I have family members who are involved in work against Opus Dei. They are Catholic, I am not. I agree with their efforts, based on what they they have told me, which is summarized below. This is NOT a Catholic vs. Protestant issue. In that regard, I am not in agreement with Full Court on this thread. On this thread, my objections to OD were not meant to be from a Protestant perspective, since I have so many family members who oppose OD, and these family members are either Tridentine Rite or conservative Novus Ordo Catholics. So for me, this thread was not meant to involve a Reformation redux.
Repost of #27.
"Opus Dei tightly controls the lives of its members, especially the numerary members who pledge celibacy and typically live in Opus Dei residences. The following are some examples of the controls placed on Opus Dei numeraries, which are part of the "spirit of Opus Dei:"
Opus Dei numeraries are expected to hand over their entire salaries to Opus Dei, and generally may not hold their own bank accounts. The numeraries are told to use money as if they were the mother in charge of a large and poor family. They ask for the money they need each week and are then required to report how it was spent to the penny. Opus Dei does not provide any financial report that indicates how the members' money is spent.
Both incoming and outgoing personal mail is generally read by the Directors of each Opus Dei residence, without the knowledge or consent of family and friends.
Reading material is strictly controlled, as are television viewing, listening to the radio, and other forms of recreation and entertainment.
Opus Dei numeraries notify their Directors of (and secure permission for) their comings and goings.
Opus Dei numeraries are required to practice corporal mortification such as the use of a cilice (a spiked chain worn around the thigh), flagellation, and sleeping on the floor or on boards.
Opus Dei numeraries are required to confess weekly and are strongly discouraged from confessing to a non-Opus Dei priest.
Opus Dei numeraries typically may not attend events which are not conducive to proselytizing, such as athletic games, theater, concerts, movies, etc. In the rare instances when they may attend these events, permission must be secured from the Opus Dei directors.
Opus Dei members are enjoined to confess even their slightest doubts to Opus Dei priests and/or Spiritual Directors; otherwise, "the mute devil takes over in the soul."
Alienation From Families
Communication to family about involvement with Opus Dei is limited and even discouraged.
Opus Dei teaches individuals (despite their ages) that it is acceptable and even advantageous to leave parents and loved ones out of the decision-making process because "they will not understand." Most parents learn of their child's lifetime commitment to Opus Dei months and even years later. Many times, parents do not realize their children have joined because the numeraries are told to remain in university residences and do not move into centers designated exclusively for numeraries, so as not to raise any suspicions. Gradually, the bond of trust between child and parent is broken.
Display of pictures of loved ones is discouraged, not by rule, but by subtle example.
Revised November 16, 2003"
#27 posted on 05/20/2006 12:00:43 PM MDT by fishtank (
http://www.odan.org/questionable_practices.htm)First of all, everything in your post applies only to numeraries.
The vast majority of people involved with Opus Dei aren't numeraries, but supernumeraries and coöperators. (Supernumaries and coöperators aren't celibate and live their lives like ordinary Catholic Christians. I'm a wannabe coöperator. I expect that when I become a real coöperator, my wife will start reading my mail, hmm? ;-))
Second, some of the stuff you describe was common to virtually all religious orders prior to Vatican II. For example, virtually all convents or monasteries read (past tense) personal mail. Unaccompanied travel was generally not permitted for women religious; nuns always travelled in twos or threes. It was that way up until the mid 1960's, BTW.
Opus Dei teaches individuals (despite their ages) that it is acceptable and even advantageous to leave parents and loved ones out of the decision-making process because "they will not understand."
Hmm, I seem to remember some Scriptures pointing in that direction.
Look, we're talking about adults, not little kids. They're exercising a free choice to do what they're doing. What if they were entering a cloister? Then they'd never get to see their parents again except through a grille. That's again part and parcel of life as a vowed religious, which is what a numerary is.
Finally, I would take what you read on ODAN with a grain of salt. It's a website with an agenda.
People who don't like the life of a numerary and don't feel that God is calling them in that direction ... shouldn't be numeraries.