Opus Dei are the bad guys in “The DaVinci Code”. In libspeak, the MSM is saying that Rick Santorum, is like the villans, evil plotting, secret murders (Because in their mind, that book is really true because it is “based on fact”).
To liberal Catholics Opus Dei are old church nutcases. When you see pictures of Muslims cutting their heads for one of their feast days, Libs see Catholic Opus Dei members.
To conservative Catholics, they are pious laypeople.
Pope John Paul II canonized the founder of Opus Dei. That presumably gives some indication of his attitude towards the organization.