on men. That is how he attracts men towards himself.'

In other words, we should "make them come in" not by force of coercion, but by force of attraction. If we are living our Christian vocation well, then others will want to invite the Lord to join them, too, on their journey in the same way the disciples wanted Him to join them on the road to Emmaus. This is how we all should carry out our apostolate! We must always respect a person's freedom.

Unfortunately, in some cases, people have been unduly pressured to join Opus Dei. It has happened to people I know. They've felt that members of the Work manipulated their friendship to pressure them to do something they didn't want to do. I know those who have confided to me that this occurred to be honest and well-adjusted, and I trust their perception. But it didn't happen to me.

All I can do is to apologize for the times this has occurred, and to say that this should not happen! Being human, I'm sure that some people in the Work confuse "invitation" with "pressure", and have not known where to draw the line. When any member of the Work is aware of such a situation, he is seriously bound in conscience to bring this to the attention of the directors. Anyone to whom this is done should also feel free to tell the person to back off, and if they don't, to go to the directors.

Because the members of Opus Dei are human, I'm sure it does happen sometimes. It didn't happen to me.

One of the most important jobs of any parent is to teach their children to "do good and avoid evil." And as we all know, especially when it comes to encouraging our children to "choose the good", it's often hard to know how much encouragement is too much. We encourage them to participate in sports because sports are good for them. We teach them to choose the greater good of doing their homework instead of the lesser good of playing Nintendo. We try to encourage them to develop the human and Christian virtues they will need as adults to fulfill the purpose for which God made them, which is to know, love, and serve God in this life and to be happy with Him in the next.

Obviously the members of Opus Dei believe the way of life proposed and taught by Opus Dei is a good thing. They want their children to recognize it as such, and if it is God's will, to choose it for themselves. For anyone to freely "choose the good", they need to know what that good is. So there are boy's and girl's clubs, and other activities, in which the kids have fun and learn about the virtues. There are elementary and high schools in which the spirit of Opus Dei is lived and taught. There are summer camps run by members of the Work.

Parents are the primary educators of their children. So it's up to the parents to decide which, if any, activities or schools of Opus Dei they want their children to attend. As with any such decision, parents should consider many factors, including the opinion of the other spouse; the personality of the child and any special needs he or she has; the effect on the rest of the family, including the rights and needs of the parents and other family members; finances; transportation; etc.

But isn't sending your child to a school of Opus Dei putting pressure on them to join? Not in my opinion. My parents sent me and my brothers to a high school run by Franciscan friars. Were they putting pressure on us to become Franciscans? No, of course not! It's only natural for parents to want to send their kids to a school that shares their values.

Of course, there will always be some children who are very sensitive to the wishes of their parents, and will consider a simply stated request (for example, "I'd like you to think about joining this boy's club") as tantamount to a command from God. Other kids won't even consider such a request unless they're threatened with all sorts of dire consequences. So as with sports, or study, or any other good we want our children to consider choosing, it's often difficult to know where to draw the line. The line will be in different places for different kids, and we won't always get it right.

This is all common sense. What I can tell you is that St. Josemaría encouraged parents NOT to pressure their children to have anything to do with the Work. He even suggested making it a little difficult for them. He knew, and taught, that parents have a crucial role in helping their children discover their own vocation, but it is a role that requires them to respect the child's freedom. Even their freedom to say no.

Do all parents in Opus Dei live this perfectly? Of course not. Each of them has their own personality and their own strengths and weaknesses. Some of them will err on the side of pressuring their children, and others will err on the side of not providing their children with sufficient exposure to the Work for them to know what it's all about. Hopefully most of them will get it right.

I haven't read "The Da Vinci Code" and have no intention of doing so. So I'm not qualified to respond. However, I went to the official Opus Dei web site and did a search to see what they say about it. Click here to get Opus Dei's list of links about "The Da Vinci Code".

Carl E. Olson and Sandra Miesel have published an excellent critique of "The Da Vinci Code" on Envoy Magazine's website. You can read Part 1 of the critique by clicking here.

I am skeptical of any book, however, where one of the main characters is an Opus Dei "monk". That alone indicates that perhaps the author's "meticulous research" into Opus Dei wasn't quite as meticulous as he claims.

It's been so long since I've discussed this that I don't remember the details, except to say that they are supposed to get approval from their director before reading a book having to do with doctrinal or spiritual matters. They're definitely not allowed to read certain books like Marx's Communist Manifesto without getting prior approval. As for books having to do with other topics, I can't remember. I never did and was never corrected for it, so I didn't worry about it.

Most of these horror stories refer to life as a numerary. See Question 7 for a discussion of the different types of members.

It's my opinion that the root cause of these stories is a difference in expectations of what numerary life is about. Opus Dei is very clear that members are "ordinary lay people". Certainly they are lay people. And most of them are very ordinary. But it is true that there are aspects of the spirit of Opus Dei which are shared with many contemplative religious orders.

A number of years ago I watched the movie "A Nun's Story". In the movie there was a scene that bore a striking resemblance to Opus Dei's practice of the "emendation". (See Question 32) Given Opus Dei's insistence that the members are ordinary lay people, I was rather confused by this, and thought it was evidence of a religious mentality. Upon further reflection I realized that just because nuns and monks have a certain practice, that doesn't mean it's necessarily inappropriate for lay people!

For example, numeraries are completely at the disposal of Opus Dei. They are ready to move to another city, or even another country, according to the needs of the prelature. Many people who understand this level of commitment for a priest or nun see this as more appropriate for members of a religious order than for "ordinary lay people." But there is no reason a lay person can't be as committed to the particular apostolate of an organization as a religious!

Women numeraries are supposed to sleep on a board, and male numeraries to take a cold shower in the morning, offering up these mortifications for the prelate. While these practices have been common in the contemplative orders, most ordinary lay people don't do them. (As an aside, before you recoil in horror, I know for a fact that the Discalced Carmelites in Port Tobacco, Maryland, did these same mortifications as recently as the early 1980's. So Opus Dei is NOT the only institution in the Church that still practices corporal mortification.)

All members of Opus Dei are bound to obey the directors in all that relates to the spirit of the Work, including their spiritual life and apostolate. Many people feel this smacks of the obedience required of members of religious orders. But how can ANY organization, continue to function if its members, employees, or subordinates are not required to submit to authority? In my job I'll get fired if I don't follow my superior's instructions. Still, members of Opus Dei, like all Christians, must refuse to obey if they are given an instruction that is immoral!

There are other examples, too, including the cilice and discipline (see Question 34). But even lay people have historically performed these types of corporal mortifications, including St. Thomas More, and Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto (mere children, no less!). In fact, Our Lady of Fatima has asked all of us to perform various sacrifices, including small acts of mortification, for the conversion of sinners.

There is no doubt that many "ordinary lay people" don't always see practices which are part of Opus Dei's spirit as being appropriate for "ordinary lay people." But that doesn't mean they aren't.

The problem is further compounded by the fact that some of these practices are not told to new members until after they have joined, and that therefore, the new member may not feel they made a fully informed decision. When the new member expresses surprise or doubt about how these practices are appropriate for lay people, they are usually counseled to trust St. Josemaría and the directors, and to "give it time and it will become clear." In some people's opinion, this makes it psychologically very hard for a new member to decide not to proceed with full incorporation because they're afraid of abandoning what they've been assured is a divine calling. But isn't this a danger in any vocation?

At the risk of drawing the analogy to religious orders too strongly, I would seriously doubt that the Jesuits, or the Franciscans, or the Carmelites all tell every detail of their spirit to potential novices. That's what the novitiate and temporary vows is all about -- to give the novice the opportunity to learn "up close and personal" what life in that religious order is like before making a permanent commitment.

While Opus Dei is not a religious order, there is a similar time of "getting to know" Opus Dei. It takes at least 6 and a half years for someone to make a permanent commitment to Opus Dei. And this commitment does not take the form of a vow and can be gotten out of much more simply than a vow can.

I don't deny that it can be very hard, psychologically speaking, for a member to leave during that time. But I would argue that it is no harder than it would be for a Jesuit, Franciscan, or Carmelite novice to leave during their novitiate. It is often hard to discern what God is asking of us, especially when one is considering leaving what they once thought was their vocation. That is as true for Opus Dei as it is for other institutions in the Church.

There is a constant concern in Opus Dei with "winning new apostles", particularly numeraries. For Opus Dei to be able to continue, numeraries are essential. Forming a numerary takes many years and requires a great commitment of resources, both financial and personal. Also, because numeraries must receive an intense philosophical and theological formation, suitable for the priesthood, they must have or be working on a college degree. Thus, new numeraries are most often found among college students and those recently graduated from college, and Opus Dei often has centers near the finer colleges and universities. Opus Dei also runs high schools where students can come into contact with numeraries and other members, thereby learning about the Work.

When a young person first comes into contact with Opus Dei there is usually a member close to their age who will try to get to know them. If the person agrees, this member will become their spiritual director. If the spiritual director believes the person has the qualities necessary for a vocation, they will likely ask the person to consider a vocation.

Critics argue that these factors lead to many abuses. Some of the more common criticisms are:

• An "instrumentalization" of friendship, where members are encouraged to make friends only with people who might have a vocation to Opus Dei. In my experience, this is frequently and strongly discouraged by the directors of Opus Dei.
• A 17 year old adolescent can't discern whether or not another 17 year old adolescent has a vocation to Opus Dei. Yet numeraries this young are sometimes made spiritual directors of prospective members, and as such, encourage other teens to consider a vocation to Opus Dei, even as a celibate member, before they've begun to fully live the life of a numerary themselves. However, no one is allowed to join Opus Dei based solely on the judgment of a 17 year old numerary. In fact, a 17 year old numerary would be strongly corrected if he ever, without the approval of the directors, suggested to someone that he consider a vocation to the Work.
• Parents are often not involved in the process of discernment of a vocation to Opus Dei, even a numerary vocation. While this may have been common in the past, this is much less common now.

Nevertheless, I agree that these are real dangers, and have witnessed situations where they have occurred. This should not happen!

The full name of Opus Dei is The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei. Technically speaking, lay people belong to Opus Dei, and priests belong to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. But it is common to refer to both lay people and priests as belonging to Opus Dei.

Men who were numeraries or associates in Opus Dei before they were ordained are known as numerary or associate priests, respectively. Their boss is the prelate of Opus Dei, who gives them their assignments and is responsible for their upkeep. In technical terms, these priests are "incardinated" in Opus Dei.

Men who were priests before they joined Opus Dei are known as supernumerary priests. Their boss is the bishop of the diocese in which they live, who gives them their assignments and is responsible for their upkeep. They are incardinated in the diocese. They have joined Opus Dei for the spiritual direction they can get. They do not answer in any way to the authorities in Opus Dei for their work as a diocesan priest.

With the permission of their bishop, diocesan priests may also join Opus Dei as "associate" priests, and this is where it gets confusing. These priests still belong to their bishop, but he has made them more available than supernumerary priests to assist in Opus Dei's apostolates. It gets even more confusing because there are the "other" kind of associate priests, whose boss is the prelate of Opus Dei. So when you hear of an "associate priest of Opus Dei" it could be either an associate of Opus Dei who was ordained for the prelature, or a priest of a diocese who is also an associate in the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. The first "belongs" to the prelate of Opus Dei, and the second "belongs" to the diocesan bishop.

Clear as mud?