Post by furanui on Jul 29, 2005 5:38:14 GMT -5
All credits goes to ODAN Opus Dei Awareness Network
What is Opus Dei?
Opus Dei is an organization founded in Spain in 1928 by Josemaria Escriva DE Balaguer.The stated aim of Opus Dei is to spread throughout society a profound awareness of the universal call to holiness and apostolate through one's professional work carried out with freedom and personal responsibility.(Encyclopedia of Associations).Opus Dei is made up of lay members and priests;Opus Dei laity continue to work in secular world ,but remain under the strict spiritual direction of Opus Dei.All Opus Dei members follow the plan of life,made up of spiritual practices such as daily Mass, rosary,Spiritual reading,and mental prayer,as well as Opus Dei prayers and customs.there are different classes of membership in Opus Dei:
Numerary members pledge to remain celibate and generally live in Opus Dei houses.they commit their entire salaries to Opus Dei,submit incoming and outgoing mail to their directors,and practice various forms of corporal mortification,including the use of the cilice,a spiked chain worn around the thigh,and use of the discipline,a knotted rope for whipping.
Supernumerary members may be married and live with their families.They follow the same plan of life as the numeraries,but do not know about many of the details of numerary life.They contribute large portions of their income to Opus Dei,often at the expanse of their local parishes.
Numerary priests join Opus Dei as lay members but are then hand-picked by Opus Dei superiors to become priests of Opus Dei.numerary priests hold the top government positions in Opus Dei.Many hold important positions in the Vatican.Each Opus Dei house is assigned a numerary priest,whose responsibilities include saying the Mass,hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction to the Opus Dei members.
Associate Opus Dei members also pledge celibacy but do not generally live in Opus Dei houses.They include people who have not acquired university degrees or who must remain with their families for personal reasons.
Numerary assitants are women who pledge celibacy and are responsible for the care and cleaning of all Opus Dei residences.
Cooperators of Opus Dei provide financial support but are not considered members of Opus Dei.Unlike Opus Dei members cooperators do not have to be Catholic.
Despite its seemingly noble intentions Opus Dei has stirred up controversy in countries all over the world.Families of Opus Dei members are almost never involved in the vocation process (in fact Opus Dei itself discourages its new members from even telling their families about their decision!) Also questionable are Opus Dei's recruiting tacticts, which are compareable to the tactics used by cultic groups.Perhapsmost controversial is the effort to canonize Opus Dei's founder ,Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, who died in 1975 and was beatified amidst substantial controversy in 1992,and was canonized on October 6,2002 in Rome Italy.See ODAN's opposition to the canonization. Also controversial in the early 1980's was the granting of Opus Dei to be a personal prelature within the Church.A personal prelature is an entity within the Catholic Church that is headed by a prelate(currently Javier Echevarria)and defined by persons rather than by geographical area (such as dioceses).Therefore local bishops have little control over Opus Dei's membership,activities or practices.Opus Dei has stated that there are approximately 80,000 Opus Dei members worldwide.opus Dei is located in many countries,including England,Spain,Italy,Ireland,Canada,Mexico,Japan,The Philippines,countries in Central and South America, and many others including the United States.Opus Dei generally locates in or near major cities often near prestigious universities, where they hope to attract recruits.Since its inception in 1991,ODAN has been in contact with people from all over the world who have experienced the questionable practices of Opus Dei.Many are fromer members;others who have contacted ODAN included parents,siblings and friendsof current or fromer Opus Dei members;priests and religious,including bishops and campus ministers;many more.From the contacts ODAN has made.it has become apparent that wherever Opus Dei is there is controversy.
Opus Dei's Questionable Practices
The following practices of Opus Dei are not common knowledge and need to be examined and questioned.The serious issues ODAN raises are based on first hand personal experiences.Corporal mortification, Aggressive recruitment/undue pressure to jion,Lack of infromed consent and control of environment,Alienation from familyies
Corporal Mortification
Corporal mortification (self-inflicted pain and deprivation) is perhaps the most shocking practice.See the corporal mortification web page for more details.
Aggressive Recruitment
"University residences,universeities,publishing houses...are those ends? No,and what is the end?...to promote in the world the greatest possible number of souls dedicated to God in Opus Dei...'(Founder of Opus Dei, Cronica, v, 1963) Within Opus Dei,a heavy emphasis is placed on getting individuals to commit thier lives to Opus Dei.Members pursuit of potential members is aggressive and similar to the tactics used by totalisict groups.Becuase of this,ODAN belives the group violates the personal freedoms of indiviuals.Opus Dei has a highly structured apostolate.Opus Dei members form ''teams'' and develop strategies to attract new members.For example,if the potential recruit is an avid then the numerary plan a weekend ski trip,when the "numerary friend" is pressured to tell the recruit that he or she may have a vocation,after which the numerary must report back to the Director.If the recruit is receptive,then the director may talk more in depth about the vocation.They discuss "promissing recruts" at thier daily get-togethers (for members only) and during spiritual direction with Opus Dei preists and lay members.Opus Dei members often which recruts are closets to joining,even if the person is hundereds of miles away.
I will add the rest later.
So for now Adios Amigos!!!
What is Opus Dei?
Opus Dei is an organization founded in Spain in 1928 by Josemaria Escriva DE Balaguer.The stated aim of Opus Dei is to spread throughout society a profound awareness of the universal call to holiness and apostolate through one's professional work carried out with freedom and personal responsibility.(Encyclopedia of Associations).Opus Dei is made up of lay members and priests;Opus Dei laity continue to work in secular world ,but remain under the strict spiritual direction of Opus Dei.All Opus Dei members follow the plan of life,made up of spiritual practices such as daily Mass, rosary,Spiritual reading,and mental prayer,as well as Opus Dei prayers and customs.there are different classes of membership in Opus Dei:
Numerary members pledge to remain celibate and generally live in Opus Dei houses.they commit their entire salaries to Opus Dei,submit incoming and outgoing mail to their directors,and practice various forms of corporal mortification,including the use of the cilice,a spiked chain worn around the thigh,and use of the discipline,a knotted rope for whipping.
Supernumerary members may be married and live with their families.They follow the same plan of life as the numeraries,but do not know about many of the details of numerary life.They contribute large portions of their income to Opus Dei,often at the expanse of their local parishes.
Numerary priests join Opus Dei as lay members but are then hand-picked by Opus Dei superiors to become priests of Opus Dei.numerary priests hold the top government positions in Opus Dei.Many hold important positions in the Vatican.Each Opus Dei house is assigned a numerary priest,whose responsibilities include saying the Mass,hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction to the Opus Dei members.
Associate Opus Dei members also pledge celibacy but do not generally live in Opus Dei houses.They include people who have not acquired university degrees or who must remain with their families for personal reasons.
Numerary assitants are women who pledge celibacy and are responsible for the care and cleaning of all Opus Dei residences.
Cooperators of Opus Dei provide financial support but are not considered members of Opus Dei.Unlike Opus Dei members cooperators do not have to be Catholic.
Despite its seemingly noble intentions Opus Dei has stirred up controversy in countries all over the world.Families of Opus Dei members are almost never involved in the vocation process (in fact Opus Dei itself discourages its new members from even telling their families about their decision!) Also questionable are Opus Dei's recruiting tacticts, which are compareable to the tactics used by cultic groups.Perhapsmost controversial is the effort to canonize Opus Dei's founder ,Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, who died in 1975 and was beatified amidst substantial controversy in 1992,and was canonized on October 6,2002 in Rome Italy.See ODAN's opposition to the canonization. Also controversial in the early 1980's was the granting of Opus Dei to be a personal prelature within the Church.A personal prelature is an entity within the Catholic Church that is headed by a prelate(currently Javier Echevarria)and defined by persons rather than by geographical area (such as dioceses).Therefore local bishops have little control over Opus Dei's membership,activities or practices.Opus Dei has stated that there are approximately 80,000 Opus Dei members worldwide.opus Dei is located in many countries,including England,Spain,Italy,Ireland,Canada,Mexico,Japan,The Philippines,countries in Central and South America, and many others including the United States.Opus Dei generally locates in or near major cities often near prestigious universities, where they hope to attract recruits.Since its inception in 1991,ODAN has been in contact with people from all over the world who have experienced the questionable practices of Opus Dei.Many are fromer members;others who have contacted ODAN included parents,siblings and friendsof current or fromer Opus Dei members;priests and religious,including bishops and campus ministers;many more.From the contacts ODAN has made.it has become apparent that wherever Opus Dei is there is controversy.
Opus Dei's Questionable Practices
The following practices of Opus Dei are not common knowledge and need to be examined and questioned.The serious issues ODAN raises are based on first hand personal experiences.Corporal mortification, Aggressive recruitment/undue pressure to jion,Lack of infromed consent and control of environment,Alienation from familyies
Corporal Mortification
Corporal mortification (self-inflicted pain and deprivation) is perhaps the most shocking practice.See the corporal mortification web page for more details.
Aggressive Recruitment
"University residences,universeities,publishing houses...are those ends? No,and what is the end?...to promote in the world the greatest possible number of souls dedicated to God in Opus Dei...'(Founder of Opus Dei, Cronica, v, 1963) Within Opus Dei,a heavy emphasis is placed on getting individuals to commit thier lives to Opus Dei.Members pursuit of potential members is aggressive and similar to the tactics used by totalisict groups.Becuase of this,ODAN belives the group violates the personal freedoms of indiviuals.Opus Dei has a highly structured apostolate.Opus Dei members form ''teams'' and develop strategies to attract new members.For example,if the potential recruit is an avid then the numerary plan a weekend ski trip,when the "numerary friend" is pressured to tell the recruit that he or she may have a vocation,after which the numerary must report back to the Director.If the recruit is receptive,then the director may talk more in depth about the vocation.They discuss "promissing recruts" at thier daily get-togethers (for members only) and during spiritual direction with Opus Dei preists and lay members.Opus Dei members often which recruts are closets to joining,even if the person is hundereds of miles away.
I will add the rest later.
So for now Adios Amigos!!!