Opus Dei – A Religious Society that Ruthlessly Controls its Members
Unlike the previous secret organizations, this organization has very shallow roots that only date back to 1928. Opus Dei was formed by Josemaria Escriva, a Spanish Catholic priest and later saint. His goal was to create an institution that proved that all people could be called to holy works and that everyone could ingratiate sanctity into their everyday lives. In essence, everyone should be as saintly as possible, all the time. Noble stuff, for sure. When Opus Dei was approved as a part of the Catholic Church in 1950, many compared it openly to Masonry and protested the secretive nature of Opus Dei’s operations while others pointed out the closeness of Father Escriva to the fascist regime of General Franco in his native Spain.
On the Opus Dei website, you can find the teachings of Josemaria Escriva. A couple of excerpts in his own words will enlighten many to how dedicated he was to this message: “Christ’s kingdom is not just a figure of speech. Christ is alive; he lives as a man, with the same body he took when he became man, when he rose after his end, the glorified body which subsists in the person of the Word together with his human heart. Christ, true God and true man, lives and reigns. He is the Lord of the universe. Everything that lives is kept in existence only through him. (Christ is Passing By, 180)… The kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm (Matthew 11:12).” This violence is not directed against others. It is a violence used to fight your own weaknesses and miseries, a fortitude which prevents you from camouflaging your own infidelities, a boldness to own up to the faith even when the environment is hostile. (Christ is Passing By, 82).”
