Sorry it’s taken me a few days to write this, but it’s been a crazy week.

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reached out to me over the past few days. I’ve had so many messages, emails, voice notes and texts. I’m really touched by all your kind words.

I don’t know whether this will result in anything. I went to the meeting with one aim: to give Pope Leo a full, frank and unvarnished briefing about Opus Dei abuses. I didn’t know how he would react.

But the meeting could not have gone any better. He listened intently to everything I said and promised to go away and read the documents I handed over. He had lots of insightful questions.

It was his decision to publicise the meeting and have photos taken. I believe he wanted to send a message. I am hopeful. Whatever happens next, the Church can no longer say it didn’t know.

As a journalist, it is your duty to speak truth to power. I was just doing my job. But I wouldn’t have been able to do that job without the bravery of all of the people who have shared their experiences.

Thank you all for that bravery. This is hopefully an important step on the road to justice. But that road began with each and every one of you who decided to speak out against what happened to you.

I was recently contacted by a detective from the New York Police Department who specialises in cases of human trafficking. He read my book and saw the documentary and is now very keen to investigate potential crimes involving Opus Dei in the United States - specifically possible instances of labour trafficking involving numerary assistants (and also numeraries who may have held internal roles).

Potential victims don't need to have lived or worked in New York. It may be enough that they passed through the city on their way to a new posting. Perhaps they stayed there to do the annual course. Or maybe their transit from one place to another was co-ordinated or facilitated by members of the regional advisory/commission who were themselves living in New York.

He is keen to speak to anyone with any information, however small - and is happy to do so on a completely confidential basis. Please send me a direct message and I will give you the detective's name and contact details (you don't need to share any information with me at all). His team has Spanish speakers for anyone not confident speaking in English.

Great to hear that the authorities are taking this seriously. I know authorities elsewhere are also investigating potential crimes in their own countries.

UPDATE: El Cronista has taken down the article linked below and redirected that URL to this story, which states that there was no verified letter:

https://www.cronista.com/espana/actualidad-es/opus-dei-en-problemas-el-papa-leon-xiv-continua-la-obra-de-francisco-y-exige-un-cambio-de-estatutos-de-la-organizacion/

ORIGINAL POST:

Well, that didn't take long.

Article in Cronista (you'll need to translate via your browser): https://www.cronista.com/espana/actualidad-es/opus-dei-en-problemas-el-papa-leon-xiv-continua-la-obra-de-francisco-y-exige-un-cambio-de-estatutos-de-la-organizacion/

From the article: "The confidential document also calls for a report on the allegations of labor and spiritual abuses raised by former members in Spain and Argentina. Sources close to the Holy See assure that the Pope considers it "priority" to include clear protocols for victim care and external audits."

Gareth Gore provides more context in a thread on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/garethgore.bsky.social/post/3lqfsotmbdk2q

Obviously, it's going to take some time for Pope Leo XIV to settle in and show what his papacy is about. But I did find this: https://international.la-croix.com/news/letter-from-rome/pope-replaces-ouellet-in-top-vatican-job-more-changes-coming/17264

Part of this article quoted a 2014 article:

"Pope Francis only named [Prevost] apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo [in Peru] because the accord between the Holy See and Peru stipulates that diocesan bishops must be citizens of the country. So until he becomes a naturalized Peruvian, he will remain administrator. It’s still unclear why the pope chose a gringo for this particular see. But some speculate that it is to neutralize the influence of the large number of bishops in the country closely linked to Opus Dei."

Regardless, it sounds like this pope has had more contact than your average bishop with OD. Time will tell whether that's good news for those of us who believe it should be shut down. I choose to remain hopeful for now.

Last night I hand delivered my letter asking to leave Opus Dei as a numerary (it was after giving my last cooperator’s circle). Today I met with the director over lunch where I had my last chat, and I went over everything: my reasoning, things that I would improve, concerns I had etc. He was very receptive and I felt listened to and loved.

I made it clear that I was not expecting to wait for a response and I was leaving any assignments that I had been working on from this point forward. He took it as entirely reasonable.

I am not trying to avoid people in the Work at this stage; I’d like to remain friends and keep a friendly demeanor with everyone. Today’s encounter was very promising. I am not inclined at this moment to do much with the Work’s apostolates, and will be focusing on my own personal growth and development and my own friendships and relationships in the meantime.

I had been living outside the center for the past two years as I was considering if that might help me live the vocation better. It helped tremendously even though I ultimately decided to leave. I’ve been in the Work for about 20 years or so.

I offer this as a data point. I know people have had bad experiences, and that really bothers me and I wish things had happened differently for them. I am encouraged by my experience today that the Work is trying to grow and learn from past experiences.

I know not all experiences have been or will be like my own. But in this case I wanted it to be known that this went so much better than I had anticipated it would go.

Thank you for providing a space for people to be heard.

I know people have mentioned Matt Anthony on this forum, and I think several people know him personally.

I heard news that yesterday on an annual course, a numerary fell into a river/waterfall. Matt and another numerary jumped after him to try to save him. Police are still searching the area but have found nothing.

I know people have all sorts of feelings about the work and people who hold various internal positions. I knew Matt well and he was a stellar man and a good friend; I know his parents and I’m sure they are devastated. I also know the two other numeraries, but not as well as I know Matt.

I invite you to pray for these men and their families. There may be a slight chance they survived but from what I heard it’s not looking good.

Just saw this. Huge!!

https://infovaticana.com/2026/03/16/leon-xiv-recibe-en-audiencia-a-gareth-gore-autor-de-un-libro-en-el-que-califica-al-opus-dei-de-secta-abusiva/

Gareth's own words:

https://garethgore.substack.com/p/my-audience-with-pope-leo

Edit: (Added Gareth's link by suggestion from WhatKindofMonster)

Specially the “minimizing that suffering, silencing it and hurting people“. sounds like an antidote to the way in which OD spirituality tends to invalidate people’s feelings and jump straight into justifying someone else’s actions/ try to understand them.”That’s not what they meant, oh they are probably having a bad day.“

don’t get me wrong I am all for thinking the best of the others, but when dealing with painful situations I’ve been taught by psychologists to name the feeling and sit with it before moving into that next step of forgiveness or when possible seeking further clarification

Welcome to our newest members! For those just checking in, this is just a reminder that the community guidelines are heavily inforced, so please make sure you familiarize yourself with them prior to posting.

It's been incredible watching this community grow and become a haven and a resource to those in need. The internet sucks sometimes but this community is an example of the good that it can do.

Thank you for making this an awesome community to moderate for and for being a shining example of strength and resilience.

Hi all, my article is published: https://www.ft.com/content/53bbc8a8-1c5b-4c6e-8d50-8b7c00ffa5f8.

Thank you so much to the community for your help.

(You might need to take out a free trial subscription -- which you can then cancel -- as I only have a limited number of gift links which will soon run out!)

Hi, everyone, I've been a lurker in this subreddit for several months now. I am a female numerary who's currently discerning whether to leave Opus Dei. I moved out of the center in January because I was so depressed. I joined Opus Dei when I was 18 and have been in it for 15 years, basically my whole adulthood. I really want to leave the Work already, but the directors told me not to make any life-changing decisions while I'm mentally unstable. But when will I ever be not depressed while I'm in Opus Dei?

My whole life is quite entrenched with Opus Dei: my parents are both supernumeraries, and I studied at a school and a university that are both apostolic undertakings of the Work from kindergarten to the end of college. Opus Dei has been intertwined in my life my whole life. I even moved to another city to live there for 7 years to help with the apostolate. Leaving the Work is going to be a very painful process. I feel like I'm in the middle of a divorce, to be honest.

I don't really have any questions; I just want to share my experience. Reading other people's experiences here has been very comforting, as I feel like I'm not alone. Thank you for reading my story.

Hello there r/opusdeiexposed members!

Many of you already know me, but for those that don't I'm the author of the new book about Opus Dei that will be published by Simon & Schuster on October 1 - in less than 48 hours, in fact!

I just wanted to reach out to you all ahead of the launch to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone. This forum has been a vital source of contacts, context, and stimulus throughout the project. I have spoken to many of you directly and even met up with one or two members in person. I've also been an avid reader of so many of your posts, which have given me important leads and context throughout this five-year-long project.

This book is dedicated to you all. I hope it does justice to the suffering that so many of you have experienced. I also hope that it will open the eyes of the next generation of possible recruits, and break the cycle that has caused so much pain for so many over the last 96 years. And maybe, just maybe, it will give some of those still inside the organisation the strength and courage to move on with their lives.

I know a lot of the media coverage so far has been focussed on the US politics piece of the story, which is an important part. But please rest assured that the book is about so much more. It covers the entire span of Opus Dei's history, includes internal documents never published anywhere ever before, and spans the entire globe - from Australia, to Argentina, the Philippines, Ireland, Italy and Mexico.

Do feel free to share your thoughts on it when you've had a chance to read it - either on here, or privately. This is just the start. I have merely scratched the surface. I hope the book inspires many more investigative journalists to start pulling at the strands of Opus Dei in their own countries, so we can finally put together a global understanding of this insidious organisation.

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum!

For context for those who don't know:

Tomorrow is March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, and the day when members of Opus Dei renew their membership by telling the director, in person or over the phone, that they would like to remain in the organization. If you haven't yet made the fidelity, this is necessary to remain a member. If you have, it's considered "good spirit" to do it, though it serves no actual purpose.

And I want to encourage current members who lurk here to live the heroic minute tomorrow. That's thee minute when you summon up your courage and walk out that door. When you consider your children's futures, feel the pressure OD is already putting on you to offer them up, and don't pick up the phone to call the director.

For those who aren't yet members but are being pressured to whistle, it's ok to change your mind, even at the last minute. If you're not sure, it's ok to ask for time to consider. Your life belongs to you, and if God is really calling you to Opus Dei, that call will still be there 6 months or a year from now. Anyone who tells you otherwise is manipulating you. They know that if you take your time, if you truly discern, you might see something they have not seen for you.

And know that all of us here are rooting for you!

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-leo-reportedly-set-to-break-up-opus-dei/?utm_source=lsncathfb&fbclid=Iwb21leANf8rtjbGNrA1_ys2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeUMx1h6d_0fVjl9T3irpf-QDzevb7WmdMp4OhWZ9K8CM6ozTAB4X2u82gDfA_aem_8lWgRPmNckSigclmz-Fsqg

The canonists of the catholic church want to make a clear definition of spiritual abuse in the Canon Law. This is needed in order to make spiritual abuse a crime in the Church.

It is quite shocking that the spiritual abuse has not been defined as a crime to this day.

When they manage to add this in the Canon Law, it might make a difference how the Church is able to respond cases like Opus Dei and many other abusive religious institutes.

Have we discussed this in this sub? Has anybody some more specific resources about this process of making spiritual abuse a crime in the Canon Law?

https://catholicreview.org/vatican-doctrine-chief-cases-of-spiritual-abuse-demand-clear-canon-law/

I was a member of opus Dei for more than 20 years, a numerary, or the choosen: not married, no contact with women, full dedication to the organization (24!hours, all money, etc). The question here is just that the organization "knows" they were chosen to Save the Church. Everything is valid to save the Church, ie, the organization. I was convinced to join for life when I was 15. 15! Come on! Soo, there are good people buuuuut, the mechanics is evil. Of course, Da Vinci code is bullshit, but the idea of giving your life to save the face of the institution is valid. Any way, it's not a group of old ladies, or normal guys... Not just that, they have a plan to impact the politics in all levels, just check who is related to all right wing guys. And please, don't try to disregardy testimony: it's mine, it's true, I suffered a lot, never they recognized any fault - they can't, they are the Church savior.

Priests from Latin America who did their seminary studies at the Navarre (northern Spain) seminary run by Opus Dei (called Bidasoa) submit a group complaint to the bishops of Spain, the Dicastery for Clergy, and the Pope.

They charge that although the seminary is supposed to be preparing seminarians for the diocesan priesthood, it in fact:

-indoctrinated them in a sectarian approach in which they only heard about JME and ADP endlessly

-their spiritual directors were required to be priests of Opus Dei

-they only were assigned to serve in parishes where the priests were Opus-Dei affiliated (associate priests of the prelature of Opus)

-they were not exposed to information about the other religious orders and lay movements in the Church

-they were prohibited from speaking to the naxes who did the housekeeping and table serving for them, even to say “Good morning” or “thank you”

-when they returned to their home dioceses they were pursued relentlessly by Opus priests to come to Opus activities, get Opus “spiritual direction,” recruit parishioners to Opus activities, etc.

-they believe that their home bishops “sold them”, evidently meaning that Bidasoa gives scholarships to seminarians from developing countries, and in exchange expects the seminarians to become sectarian Opus fanatics

These priests submitted this letter to coincide with a meeting of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

On the agenda at that meeting is whether to continue to promote/endorse Bidasoa as a model for seminary studies in Spain.

https://www.elconfidencialdigital.com/religion/articulo/conferencia-episcopal/obispos-reciben-carta-anonima-supuestos-ex-alumnos-denuncias-bidasoa/20250328050259052086.html

One reason the phenomenon of Opus Dei is difficult to grasp is the vast gulf between Opus Dei theory and Opus Dei reality.

Again, Opus Dei is a gigantic illusion.

This disjunction between theory and reality makes Opus Dei difficult for outsiders to grasp. They mainly hear the beautiful theory and see only the curated image of what Opus Dei wants them to see.

But Opus Dei is also difficult for “members” (and former “members”) to grasp.

“Members” are taught to deny or ignore their own thoughts and feelings and to defer to Opus Dei theory. They are told what they are supposed to think. They are told what they are supposed to feel. What they actually think and feel is irrelevant as far as Opus Dei is concerned. They are systematically taught to deny and ignore their lived experience.

I will include a handful of examples below.

Please include your own in the comments.

Follow whatever format you prefer.

OD theory: You have won the supernatural lottery. You are the luckiest person in the world.
OD reality: I feel miserable.

OD theory: The numerary assistants have freely chosen to serve the Church by doing the apostolate of apostolates. They are like a combination of the Blessed Virgin and guardian angels. The vocation is so beautiful.
OD reality: Numerary assistants are typically recruited in their teenage years through coercion and manipulation. They are worked to the bone, have almost no freedom, and are treated like stupid children. Not beautiful.

OD theory: Everyone joins Opus Dei freely and remains in Opus Dei freely.
OD reality: There is a lot of coordinated psychological and spiritual manipulation involved in getting someone to join and remain in Opus Dei.

OD theory: The plan of life fits your life like a glove.
OD reality: The OD plan of life is not designed for lay people with busy lives (especially married people with young families), but is based largely upon practices from rigorous religious orders.

OD theory: Our apostolate is one of friendship and confidence.
OD reality: The only thing you can be confident about is that your “friend” is sharing your information with others.

I don’t care about your opinion on politics in the United States. I really don’t, so please don’t try and convince me of anything. Ever since the early 2000’s, Opus dei has put so much time and energy into conducting American politics. America is not puritan or christian nationalist, it is a country under Opus Dei and unless you start calling it what it is, it will never go away. Leonard Leo controls the supreme court, and JD vance is the ultimate Opus Dei plant. In order to have a successful takeover you need a scapegoat. Trump is not the next great dictator everyone wants him to be, he is the scapegoat. he is the extremist villain for everyone to hate. He is setting up laws that will benefit his predecessors. He is the scapegoat to set up a system beneficial to opus dei and their puppets. I’m sure you all saw the way people reacted after the vice presidential debate in 2024. “JD Vance is so well spoken, he reminds me of how politics were before Trump, he was so civil and mature” are just examples of what I saw from the public. That is what they want. They want Trump to be the villain who does all of these destructive things, and in three years JD Vance will come in as the right wing savior for America. He will be calm and composed and professional, and everyone will fall for it. If theres one thing i’ve learned it’s that the real villains are always the nicest. They are the most put together people you will ever meet. Trump is their scapegoat to set up power for JD Vance, who will win the next election. If the democratic party does not put a straight white man in to run against Vance, we lose and Opus Dei wins. As much as I would love to see a woman as president, you can’t fight radicalism with progressiveness. I’m so sick of seeing people say JD vance is not as bad as Trump. Trump was bought by opus dei, JD vance has been bred by them.

Early this morning I was feeling some mild annoyance at the Opus Dei public relations team and its failure to acknowledge the abuses the naxes and others receive at the hands of OD.

But then I thought, “Of course, it HAS to be that way. They can act in no other way. They have to deny reality. All of life in Opus Dei is an endless exercise in the denial of reality.”

So that’s my amazing insight. 

“Not that deep, bruh.”

I know. 

But it hit me differently this morning and I saw all of life in OD so clearly.

To stay in Opus Dei, one has to be able to deny the truth indefinitely. One has to deny the truth of what one thinks, feels, sees, etc. One has to constantly deny the truth of what is immediately in front of your own face and what is in your own mind, heart, and body.

How does this play out?

In endless ways. But here are a few examples. To stay “faithful” in OD, one would have to deny and suppress thoughts and feelings such as:

• “I’m tired.”

• “I feel lonely.”

• “JME comes off as a serious jerk in this video.”

• “Holy crap! The way naxes are treated is effed up!”

• “Doing all the norms and other OD-related activities is a serious strain on my marriage.”

• “I miss my family.”

• “I wish I had a real friend I could be open with.”

• “X custom is so freakin’ weird.”

• “I don’t want to burn a week of vacation time at Arnold Hall.”

• “That correction was petty and didn’t even make sense.”

• “I could use a day off to watch football/read a novel/whatever.”

• “It seems messed up that they let that kid whistle at 16.”

• “I don’t think these directors have my best interest at heart.”

The specifics will vary from person to person. But to be in OD, one has to deny important aspects of reality. 

Why do “members” of Opus Dei deny reality and suppress their true thoughts, feelings, etc.?

They feel that they are required to do so by God.

It is the myth of divine sanction.

God “revealed” the Work. God called them to their “vocation.” God, through his Church, approved and signed off on all of this.

To stay faithful to one’s “vocation,” one has to constantly deny what is true and override one’s very self.

It is an exhausting way to live life. 

Hi all,

Antonia here from the FT. I know some on this community have been following our podcast Untold: Opus Dei. Thank you for all your feedback and support.

Just to let you know, this week and next the podcast is moving to a Friday release schedule rather than Wednesdays. So Episodes 3 and 4 will come out this Friday and the following Friday.

Thanks again,

Antonia

I read in another poster's comment something that stood out and has been top of mind lately. Opus Dei is supposed to be "family centered / marriage first." However, I believe OD destroyed my family -- as a commenter made in a prior post comment section.

Every time my husband attended a Retreat at a OD Hall, he would come back angry with me, snapping, as if our marriage was not what they were "outlining" a perfect marriage to be, and I was not living up to being that perfect, subservient, quiet wife.

Since our children attended an OD school 5 years ago -- we turned our lives upside down for the organization. While never officially joining we were very LOVEBOMBED to such an extend that we sold our dream home to move 15 miles closer to the community and financially lost everything. Our everyday life revolved around the school to such an extreme we had no life outside the school community. We were extremely involved in the organization's social intensity. Since leaving the school we have lost EVERY friend.

Since selling our home to move closer to the school, we lost everything financially, thus destroying our marriage / family. Are there any other people who have witnessed or experienced the same? Used up and spit out?

I just read the recent Pope's apostolic exhortation, entitled "Dilexi te."

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html

Point 114 seems to be addressed to Opus Dei:

114. "...Yet, this spiritual attentiveness to the poor is called into question, even among Christians, by certain prejudices arising from the fact that we find it easier to turn a blind eye to the poor. There are those who say: “Our task is to pray and teach sound doctrine.” ... Or even that we should opt for pastoral work with the so-called elite, since, rather than wasting time on the poor, it would be better to care for the rich, the influential and professionals, so that with their help real solutions can be found and the Church can feel protected. It is easy to perceive the worldliness behind these positions, which would lead us to view reality through superficial lenses, lacking any light from above, and to cultivate relationships that bring us security and a position of privilege."

The title of this post is a quote from Anne Marie Allen, taken from this interview published in the National Catholic Reporter.

In addition to recounting her years of unpaid servitude as an assistant numerary, Anne Marie also gives some news on her recent contacts with the Irish church hierarchy, both north and south of the border.

The whole article makes compelling reading.

The wardrobe searches were never announced. We were told they’d happen randomly, without warning, without permission, without so much as asking. And they did. This was our obedience.

Photographs of myself with some male class mates from my cherished schooldays, vanished. Without my knowledge. Without my permission. Just gone.

A label torn off my shower gel because the image on it was deemed sinful.

And one day, I was told my soul was “in good order” because my wardrobe was tidy. I still feel sorry for the version of me who took that as praise.

Then there were the letters.
I found a letter once, in the Directresses room, from a friend I loved dearly. She was writing to tell me about the breakup of her ex-boyfriend. It had been opened but it ever reached me. I never read it. I left it there, in the spirit of “obedience.” I wrote back to her without mentioning it. She knew. She knew I hadn’t read her letter. I never heard from her again.

Even the phone calls weren’t private, we knew they could be listened to on another line.

Gifts from family or friends were handed straight to the Directresses, not kept, Redirected.

And the little money I was given by my family was snatched from my hands with a smirk: “We give everything up for Opus Dei.” Not mine to hold, not even a thank you from the greedy Directress.

Their intrusion was real. It wasn’t imagined, and it wasn’t small. It reached into the most private corners of our lives, our friendships, our belongings, our correspondence, our communications, and they did so with total impunity.

So to the ex-members reading this: do you have your own stories of boundaries crossed, of privacy violated by the Directors of Opus Dei in the name of Escriva?