Opus Dei opens the doors

Following up on the Da Vinci book and film, the Catholic organisation Opus Dei is trying to redeem itself in the public eye.

Founder 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."
"We wish to tell the world that we do not harbour crazy albino monks in our ranks", claims a spokesman for Opus Dei. One of the means of bettering public relations is to open up the archive of the organisation. Secondly, Opus Dei is actively, although not economically, sponsoring a film about Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of the organization.

Opus Dei members
Opus Dei is made up of lay members and priests; Opus Dei laity continues to work in the secular world, but remains 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: The Numeraries live a life in celibate and practice physical chastisements, whereas the Supernumeraries may be married but contribute economically to the order and live a regulated life. Furthermore there are associates, co-operators and assistants, whose job it is to clean and cook for the organisation.

Founder of Opus Dei
The founder, Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, was in his lifetime a conflict-ridden figure, but was nevertheless beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2002. Opus Dei continues to play a controversial role in the media, one of the latest examples being that the organisation made a formal complaint to BBC for airing derogatory documentaries about the alleged secrecy and cult-like character of the organisation.

A spokesman in Rome said that the producers of the new film hoped to enlist Antonio Banderas and Robert De Niro for the leading roles.

Related Information
The official homepage of Opus Dei, www.opusdei.org
The English homepage organising dissidents, www.odan.org

Related litterature
Two recent books seem to present a somewhat balanced view on the organisation.
OPUS DEI. Secrets and power inside the Catholic Church. By John L. Allen. 403pp. £ 20. 0 713 99901 2
WHAT IS OPUS DEI? Tales of God, blood, money and faith. By Noam Friedlander. 256pp. Collins and Brown. Paperback, £ 8.99. 1 843 40288 2