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- Herausgeber: 50Minutes.com
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Serie: History
- Sprache: Englisch
Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the history of Opus Dei in next to no time with this concise guide.
50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of Opus Dei. Founded with the mission of promoting Christian values in secular life, Opus Dei began to adopt an increasingly radical viewpoint as the Church tentatively modernised its practices after the Second Vatican Council. Still in existence today and comprising nearly 100 000 members, Opus Dei remains shrouded in mystery and scandal, particularly regarding some of its more controversial practices and the rumours provoked by popular culture.
In just 50 minutes you will:
• Learn Opus Dei’s complete history, including its unlikely survival following the exile of its founder from Spain
• Understand the organisation’s rise to prominence after finding favour with John Paul II and taking a firm traditionalist stance against innovation in the Church following the Second Vatican Council
• Discover the secrecy and scandal surrounding Opus Dei and its controversial practices, including mortification
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Seitenzahl: 30
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
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The secrets of Opus Dei
Key information
Date founded: 2 October 1928.Official objectives: to evangelise and to encourage everyone to be holy in their everyday lives.Unstated objectives: to increase their influence in the Catholic Church, contain the theological change symbolised by the Second Vatican Council and promote the Christianisation of society through political and economic alliances.Most prominent members:Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, Spanish prelate and founder of Opus Dei (1902-1975).Álvaro del Portillo, Spanish prelate, Secretary General of Opus Dei and Escrivá’s successor (1914-1994).Introduction
Since its creation in 1928, Opus Dei (Latin for ‘Work of God’, also known as ‘the Work’) has regularly been the subject of controversy and rumour, particularly due to its secretive nature and the influence it is considered to have, whether or not this is correct, over the Catholic Church and the Pope himself. And for good reason: in the 1950s, according to the regulations of the institution itself, its members were forbidden from revealing that they belonged to the Work without the authorisation of a superior, while a decade earlier they had been advised not to discuss the organisation with non-members. Repeatedly accused of being an elitist and secretive organisation, implicated in various financial and political scandals, Opus Dei certainly stimulates curiosity.
Currently, however, Opus Dei has nearly 90 000 members, which represents only 0.008% of the Catholic population worldwide. While that might seem low, its influence over the Roman Curia is real, whatever its leaders might say. While it is completely detached from the ecclesiastical hierarchy and only depends on the Pope himself, Opus Dei’s influence extends far beyond a strictly ecclesiastical setting and reaches the highest economic and political circles.
Opus Dei throughout history
Foundation of Opus Dei
Opus Dei’s foundation is closely linked to its founder Josemariá Escrivá de Balaguer, and its development is intertwined with the rise of Francoist Spain (1939-1975).
Portrait of Josemaría Escrivá. This painting can be found in the church of St. Mary of the Angels, Chicago.
Its officially recognised founding date is 2 October 1928, although many believe that the association only properly existed after 1939, the year in which the Spanish Civil War ended and Francisco Franco (1892-1975) came to power. However, when its founder Escrivá was asked about this, he stated that the organisation’s beginnings were closely linked to the story of his soul, which is unfortunately a little vague. What we can be sure of nonetheless is that Escrivá agreed to explain subsequently. According to him, in 1928 he had a vision during a retreat in an ecclesiastical residence in Madrid. In this vision, God revealed the project that would later become Opus Dei.
Did you know?
Originally, the organisation did not have an official name. It was only later on, during a conversation between Escrivá and his confessor, that the latter asked him how this ‘work of God’ was going. ‘The Work’ was then just a nickname whose Latin translation later became the organisation’s official name.
