Posted on 04/07/2010 6:04:10 AM PDT by marshmallow
Members attend daily Mass and set aside prayer time. Not all engage in corporal mortification, and those who do say it's nothing like in 'The Da Vinci Code.'
Julia Boles, 46, lives in Arcadia with her lawyer husband and their nine children, ages 5 to 20. She also manages to attend Mass daily, set aside two times a day for prayer and, with her children, pray the rosary.
"People say, 'Nine kids? How do you handle that and go to Mass?' I say, 'How could I do this without the Mass?' "
Boles is a member of one of the most talked about, least understood Catholic organizations in the world: Opus Dei, which means "work of God" in Latin.
Although the face of Opus Dei in "The Da Vinci Code" is a murderous masochistic monk -- a fiction, the group's members say -- it is Boles who typifies the group's American demographic: She's a woman. The majority of the 190 members in L.A. are women, as are slightly more than half of the 3,000 members in the U.S.
There are no monks. And only 2% of the organization's nearly 90,000 members worldwide are priests, one of whom was Jose Gomez, the newly named successor as archbishop to Cardinal Roger Mahony. Gomez is the only priest to come up through Opus Dei who has been made a U.S. bishop.
Yet, even ignoring the distortions of "The Da Vinci Code," critics have pointed to the group's historic connection to right-leaning governments and its secretiveness. Brian Finnerty, spokesman for Opus Dei in the U.S., said the group takes no political positions.
Seton Hall law professor John Coverdale said the organization's goal is to offer lay Christians a path toward a holier life, without becoming a priest or a nun.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Why is it that your friend’s experiences are “facts” and mine are “notions”? Do you see a disconnect there, because I sure do.
I agree. But it's odd what you describe, because O.D. has a reputation for being "secretive" because -- as it was explained to me -- members are supposed to be Catholics first, not "Opus Dei members" or "Opus Dei Catholics", and therefore not in-your-face about their involvement. Being elitist about it is to miss the whole point.
Oh, and BTW — why didn’t she go to the police? What she describes would be illegal six ways to Sunday in the US.
I guess some people miss the point, whatever that is. There is always the temptation to form exclusive groups for no other reason but to be exclusive. For people who are not worthy enough in their own minds and need to be “special.”
Yes, I too see a disconnect. My friend’s experiences are facts because they truly happened, and were systemic within that home.
Do you personally know any person who was “on the inside” living in celibate community? Or are you only going by what you read?
Please tell me that you do not affirm the abuse she and others within that home experienced.
As I said, she was not in the US. She was in Latin America.
Several of them.
systemic within that home
Oh, I thought you meant "systemic within Opus Dei", and were making a claim about a world-wide organization based on one person's experience.
Please tell me that you do not affirm the abuse she and others within that home experienced
Not sure what you mean by that, sorry.
I still think she should have gone to the police. Even in Latin America, they have laws against kidnapping and giving drugs to people outside of a medical setting.
My friend (and others living in that home with her) was abused in many ways through Agnus Dei, and yet you seem to have no compassion for her, only defending Agnus Dei. That sounds like you affirm abuse. Just saying what it looks like.
I’ve asked her to provide me more detailed narrative of what happened. If you’re open to hearing, that may help you better understand the dark side of Agnus Dei.
To be clear, Jesus is in no way abusive or “dark.” But some organizations that claim His name certainly are — wielding a heavy hand to exert control over their members.
“...through Agnus Dei, and yet you seem to have no compassion for her, only defending Agnus Dei...”
I think you are confused about what exactly it is your friend was involved with.
This thread is about OPUS DEI.
Then I suggest you re-read the Religion Forum guidelines on "mind-reading" other members, and why it's prohibited behavior.
"Affirming abuse" still doesn't make any sense. Affirm that it occurred? Affirm that it's a good thing? Obviously I don't think it's a "good thing".
yet you seem to have no compassion for her
No, I just don't find her story very believable. That's not a "Catholic thing"; any time I hear an adult complain that they'd had this and that illegal act committed against them, but never bothered to go to the police, I have trouble giving them much credibility.
And "Agnus Dei" (Latin for "Lamb of God") is the hymn that is sung at Mass before the distribution of communion.
"Opus Dei" (Latin for "Work of God") is an organization founded to help lay Catholics lead holier lives, principally by reflecting on their station in Christ as adopted sons and daughters of God through grace.
Typo. Of course I meant Opus Dei.
As I just explained to someone else “Agnus Dei” was a typo. Of course I meant “Opus Dei.”
You can read my friend’s testimony here:
http://www.odan.org/tw_deception_and_drugs.htm
Or you can ignore it completely and continue as you are in joyous ignorance.
May Jesus increase. May Rome — and all the false religions that emanate from it, including Roman Catholicism — decrease and go to hell.
OOPS. Looks like Theo stuck her finger in the light socket.
The overtime works of the anti-Catholics are usually electric and turn out poorly for them as they predictably go over the cliff.
I love the little I have seen of Opus Dei. The priests among them are stand outs, and I hope Gomez will do very well in L.A. diocese.
You’re a bit late to the party, aren’t you?
I reject your curse, in the name of Jesus Christ.
You’re a bit late to the party, aren’t you? I reject your curse, in the name of Jesus Christ.” ====
Oh, please. I am not in to curses, and your rank ignorance is not curse material. Now take your finger out of the light socket.
You’re a bit late to the party, aren’t you? I reject your curse, in the name of Jesus Christ.” ====
Oh, please. I am not in to curses, and your rank ignorance is not curse material. Now take your finger out of the light socket.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
I think you’re right in speaking to the form and substance of posting and “making it personal”. I do know better and will try to avoid both the snarkers and snarking.
That being said, I am the new Religion Moderator since I have a seal from Hallmark for their envelopes. They are gold and embossed.
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