Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2006, Page 93
Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most
Controversial Force in the Catholic Church
John L. Allen, Jr., 2004, Doubleday Religion, November 2005. ISBN: 0-385-
51449-2 (hardcover) $24.95. 416 pages
Not much irritates a former member of a cult more than to hear someone misrepresent
details or exaggerate what happens in the cult. If that last statement is true, think how
irritated a current member of a controversial group can be in the same situation. A
misrepresentation of one‘s group or culture is a misrepresentation of one‘s behavior and
identity: ―That is not what we did that is not who I am.‖ To understand the nuances and
complexity of any group, a critic must avoid reliance on stereotypes and the extreme
behaviors that do not represent the common experience of group members.
Soon to be released as a major motion picture, The Da Vinci Code, a bestselling work of
fiction, has dragged one controversial Catholic group into more controversy than it
deserves. That work of fiction by Dan Brown claims to represent Opus Dei as an extremist
group willing to kill and bribe to retain its powerful, conservative position in the Catholic
Church. A key Opus Dei character in the book is a hooded albino monk who not only does
the killing, but also flagellates himself in acts of bloody penance purportedly required by his
sect. At least that is the impression I easily got from Brown‘s book.
John L. Allen, Jr., is the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and a
Vatican analyst for CNN and National Public Radio. He is the author of the best-selling book
Conclave, about the selection process of a new Catholic pope. Allen has the skills,
connections, and breadth of experience to tackle this unwieldy subject. Opus Dei (literally,
―the work of God‖) is a personal prelature of the Roman Catholic Church. People familiar
with Opus Dei merely call it ―the Work.‖ Inspired by a vision in 1928, Opus Dei‘s recently
canonized founder, Saint Josemaria Escrivá, conceived his movement as a nonreligious
order in which all Catholics, lay and religious, can participate by dedicating themselves to
Catholic principles and applying those principles in every phase of life, especially secular.
There is even a category in Opus Dei for non-Catholics.
Allen opens his book by calling Opus Dei the ―Guinness Extra Stout‖ of the Catholic Church.
In a world of ―lite‖ and ―diet,‖ Guinness takes us back to an old tradition of a drink with a
punch, a real beer, if you will. Allen calls Opus Dei ―the most controversial force‖ in the
church. Not a religious order like the Jesuits or Franciscans, Opus Dei occupies a special
category as a personal prelature—the prelate is an elected leader who may or may not be a
member of a religious order. Opus Dei has a structure based on intensity of commitment.
Numeraries at the high commitment level are 20 percent of membership. Numeraries are
celibate, live in centers of separate genders, and follow the daily rituals as strictly as
possible. Numerary assistants, a special category, number about 4,000 women that serve
as maids and servants at Opus centers. Associates are celibate members that live with their
families, may or may not be married, and otherwise have commitments in the world.
Supernumeraries, comprising 70 percent of Opus Dei membership, are less committed, not
celibate, and can be householders with children and businesses. There are also cooperators,
who may or may not be Catholics, but who nevertheless practice principles of a Christian life
as espoused by the group. Opus Dei members are socially invisible, meaning that the
member wears no identifying costume or emblem and while working in society rarely
reveals that he or she is a member. This last feature, fairly or not, has given Opus Dei the
reputation of a secret society.
Personal purification rituals in Opus Dei are voluntary but highly touted. These rituals
include the discipline or flagellation of the back with a small, whip-like cord. Another ritual is
enduring the cilice or barbed strap worn tight around the thigh for short periods. The cilice
can cause minor skin wounds. An eye witness reported that Escrivá whipped himself so long
Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most
Controversial Force in the Catholic Church
John L. Allen, Jr., 2004, Doubleday Religion, November 2005. ISBN: 0-385-
51449-2 (hardcover) $24.95. 416 pages
Not much irritates a former member of a cult more than to hear someone misrepresent
details or exaggerate what happens in the cult. If that last statement is true, think how
irritated a current member of a controversial group can be in the same situation. A
misrepresentation of one‘s group or culture is a misrepresentation of one‘s behavior and
identity: ―That is not what we did that is not who I am.‖ To understand the nuances and
complexity of any group, a critic must avoid reliance on stereotypes and the extreme
behaviors that do not represent the common experience of group members.
Soon to be released as a major motion picture, The Da Vinci Code, a bestselling work of
fiction, has dragged one controversial Catholic group into more controversy than it
deserves. That work of fiction by Dan Brown claims to represent Opus Dei as an extremist
group willing to kill and bribe to retain its powerful, conservative position in the Catholic
Church. A key Opus Dei character in the book is a hooded albino monk who not only does
the killing, but also flagellates himself in acts of bloody penance purportedly required by his
sect. At least that is the impression I easily got from Brown‘s book.
John L. Allen, Jr., is the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and a
Vatican analyst for CNN and National Public Radio. He is the author of the best-selling book
Conclave, about the selection process of a new Catholic pope. Allen has the skills,
connections, and breadth of experience to tackle this unwieldy subject. Opus Dei (literally,
―the work of God‖) is a personal prelature of the Roman Catholic Church. People familiar
with Opus Dei merely call it ―the Work.‖ Inspired by a vision in 1928, Opus Dei‘s recently
canonized founder, Saint Josemaria Escrivá, conceived his movement as a nonreligious
order in which all Catholics, lay and religious, can participate by dedicating themselves to
Catholic principles and applying those principles in every phase of life, especially secular.
There is even a category in Opus Dei for non-Catholics.
Allen opens his book by calling Opus Dei the ―Guinness Extra Stout‖ of the Catholic Church.
In a world of ―lite‖ and ―diet,‖ Guinness takes us back to an old tradition of a drink with a
punch, a real beer, if you will. Allen calls Opus Dei ―the most controversial force‖ in the
church. Not a religious order like the Jesuits or Franciscans, Opus Dei occupies a special
category as a personal prelature—the prelate is an elected leader who may or may not be a
member of a religious order. Opus Dei has a structure based on intensity of commitment.
Numeraries at the high commitment level are 20 percent of membership. Numeraries are
celibate, live in centers of separate genders, and follow the daily rituals as strictly as
possible. Numerary assistants, a special category, number about 4,000 women that serve
as maids and servants at Opus centers. Associates are celibate members that live with their
families, may or may not be married, and otherwise have commitments in the world.
Supernumeraries, comprising 70 percent of Opus Dei membership, are less committed, not
celibate, and can be householders with children and businesses. There are also cooperators,
who may or may not be Catholics, but who nevertheless practice principles of a Christian life
as espoused by the group. Opus Dei members are socially invisible, meaning that the
member wears no identifying costume or emblem and while working in society rarely
reveals that he or she is a member. This last feature, fairly or not, has given Opus Dei the
reputation of a secret society.
Personal purification rituals in Opus Dei are voluntary but highly touted. These rituals
include the discipline or flagellation of the back with a small, whip-like cord. Another ritual is
enduring the cilice or barbed strap worn tight around the thigh for short periods. The cilice
can cause minor skin wounds. An eye witness reported that Escrivá whipped himself so long
