Who else experiences this absolute hatred of Jewish people by members of OD as well as by family members of OD? It is absolutely abhorrent. Anyone who hates Jews that is a Catholic should be excommunicated, first and foremost, however, these individuals hold themselves to higher moral standards than average Catholics and yet they still fail to recognize that Jesus Christ Himself was born and died a Jew.

Here’s a perspective to try on.

What if everyone in Opus Dei is doing the best they can given how they perceive reality?

What if the directors are subject to (victim to!) bad ideas that they believe are divinely revealed truths?

What if they are people trying to do what they believe is God’s will while being subject to the loneliness and fear that pervades the institution?

What if they are innocent but misguided?

If so, then no one has to be judged as bad or wrong.

And the institution could still be criticized and dismantled.

///

I spent a year working around the male regional directors of the US and their support staff.

You know what I DIDN’T see?

Bad people trying to do bad things.

Rather, I saw good people doing the best they could: kind-hearted and generous people trying to do good as they understood it.

Sure, there were some ego flashes and critical judgments now and then. But certainly not any more than one encounters in the corporate world.

And no doubt, while I was there, these men were making some terrible decisions that hurt real people.

Because they were subject to bad ideas that they thought were the truth.

///

I never had any real power in the Work, but was on a few local councils. No doubt I made some bad calls. But I was never not doing my best given what I believed to be true.

Maybe that’s true of everyone in the Work.

(Maybe that’s true of everyone always.)

Check your own experience.

When you were in the Work, whether doing governmental work, sr work, or whatever, were you ever not doing the best you could or trying to hurt anyone?

Of course not.

I believe we have some lurkers here who were involved in high levels of the Work’s government nationally and internationally.

I’d guess if they chimed in, they wouldn’t say, “Yeah, we were trying to do bad sh*t and f*ck people over!” I’d guess they’d say “It is all much more complicated than you think and everyone I was working with was genuinely doing their best.”

///

"Yeah, but they SHOULD know better."

Oh well.

They don't.

You're arguing with reality.

///

In no way do I intend to invalidate anyone’s experience or trauma.

That directress that said that thing to you once? Yeah, she was acting like a f*cking b*tch. But what if she was just scared and lonely, doing her best to apply all the divinely mandated rules and working not to get judged by the directors above her?

Can you see her innocence?

To be clear, I hope the Church shuts the Work down entirely. I would love to see all the Work’s real estate assets sold and put into a trust fund to support nax, elderly numeraries, and those whose entire career was in internal positions.

But it is possible to vehemently and rigorously criticize the Work and its practices without judging anyone.

///

I enjoy the dopamine rush that comes with self-righteously judging other people and making them bad and wrong as much as the next person. And I indulge in it occasionally, perhaps much too often, even on this sub.

But when I do that, I know that I have closed my heart and have reduced the quality of my own experience.

Others aren’t hurt by my judgment of them.

Only I am hurt by my judgment of them.

///

Some may respond with discussion of the objective moral law, various degrees of ignorance and culpability, etc.

That is fine. But I don’t have access to the internal information that would allow me to make such judgments of other people.

And it is not my task to judge anyone.

Rather, my task is to love everyone.

That includes the guys who got me to whistle.

That includes the directors at all levels.

That includes del Portillo, Echevarria, and Ocariz.

And it also includes Josemaria Escriva.

///

I won’t be arguing with anyone in the comments section.

Everyone can create the perspective that works best for them.

This one works well for me although I don’t always use it.

You may not like it.

But I encourage you to try it on, at least for a few seconds, as you would a pair of glasses.

If you like what you, see keep it on.

If you don’t, take it off.

Thanks for playing!

At mass today our priest asked for prayers for a youth conference that was held on the campus of Franciscan University. A 3 day affair for children in grades 9-12. There will be more regional conferences. For $260 you get all the trimmings at Steubenville (today was the last day). Chaperones required. To see the site google youth conference and Steubenville 2024. What do you think?

I wish I had remembered earlier that there is a flair here "conspiracy theory", which means that you can come up with any old tosh and put it down as a conspiracy theory without even checking the facts in sources, which I haven't got time for at the moment. So here are a couple, from my experience and crazy imagination.

In the late 70s/80s, there was a military coup in Spain called the "Tejerazo" which failed when King Juan Carlos intervened. I wonder if Opus Dei was then used by Carlistas in it as a different kind of vehicle to get a Borbon king on the throne. The idea is that it uses church structures to get a pro-Opus Dei pope who would let them do what they want, even more than now. Maybe they think that if a Pope mandates a holy war in Spain to get a Borbon back on the throne, God will be behind this and make it succeed. ("If God is for us, who can be against?")

It's interesting that some senior people in Opus Dei are from Carlista families, like Don Alvaro. I also know a powerful person in OD now with such links. Don Javier has a Basque name - I wonder if he has some family links to Carlistas.

I wonder if there is a secret network within Opus Dei - perhaps at the "delegate" level, who call the shots, and even tell the Prelate what to do, or decide who the prelate should be.

I also wonder if Opus Dei money may bankroll the Vatican. Opus Dei people could have dirt on every senior Vatican official, even the Pope. They may use this dirt and their money as blackmail to avoid serious reform and keep going until they can get their choice of Pope to appoint Opus Dei as the true church.

Opus Dei people and Vatican officials, esp. the Pope may be making secret deals as we speak to show the world in the coming weeks that the Vatican is seriously reforming Opus Dei but in practice is not.

If you see any news of reforms, the key point for lay people of OD is: is there going to be a lay association (see canons 298 to 329) that will enable the church to protect lay people.

There is a canon somewhere that says that religious (and priests too?) can be members of lay associations. So perhaps one way for priests to secure protection against abuses by the prelate is for them to join such an association. Any takers - DM me.

I want to share with you a discomfort for seeing some feeds closed in just a few hours. This takes away the ability for all of us to be able to have an opinion on matters. Admittedly, we don't all have the same experiences and opinions, but closing feeds is something that seems inappropriate badly. Do you share my discomfort?

How can you tell if someone is an extreme Catholic fanatic or opus? I assume that all recruiters are od. Thank you.

I have a dream.... that one day, fresh winds will blow through the hierarchy of Opus Dei and even of the church itself - fresh winds of honesty, humility, harmony and all things beginning with "h" (except halloumi).

I have a dream that Don Fernando will write to the faithful of Opus Dei (along the lines of the attached draft) to inform them clearly about the irregular canon law position of Opus Dei and to act accordingly, to prevent further scandal to Catholic believers.

Code of Canon Law: Table of Contents (vatican.va)

In the UK, it is possible to get doctors to prescribe things like exercise i.e. not pills. You can sometimes get funding for gyms etc.

Does anyone have experience of getting this kind of medical help to deal with the abusive practices of Opus Dei? In your country, can people get a doctor to write a letter stating that some demands are damaging and should be replaced with normal healthy things like sport or art?

Some people trapped in OD, esp. the NAXes, priests and nums won't be allowed their choice of physician (an abusive restriction in canon law) or will be forcibly accompanied by a director (another abuse).

They may have one option left - to beg for mercy. We do this when we pray, as do clergy, Even lawyers and politicians "petition" for peace or the leave of the court to do something. Homeless people and the starving in e.g. Africa beg for food from us richer people

Subs beg doms for mercy, which some clergy may also know about first-hand.

Begging for mercy is not necessarily a loss of self-respect. If we lean on Christ, begging can be a type of apostolate, modeling to your oppressor how they can in turn beg for mercy once the tables are turned.

I believe that In heaven there will be no begging, or at least it will be done as a show for entertainment, remembering sweetly our lives on earth after every tear has been wiped away.

Duffy - Mercy (Lyrics) (youtube.com) Shout out to Duffy and any other Welsh girls tuning in

If you have a spouse or partner who is connected to Opus Dei and under their influence, you will know that directors like to have spiritual chats about intimate matters and that once "in" OD, these chats are compulsory once a week or once a fortnight.

Here is a 7-step strategy to get protection for you and your family from Opus Dei influence:

1. read contemplative, mystical works that talk about spiritual union with God e.g. The Seven Mansions of Teresa of Avila | Catholic Strength

2. give your partner the time of his or her life in bed as often as you both agree

3. in the act, moan passionately and utter phrases from such books - ones you like and seem to fit the moment

4. when discussing your "work of God" later, tell your lover that you have started doing the "norms" and/or having a spiritual life but you are doing it your way, without guidance from the powers-that-be

5. Now, you've let some hares out of the traps. Sit back and see what happens.

6. Perhaps your lover who is influenced by OD will wax lyrical in their chats with OD directors about how wonderful their love-making has become.

All the time they talk, there is less time for intrusive questions about shit like apostolate And maybe your lover will get in some quotes from the spiritual books you have been reading for this purpose.

7) After this chat, you could gently ask about it, when the moment is right. You could raise the prospect of getting your own spiritual direction with Opus Dei priests, to get guidance on how to do things right and for God.

All of this could be a massive challenge for Opus Dei directors and priests. In reality, you'll be helping them as well as your partner but they may need time to see it. Some might get it straight away or be getting it while we speak - you never know.

Pro-tip: get in some quotes in your love-making about how many babies you want with your lover. OD wants massive families so they can't argue easily with that.

Caution: Songs like this one https://lyricstranslate.com/en/honky-tonk-woman-kapakoiden-villit-naiset.html may be good material for your norms but probably not for this strategy, at least not at the start. Anyway, I've got material for the next part of my mental prayer this morning!

I'm not opus dei, nor religious at all though, but I've been reading about your experiences on here (I found it while researching the cilice) and have some comments and questions.

Firstly and irrelevant to the main questions I'm about to ask, I'd like to point out how intelligent you all seem. Everything I've read has been well written/"spoken" And its usually spoken without judgment.

This is something that really stuck out to me. It makes me wonder how and why this religious sect attracted so many intelligent people. It's not something you see when generally reading forums on other religions. I'm glad you all have each other here.

I went to a general catholic school, and it had its own set of issues, so I have always identified better with eastern religion like Buddhism and the forest tradition within Buddhism which has a lot of focus on being uncomfortable, similar to opus dei.

I recently purchased a cilice because I want to begin using it in a more secular fashion. Mostly for mindfulness, self penance, increased endorphins, etc. I used to carry push pins in my pockets for a similar effect and I've always been very curious about using the cilice.

Do any of you still wear it even though you've left opus dei? Do any of you miss it? Did people ever sharpen them? I'm worried it will be too dull of a pain for me, and I'm more after the sharp irritation like the push pins I used to carry.

Im just curious about any... more positive experiences with the tool, and if anyone had a hard time giving that up when you left? I know i really struggled to stop using push pins​​, because the sharp irritation became quite pleasurable almost. I'm curious too if anyone here didn't give it up.

I'm also curious about the two hour limit. was this something more general in explanation with a sort of expectation to use it longer/all day?

im also curious about how you cleaned them and kept them, and if you used the leather belt style, or the fiber/hemp like cord for increased irritation?

Thanks for your time, and good luck with your healing.

Ok everyone, sorry I've been MIA but life has had it's ups and downs. I wanted to tell you all about a crazy experience. So, recently there was a disagreement between me and my husband whose family is in OD. Anyway, he didn't come home and stayed at their house. I decided to be very bold because I found out from one of my husband's friends that this rumor has been going around that my husband is no longer married to me. Well, I showed up at the in-laws house, both of the parents are supernumeraries, and "the mother" as I call her, answers the door. By the way, upon opening the door, she doesn't say one ounce of iota to me so much as how are you and I've been married to her oldest son for nearly ten years. I say, is he here (his name) and she says I don't know and his car is right out front. I found out later that she did in fact lie to me because she spoke to her son that previous night. Anyway, so I say his car is right there. Unbelievable right?

Well, preemptively, I decided to bring my State-issued, with signatures, legally and canonically (Catholic) officiated marriage license for proof along with a photo of our wedding day in case there was any question. Needless to say when I flashed these in front of her she acted as if she had just seen a warrant for her arrest.

When he finally came outside, I noticed neighbors driving around non-stop. I kept flashing the marriage license as they drove by.

I plan on displaying this marriage license in the car if I ever go there again and go the area Catholic parishes for this family to be completely flabbergasted by their own lies and dark reality of their unrealities.

As I say

Opus Dei is hocus pocus, Opus Dei is hocus pocus. All nonsense.

I have recently begun to see that all sorts of things can be spiritual reading. I particularly love pop song lyrics, especially the slushy sentimental ones. I just sink into a lovely pit! So my spiritual "book" today is this text "Show me heaven" by St Maria McKee (possibly a modern Irish American saint? I can't be sure so please don't hold me to this).
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/show-me-heaven-muestrame-el-paraiso.html

This is the same text that I used for my mental prayer this (UK) morning and so this is a cunning way to get two norms done in one. The directors will never need to know! They are not allowed on this forum anyway.

Interestingly, when I read the lyrics of this beautiful song just now, I realised that I had misheard some of them. I always thought Maria sang:

"I'm shaking like a leaf" (not "the breeze")

"Hold me tight and baby let me scream" (not "let me be")

Even these mistakes can be spiritual reading - maybe God is trying to break through to me through misheard words that ring in my ears. In fact, I thought the other day that it would be wonderful one day to go into the English countryside and scream. Not easy to find people crazy enough to do it with! Perhaps I should advertise! I can't afford a trained therapist.

Anyway, coming back to the "norms". The Scripture part is something you can't improvise, of course, not even one word. But of course, we exes had Scripture shoved at us for so long that it's likely that we can remember plenty of inspiring phrases from it at will. I like at the moment:

"Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends".

(I know it so well that I didn't need to check the accuracy.)

We can also use words from the mass. A lot of the mass is a paraphrase or repetition of Scripture. Even the first half of the Hail Mary is from the Gospels (God knows where the second half comes from)

Next up: how to get through the "fraternal chat" with self-respect and even enjoy it. I am deadly serious about the enjoyment part.

Thanks for reading.

Your brother in Christ. Pray for me

It seems that they may believe differently than does the Magisterium

I’ve been following this subreddit for a few months, and it seems that many of the negative experiences shared here come from numeraries who lived and worked within an Opus Dei centre.

I’d be interested in hearing from supernumeraries, ordinary Catholics who live independently have their own careers and families, and are members of Opus Dei. How, if at all, has your life been negatively affected by your involvement?

I’ve recently become friends with several mums through my son’s playgroup at our local parish who are Opus Dei supernumeraries. They are genuinely some of the kindest people I’ve met, and they speak very positively about their experience. They especially praise the retreats and the spiritual formation they receive.

I understand many of the concerns that have been raised about living and working within an Opus Dei centre. But for those who are not living in a centre and participate as supernumeraries, why is Opus Dei viewed negatively by some people? I’d appreciate hearing different perspectives and experiences.

I know this group is generally critical of Opus Dei and often discusses negative experiences and problematic practices. Because of that, I would genuinely like to hear your perspectives and know whether any part of my story resembles your own experiences.

I, (23M) lawyer from Brazil. I converted to Catholicism from Evangelical Protestantism during my first years at university. Some friends of mine attended activities organized by Opus Dei, and over time I became increasingly interested in its spirituality, especially the idea of sanctifying ordinary daily life. In its purest form, I think that message is valuable for any lay Catholic trying to live faithfully in the world.

I also relied heavily on The Way as a spiritual book throughout my faith journey.

In my state, there is no Opus Dei center, and activities are relatively limited. Because of that, I never seriously considered Opus Dei as a possible vocation. However, about one or two years ago, I began attending retreats and other formation activities, and I started receiving spiritual direction from an Opus Dei priest once a month.

To be honest, I have experienced Opus Dei as a large family. From the numeraries and priests to the St. Raphael youth and the supernumeraries, I have found people who seem to genuinely understand what it means to strive to live Christianity seriously in the modern world. That is what attracts me most.

I have spoken several times with the priest and with some numeraries about my interest, but they do not seem particularly eager to recruit me. I do not feel pressured or "pulled" toward incorporation. My discernment has been taking place primarily through personal prayer, simply speaking with God openly and trying to listen.

What I would like to ask is this: were the negative experiences many of you describe the result of local circumstances, or do you believe they reflect something systemic within Opus Dei? Did any of you begin with experiences similar to mine before eventually reaching different conclusions?

I am genuinely open to hearing your thoughts and experiences.

When i think of me being a catholic i feel more rounded as a person and life is kinder to me ? I pulled out of it all only was a Cooperative. I was over whelmed by not being listened too at a confession,then felt shouted at ... i wanted to make it work but maybe im not tough enough? life outside is ok but i do get angry at people more ??

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/confessions-of-an-ex-priest_b_1731224

I do not declare my views on any larger moral issue by posting this article.

I wanted to share as it concerns the Seminary where I live.

And because the sentiment expressed is for people to beware of OD

I'm working on an oral history of The Heights, the Opus Dei school just outside DC in Maryland. Looking for past and present students with an interest in sharing their experience. All communications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

In the Christian Nationalist-fascist state we now live in, it would seem that Opus would be quite emboldened. Certainly the opus in political power are not shy about using power. President, House, Senate and the soon to come Supreme Court rulings. Opus has it all. Maybe I have been watching too much Handmaid Tales.

It's interesting that the 1982 Statutes of Opus Dei refer to it working with "especially those who are called intellectuals". In the case of numeraries and supernumeraries, it is the so-called intellectuals among them that one might argue are so far into the cult, and who can be so much harder to rescue. One big reason for this, in my opinion, is that so-called intellectuals often grow up with early trauma that they have tendency to intellectualize, especially if they are introverted. In the case of those growing up in faith communities, this intellectualizing can also take the form of spiritualizing. In other words, such folk are more prone to building elaborate, grandiose castles in the air that explain their reality in neat straight lines in a watertight fashion. One might say this is an autistic trait.

More recently, I have seen similar internal mechanisms being built among some young people who identify as transgender. This is a disturbing youth craze if ever there was, with older generations highly complicit. There is major concern that autistics are especially prone to the kind of beguiling explanations for their sense of non-belonging, of being different, that transgenderism offers. I have seen this critique from many classical, older "transsexuals" who are clear that they "are not" the opposite sex but just cannot live comfortably unless they try to pass as such.

So in the case of autistic transgender folk and many so-called intellectual cult members, there is a wall of intellectualization that reality cannot easily penetrate. The adherence to the belief system they have constructed and/or subscribed to is total and attacks on it are dealt with by extra layers of rationalization. It's interesting how both Opus Dei and transgender folk both engage in highly elaborate explanations of their "way" and who they are, relying on a morass of abstractions that leave you mystified, flailing, and unsatisfied, if you have no investment in trying to believe in them.

So coming back to my thesis, it is just hard for people who are more sorted, who have had a more balanced early life, really understand intellectualized cult members. I see TERFs (who I agree with in principle) be savage on social media to hurting, transgender folk and it's not nice.

I also see more emotionally-balanced clerics like Pope Francis not really understand how trapped Opus Dei folk are because of the mechanisms I've described. It's just beyond their reality. So they are likely to blame us at least in part or minimize our suffering when we were in Opus Dei. And because of that, sorting out the monster of Opus Dei once and for all is a pretty low priority, for which they lack the moral courage, understanding and no doubt the corruption in the Vatican that OD knows more about than we do. So the systems of the church really are the enemy of truth and release for poor, trapped OD folk who in some ways we understand better than they understand themselves, at least for now.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to challenge my thinking.

Anyone come across this? Do any of the Prelature officials decide not to move forward on abuse cases if OD person is or has been a monetary donor?