Opus Dei

The prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei (in Latin, Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei), known simply as Opus Dei is a worldwide jurisdiction belonging to the Catholic Church. It was founded on October 2, 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, a Spanish priest canonized in 2002 by John Paul II. It was erected as a personal prelature on November 28, 1982 through the apostolic constitution Ut sit of Pope John Paul II, and from August 4, 2022 it came under the Dicastery for the Clergy in accordance with with the motu proprio Ad charisma tuendum, of Pope Francis. It is also called the Work, since the Latin term Opus Dei means 'God's work'.

General information

Personal prelatures are regulated in articles 294 to 297 of the Code of Canon Law, which establish that a prelature must be governed by a prelate and made up of priests who form the prelature's own clergy. It has the organic cooperation of lay people (called numeraries, supernumeraries or aggregates) for its peculiar pastoral purposes.

Opus Dei, founded in 1928, was approved for the first time in 1941 by the Bishop of Madrid (Spain), Leopoldo Eijo y Garay. In 1950 the Holy See approved it as a Secular Institute, governed by its own statutes and depending on the Congregation of Religious. After requesting it, it was erected as a personal prelature (that is, not territorial) on November 28, 1982 by Pope John Paul II, being the only one existing until today. The prelature currently depends on the Congregation for the Clergy.

According to the organization itself, Opus Dei's mission is to foster awareness of the universal call to holiness in ordinary life.

According to data from the Holy See, as of 2021 Opus Dei has 2,132 priests and a total of 93,454 members. 57% of Opus Dei members are women and about 90% reside in Europe and America.

The assets of the prelature were estimated in 2005 at around 2.8 billion US dollars, according to a study by John Allen, a figure that can also be found in other references.

Opus Dei has received recognition and support from the popes, various Catholic authorities and other personalities, as well as criticism for aggressive proselytism or sectarianism. It has also been classified as a conservative or ultra-conservative organization for its doctrinal and sociopolitical positions.

History

Foundation period

Opus Dei was founded, originally without this name, by the Spanish priest Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer on October 2, 1928. In 1930, he founded the women's section of Opus Dei, and it gradually began to develop.

In 1933, the DYA Academy was opened, the first center of the institution, where Law and Architecture classes were taught, to become a university residence the following year.

Between December 6, 1934 and May 13, 1964, Josemaría Escrivá named various saints as intercessors for Opus Dei: Saint Pius X to entrust the Work's relations with the Holy See; Saint John the Baptist Mary Vianney, the reports of the ordinary reverends of the places where the Prelature is present; Saint Thomas More, relations with non-ecclesiastical authorities; San Nicolás de Bari, everything related to the economic means necessary for the apostolates of the Prelature; and Saint Catherine of Siena, the apostolate of Public Opinion.

Around 1935 or 1936, at the DYA Academy, members of Opus Dei began to practice some customs that the founder conceived as means to achieve the goals of the institution and that would become distinctive signs of future work, among which fraternal correction, visits to the poor by the Virgin, catechism or the so-called "life plan", which includes acts of piety such as daily mass, communion, Angelus prayer, visit to the Blessed, spiritual reading, prayer of the rosary and penance.

During religious persecution during the Spanish Civil War, Josemaría Escrivá was forced to take refuge in various places. where they return to the area dominated by the rebels, where the Church was not persecuted. The dispute causes the plans of the founder of Opus Dei to extend the apostolic work to other countries.

After the civil war, the dictatorship of Francisco Franco began in Spain who, after the religious persecution suffered, had the support of a large part of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. After the war, Josemaría Escrivá returned to Madrid and began to expand the work of Opus Dei to other cities in Spain: Barcelona, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Seville,... The start of World War II prevented the attempts to expand Opus Dei internationally.

In 1941 it was approved as a pious union by the Bishop of Madrid, Leopoldo Eijo y Garay, because since its founding in 1928 Opus Dei had been without legal recognition by the Church catholic. This figure was included in the associations of the faithful, and did not imply a change of status for its members.

On February 14, 1943, Josemaría Escrivá found a legal solution that allowed the ordination of priests within Opus Dei, the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. This is reflected a year later, on June 25, 1944, when it was legally recognized as a common life society without public votes by the Bishop of Madrid, who ordained the first priests of Opus Dei.: Álvaro del Portillo, José María Hernández Garnica and José Luis Múzquiz. This priestly society is made up of some male members of Opus Dei who are preparing to be priests, and by those who are being ordained. The figure of common life society belonged to the state of perfection, and its clergy members issued the corresponding vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.

After World War II, the founder of Opus Dei moved to live in Rome when he realized that if he wanted to spread his teachings around the world, he had to establish Opus Dei headquarters in that city. In the following years he traveled through Europe to prepare for the establishment of Opus Dei in various countries.

In 1946 the work of Opus Dei began in Portugal, Italy, England, Ireland and France.

From its establishment in Rome, new Opus Dei teaching centers began to be founded, among which it is worth mentioning the Roman College of the Holy Cross (founded in 1948 and currently one of the the two seminaries of the prelature), through which hundreds of "numerary" of Opus Dei, who will receive spiritual and pastoral formation while studying at various Roman pontifical universities. With these studies, a large part of these numeraries prepare for the priesthood.

In 1947 Opus Dei received provisional approval from the Holy See as a secular institute of pontifical right. Definitive approval was granted in 1950. Lay men and women and priests belong to the institute, both those who come from the laity of the institute and are ordained to serve it, as well as the diocesan priests who continue to depend on their respective bishops.

Since 1949, the founder promoted the expansion of Opus Dei throughout the world from Rome. Before the end of that year, the first members will go to the United States and Mexico. Every year new countries were added.

In 1950 it began in Chile and Argentina. In 1951 they were the first to Venezuela and Colombia. In 1952 it began in Germany; in 1953 it was the turn of Peru and Guatemala; in 1954 work began in Ecuador; in 1956, in Switzerland and Uruguay; in 1957 the first steps were taken in Austria, Brazil and Canada; in 1958 he went to El Salvador, Kenya and Japan; in 1959 to Costa Rica. And in 1960 to the Netherlands.

In 1951 the First General Congress was held in Molinoviejo (Segovia, Spain).

In 1952, the activities of the General Study of Navarra began in Pamplona, which would eventually become the University of Navarra, with offices in the cities of Pamplona, San Sebastián, Barcelona and Madrid.

In 1953 the Roman College of Santa Maria was founded in Rome, aimed at numeraries, which is the equivalent of the Roman College of the Holy Cross, with the same functions than this, except for the preparation for the priesthood, since the Church does not allow it.

Post foundational period

On June 26, 1975, Josemaría Escrivá died in Rome. At that time, some 60,000 people of 80 nationalities belonged to Opus Dei.

Fernando Ocáriz, current prelate of Opus Dei.

In Huesca (Spain), the current Sanctuary of Torreciudad was inaugurated on July 7, 1975, an old project of its founder dating from 1960. On September 15 of the same year, Álvaro del Portillo was chosen to succeed the founder.

During the years in which Álvaro del Portillo was in charge of Opus Dei, apostolic work began in the following countries: Bolivia (1978), R.D. Congo, Ivory Coast and Honduras (1980), Hong-Kong (1981), Singapore and Trinidad-Tobago (1982), Sweden (1984), Taiwan (1985), Finland (1987), Cameroon and the Dominican Republic (1988), Macao, New Zealand and Poland (1989), Hungary and the Czech Republic (1990), Nicaragua (1992), India and Israel (1993), and Lithuania (1994).

On November 28, 1982, John Paul II erected Opus Dei as the first personal prelature of the Catholic Church and named Álvaro del Portillo prelate, whom he would confer episcopal ordination in 1991. Intrinsically linked to the prelature is the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, an association of priests to which the priests of the prelature and those diocesan priests who wish to do so belong (and who do not stop depending on their respective bishops).

On October 15, 1984, the Roman Academic Center of the Holy Cross was founded in Rome, which the Holy See later elevated to the rank of Pontifical University, on January 9, 1990, becoming to be the current Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

In 1994, Álvaro del Portillo died, being chosen as his successor Javier Echevarría, who was ordained bishop in 1995. Echevarría was prelate until his death in 2016.

On January 23, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Fernando Ocáriz Braña prelate of Opus Dei after confirming the election made by the Third Elective Congress, held after the death of the previous prelate. In the vote, 194 members of the prelature participated.

Cases of sexual abuse

In 2005, the first publicly known case of sexual abuse by an Opus Dei member, that of priest John McCloskey, was settled with compensation of $977,000. In July 2020, Opus Dei for the first time He publicly acknowledged the case of sexual abuse that involved the priest Manuel Cociña, a member of the Work.

Reform decreed by Pope Francis

On July 22, 2022, Pope Francis issued his motu proprio Ad charisma tuendum, by which he placed Opus Dei under the authority of the Department for Clergy, to which he must present annually "a report on the state of the Prelature and on the development of its apostolic work." Likewise, it provided that the head of Opus Dei could not become a bishop, specifying that it was more convenient to institute "a form of government based on charisma rather than on hierarchical authority, so that the prelate will not be honored with the episcopal order.".

Canonization of the founder and causes of other members

After the death of Josemaría Escrivá, the Holy See received thousands of letters -among them, those from a third of the world episcopate- requesting the urgent opening of the process of beatification and canonization. Finally, his cause was introduced in 1981 and On May 17, 1992, John Paul II beatified Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer and on October 6, 2002, he was canonized by said pope.

Entrance gate of the pre-laticia church of Opus Dei, where is the tomb of Josemaría Escrivá.

Escrivá's canonization process enjoyed the support of prominent figures in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, but it was also marked by controversy and opposition; according to some, for example, it was unusually fast.

Among the favorable voices are, for example, the Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor François Marty, who stated in 1979 that if "the Church recognized the sanctity of Monsignor Escrivá (...), the whole world would obtain a great benefit", or that of Cardinal František, Archbishop of Prague, who said a few months after his death: "His death sealed an exemplary Christian and priestly life, a model for the Church". García Lahiguera, archbishop of Valencia, who treated Escrivá for more than 40 years, said that "contemplating his life"; it could be said that "Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás was a saint", and Cardinal Ángel Suquía affirmed at the closing of the process of virtues (a step prior to canonization) that he had the "sure hope& #3. 4; that his canonization would serve "to awaken and promote desires and purposes of holiness."

Other causes for canonization of faithful of the Opus Dei prelature are open:

• List of Opus Dei people in the process of beatification or canonization:
  • Bishops:
    • Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, successor of Escrivá, who was beatified on September 27, 2014, in Madrid, Spain.
    • Adolfo Rodríguez Vidal, Spanish bishop and first priest of Opus Dei in Chile.
    • Juan Larrea Holguín, Archbishop of Guayaquil and first Ecuadorian numerary.
  • Priests:
    • José María Hernández Garnica, a priest born in Madrid.
    • José Luis Múzquiz de Miguel, a priest born in Badajoz.
  • Lay:
    • Beata Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri, chemistry and teacher, sister of Eduardo Ortiz de Landázuri, was beatified on May 18, 2019, in Madrid, Spain.
    • Venerable Montse Grases, a Spanish university student.
    • Venerable Isidoro Zorzano, engineer and Spanish worker of Argentine origin.
    • Toni Zweifel, Swiss engineer.
    • Ernesto Cofiño, Guatemalan pediatrician.
    • Eduardo Ortiz de Landázuri, a Spanish doctor, and his wife Laura Busca Otaegui.
    • Dora del Hoyo Alonso, who worked his entire life in the domestic sphere.
    • Incarnita Ortega Pardo, one of the first women of Opus Dei.
    • The marriage formed by Tomás Alvira and Paquita Domínguez, he chemical doctor and she teacher.

Message

Opus Dei was founded as "...a path of sanctification aimed at all kinds of people," which was novel, since at that time it was common to think that only religious could be saints.

As Josemaría Escrivá himself explained, the purpose of Opus Dei is to "contribute to the existence of men and women of all races and social conditions in the midst of the world who seek to love and serve God and other men in and through their work". For its founder, the main activity of Opus Dei is to provide training to its members and to the people who want to receive it, to the point that he sometimes summarized the role of Opus Dei as "a great catechesis".

Here is a summary of the teachings of Escrivá de Balaguer, the official message of Opus Dei:

• Ordinary life. Being members of the family of God through baptism, Christians are called to holiness, a life consistent with their new status as children of God. Most Christians must be sanctified in the world, writes Escriva. Thus follow the footsteps of Jesus who according to the Bible worked as a carpenter and lived as a son of a Jewish family in a small village for 30 years.
• Sanctification of work. Any honest work that Christians do must be done in the spirit of excellence, as an effective service for the needs of society. This will be an offering due to God, for "in his work of service, Jesus did all good" (Mark 7:37).
• Prayer and mortification. From charity (love of God) the constant prayer springs, supported by norms of piety for which the Christian relates to the sacramental Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Mortification, the ancient practice of the Church (uncountable saints and Christians have practiced it since the beginning of Christianity), is the "oration of the senses". This consists of making small or great sacrifices (such as delaying a glass of water for 5 minutes, smiling when tired, taking a cold shower, etc.), giving them a contemplative dimension to Jesus Christ on the cross. The Christians who are mortified seek to do so for ungrace to the Lord (repair for their own and other sins), to ask more intensely for some reason (conversion of a friend), to grow in the virtue of strength, in a love to God more supernatural, etc. Mortifications or sacrifices are offered to God in any circumstances of the day, although they are offered to God more intensely in the Mass, which is the center and root of Christian life, as the founder of the Work said.
• Charity and apostolate. Christians must give the utmost importance to the virtue of charity: understanding, compassion, courtesy, help the needy and fraternal correction. Charity demands the apostolate, giving the best to the people: the same God, the source of peace and joy.
• Life unit. The Christian who practices these teachings does not have a double life, a life of faith completely alien to his daily work. On the contrary, it has a "unity of life"—a profound union with Jesus Christ, the perfect God and the perfect Man, a person in which divine power unites with ordinary human activity. Thus, the work of a true Christian becomes the work of God, Opus Dei. This Christian, despite the flaws he tries to eradicate with humility, is "alter Christus, ipse Christus", that is, "another Christ, the same Christ."

According to Escrivá, the foundation of the Christian life is a personal awareness of divine filiation. "Joy comes from knowing one's children of God," says Josemaría. Opus Dei, he says, is "a smiling asceticism."

The spirituality of the institution is reflected, to a large extent, in the work of Escrivá de Balaguer "Camino", a series of 999 meditation points to guide the faithful.

The idea of the universal call to holiness was preached by Saint Augustine and by Saint Francis de Sales, who nevertheless emphasized the liturgy and prayers. "Escrivá is more radical... For him, it is the same material work that must be transformed into prayer and holiness," as reflected by Cardinal Albino Luciani, who would later be Pope with the name of John Paul I.

The premises of Opus Dei's message that all Christians can and should be saints are as follows: Christians believe that:

1. They are "poor creatures" made of nothing and that "their pride leads them to rebel with their Creator";
2. Christ is the living God who "made us and keeps us in existence" and "the only one who can satisfy the desires of the human heart";
3. Christ is a Savior who "loves us as a fool" and is he who has more interest in being holy: "This is the will of God: your sanctification" (Tess 4:3);
4. "This Christ who is alive is a Christ who is near."

With the Holy Spirit indwelling a Christian who is willing to learn, the human spirit that was created to love, Escrivá said, is taken through an "inclined plane," which begins with repetition fervent of short prayers and then "the way is given to divine intimacy, in a tireless and tireless looking at God...". Thus, one of his favorite teachings is the biblical mandate that "everyone should love God with all their heart, soul, power and mind, a love that reserves nothing, a love that parents should transmit to their children all day long" (Deut 6:4-9), and which Christ called "the greatest commandment" (Mt 22:37-40). And Escrivá also points to the new commandment of Jesus: "Love one another as I loved you".

Institutional structure

The prelature is made up of both priests and deacons of the secular clergy, as well as lay faithful, men and women, governed by a prelate.

Prior to being erected as a personal prelature, in 1947 it already obtained the approval of the Holy See as a Secular Institute of Pontifical Right, with some statutes being approved in 1950. Escrivá requested the conversion into a personal prelature in 1962, and it was only until the papacy of John Paul II when this request was finally granted.

The Apostolic Constitution Ut sit established Opus Dei as the personal prelature of the Catholic Church on November 28, 1982. According to John Paul II "it was seen clearly that such a legal figure was perfectly adapted to Opus Dei", "bearing in mind the theological and genuine nature of the institution."

As a personal prelature, its clergy is directly subject to the jurisdiction and authority of the prelate of Opus Dei, and this, in turn, to that of the pope, therefore it is not subject to the jurisdiction or authority of the diocesan bishops. This has given it broad independence within the Catholic Church to exercise its apostolate, since, unlike dioceses, which have territorial jurisdiction, personal prelatures —like military ordinariates— are in charge of persons regarding some particular objectives regardless of where they live. As for the laity of Opus Dei, since they are no different from other Catholics, they "continue under the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop," in the words of Ut sit. These secular structures are very different from religious orders or congregations.

According to critics of Opus Dei such as Juan José Tamayo-Acosta, theologian and professor at the Carlos III University of Madrid, Hans Küng, Leonardo Boff, Jesús Cardenal, Michael Walsh (ex-Jesuit) and Kenneth Woodward, Newsweek journalist , Opus Dei with this legal category became de facto a "Church within the Church", due to its great independence within it because it was not subject to the direct jurisdiction of the territorial dioceses.

On the contrary, Opus Dei states: "No part of the Church constitutes "a church within the Church", but just the opposite: each part promotes bonds of communion with respect to the whole Church. (...) The legitimate autonomy of Opus Dei to carry out its ecclesial mission, as well as the autonomy that in different degrees is proper to every faithful and to any ecclesial reality, is always autonomy in communion with the universal Church and the Roman Pontiff, and with the particular Churches and the diocesan bishops. In this sense, Opus Dei, in its current configuration as a prelature, enjoys the autonomy of the entities of the hierarchical constitution of the Church (whose head is a subject with episcopal power), which is different from the autonomy of the entities of associative structure".

Government of Opus Dei

The personal prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei has been governed by four priests, also called prelates since John Paul II elevated Opus Dei to the status of personal prelature.

Territorial distribution

The curia of the personal prelature is based in Rome, where the prelate -the only one appointed by the pope and the only one for life- is accompanied by three vicars: auxiliary, general and central secretary. The prelate relies on the collaboration of the Central Council —council for women— and the General Council —for men. The vicars are appointed by the prelate, who also erects or modifies the circumscriptions of the prelature in various parts of the world. These are of three types -with legal personality- according to their degree of development: regions, quasi-regions and delegations dependent on the prelate. At the head of the first two, the prelate appoints regional vicars for five years, and at the head of the third, delegated vicars. The regional vicars are advised by the Regional Council for women and by the Regional Commission for men. Some regions are subdivided into delegations dependent on the regional vicar, which, like those directly dependent on the prelate, are headed by a delegated vicar advised by an advisory for women and a commission for men.

At the local level, in some cities the regional vicars or delegates set up prelature centers, which are the basic structures. The centers are women's or men's and each one is headed by a lay director or director who presides over a local council, and at least two other faithful from the prelature. For the spiritual care of the faithful of each center, the prelate appoints a priest.

Opus Dei has established centers in 64 countries and in Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and is made up of 49 constituencies:

13 regions

• Peru
• Del Plata (with delegations in Buenos Aires, Paraguay and Uruguay)
• Philippines (which also includes Indonesia)
• Brazil (with delegations in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo)
• Chile
• Colombia
• Portugal
• United States (with delegations in New York, Texas, California and Chicago)
• Venezuela (which also includes Trinidad and Tobago and the delegation of the Dominican Republic)
• North America (with delegations in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama)
• Italy (with delegations to the Centre-South based in Rome and Sicily)
• Spain (with 10 delegations in: Catalonia - which also includes without centers Andorra-, Andalusia Orientale, Madrid Este-Islas Canarias, Madrid Oeste-Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra-País Vasco, Galicia, Andalusia Occidental-Extremadura, Islas Baleares-Comunidad Valenciana-Region de Murcia, Castilla y León-Cantabria-Asturias, y Aragón-La Rioja). In 2021 the organization of the delegations was changed, now there are 8: Andalusia Oriental, Andalusia Occidental-Extremadura, Madrid Este-Islas Canarias, Madrid Oeste-Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra-País Vasco-La Rioja, Islas Baleares-Comunidad Valenciana-Region of Murcia-Aragón, Castilla y León-Cantabria-Asturias-Galicia, Catalonia -which also includes without centers in Andorra-Baruda.
• Mexico (with delegations to Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and El Bajío)

19 quasi regions

• Austria (which also includes Hungary and Romania)
• Ecuador
• Australia and New Zealand
• Belgium
• Germany
• East Africa (including Kenya and Uganda)
• Puerto Rico
• Japan
• France
• Canada
• Britain
• Nigeria
• Ireland
• Ivory Coast
• Netherlands
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Cameroon
• Poland

14 prelate delegations

• India (which also includes Sri Lanka)
• Jerusalem (under Israel and its jurisdiction extends without centers to Palestine)
• East Asia (which includes Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea and its jurisdiction extends without centers to Canton in the People's Republic of China and in theory to North Korea)
• Scandinavia (including Sweden and its jurisdiction extends without centres to Denmark and Norway)
• Finland and Estonia
• Lithuania and Latvia
• Kazakhstan
• Lebanon
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• Croatia and Slovenia
• Russia
• Czech Republic and Slovakia
• Southeast Asia (which includes Singapore and its jurisdiction extends without centers to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam).

Types of members

Opus Dei is a personal prelature made up of priests, deacons and lay people, headed by a prelate. Finally, the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross is a priestly association intrinsically linked to the prelature, to which diocesan priests can belong. When it is said that a person belongs to Opus Dei, it means that they fall into one of these categories: the priests of the prelature, the laity who dedicate themselves to their apostolic works and the diocesan priests of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.

In turn, within each group there are several subtypes:

• Prelature Priests: can be numbered or added.
• Lay: can be number/numbers (or auxiliary numeraries), aggregates/added, or supernumeraries/supernumeraries
• diocesan priests: they can be added or supernumerary.

Finally, both institutions (the prelature and the Priestly Society) admit Cooperators (of any kind the first, only diocesan priests the second), who without belonging to them give them stable help, with their alms, their prayers or your work.

The Prelate of Opus Dei (Fernando Ocariz) explains the way in which the different members of Opus Dei live out their vocation in his Pastoral Letter of October 28, 2020.

Priests of Opus Dei

They represent less than 2% of its total membership, which gives Opus Dei a fundamentally secular nature within the Catholic Church. They come from the numeraries and lay associates of Opus Dei. Mainly, they attend to the lay members and work in apostolic tasks. The main government positions in the prelature (prelate, regional vicars and delegated vicars) are usually held by members of this category.

The priests who make up the clergy of the prelature were called by the prelate to become priests, and they freely accepted that call. They carry out their priestly studies in Opus Dei centers or seminaries (not in diocesan seminaries), and Opus Dei is responsible for their support (housing, clothing, etc.).

Numerary and aggregate priests live like numerary and aggregate laymen, respectively: numerary priests in centers of the prelature, and aggregate priests with their families, in residences, alone, etc. Several numerary priests have been ordained bishops by the pope.

Lay members of Opus Dei

As already noted, the laity make up the vast majority of Opus Dei members (more than 97%). There are several types of lay members in the Prelature of Opus Dei: supernumeraries, numeraries, associates, and auxiliary numeraries. The differences between them consist mainly in whether they live celibately or not and whether they live in centers of the prelature or not. One thing and another determine the availability of the members to help in the apostolic activities of the Prelature.

Supernumeraries

They are the most numerous, currently representing about 70% of the total membership. Supernumeraries have no commitment to celibacy (that is, they can marry), live and work where they see fit, and seek sanctification with their ordinary life In addition to having a spiritual life plan with various means of formation and piety practices. Due to their profession and family obligations, supernumeraries do not have as much availability as numeraries and associates, but they usually collaborate financially with Opus Dei or offer support as circumstances allow. They do not hold management positions.

Although sometimes it is spoken in the masculine, in all the groups there are men and women: numeraries and numeraries, etc. Both sections (male and female) are, in terms of the apostolic, independent (different centers and different apostolic tasks). However, the women's section, through some of its supernumeraries, associates and auxiliaries, is often in charge of the administration (cleaning, cooking and domestic service) of the centers of the men's sections. During these domestic service tasks, coordination is made to avoid face-to-face contact or visual contact between the members of both sections (male and female). In this sense, the male section is not operationally independent from the female one. At the same time, the apostolic work of the women's section depends on the pastoral work of the numerary priests belonging to the men's section.

Aggregates

They are members with a commitment to celibacy. They are approximately 10% of the members of Opus Dei. They seek to sanctify their profession or work, their social relationships and their family life, doing apostolate and being available to attend to apostolic tasks that their Opus Dei centers may entrust to them. The attachés differ from the numeraries in that they do not live in Opus Dei centers: the attachés, like their fellow citizens, live in their private home in the place that is most convenient for them. There are those who live alone, those who live with their parents or siblings, and those who live together with other associates in residences established for this purpose. For reasons of professional or work dedication, or other family or personal reasons, they are not as available as a numerary to hold government positions, but they are also involved in the apostolic work of the Work, offering spiritual direction and formation to other members and to other people who participate in the apostolic work of Opus Dei. They receive training in philosophy and theology and some are ordained as priests of the Prelature.

Cash

They comprise approximately 20% of the members. Numeraries are celibate members who generally live in an Opus Dei center. They can, in principle, exercise a civil profession, but they must be willing to renounce their exercise if the Prelature requests it to exercise another function within the organization.

They are primarily responsible for the formation of the other members of Opus Dei, and usually hold management positions. They receive a philosophical and theological formation that, throughout their lives, is comparable to that received by priests in seminaries.

Auxiliary numeraries

They are numeraries who are dedicated exclusively to housework, so that Opus Dei centers can be family homes. As this is their professional task, they do not hold managerial positions.

In the statutes of Opus Dei it is said about the auxiliary numeraries:

"(...) In addition, in the section of women, the auxiliary Numerarias, with the same availability as the other Numerarias, dedicate their lives mainly to manual labors or domestic offices, which voluntarily welcome as their own professional work, at the headquarters of the centers of the Work. "

(n. 9)

Priests of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross

The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross is an association of clergy (priests), intrinsically linked to the personal prelature of Opus Dei. The diocesan priests and deacons who wish to do so, and the priests (attached and numerary) of the clergy of the prelature belong to it. Some 1,900 diocesan priests and 2,100 priests of the prelature are part of it (year 2017). The prelate of Opus Dei is the president of the Society.

Opus Dei Cooperators

Opus Dei cooperators are not members of the prelature, but collaborate in different ways with it (with prayers, alms or work). To be a Cooperator, it is not necessary to be a Christian, but only to have the desire to collaborate with the activities or purposes of Opus Dei.

Cooperators can participate in educational and training activities of Opus Dei. Likewise, religious communities can be cooperators of the Prelature. Currently there are hundreds of these communities that cooperate through their prayers for Opus Dei and its ministries.

The administration of Opus Dei centers

Sanctuary of Torreciudad, promoted by Opus Dei.

One of the tasks of the Women's Section of Opus Dei is to take care of domestic chores in the Centers of the Prelature, both for men and women.

For almost all the auxiliary numeraries and for some numeraries, the maintenance tasks of the Centers constitute their professional work and, therefore, it is where they should seek their own sanctification.

When it comes to a men's Center, the separation between men and women is total. Ordinarily there should be a double door between the house of the auxiliaries and the residents. There is usually no relationship of any kind between the assistants and the residents of the centers, to the point that it is common for them not to know names or hold conversations. The entrances of the numeraries and the auxiliaries are always different, and they are even tried to be on different streets, so that the people who live in one house and the other do not see each other when going out and coming in.

John Allen provides four reasons for this separation: first, because Escrivá established it that way. It is part of the founding charism; Second, in terms of doctrinal and spiritual formation, there are some advantages to having separate men and women. Women can talk calmly about their motherhood, without men being present; while these chat more comfortably about sports. In addition, the separation allows some administrative clarity, each section deals with the activities of its section; Third, numeraries are people who have committed to living celibacy, so a certain degree of prudence can be justified in their dealings with people of the other sex. Obviously, as normal people they are going to be in contact with people of the opposite sex throughout the day, but at least, in their offices and in their private spiritual life, having a certain degree of separation avoids situations in which they could compromise their commitment; and finally, the fourth reason focuses on a historical reason: the ecclesiastical authorities, especially the Vatican, have always doubted the possibility of a single body within the Catholic Church in which men and women shared the same apostolic activity and an identical vocation. With the Franciscans and Dominicans, for example, came communities of men and women who tried to live the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Dominic de Guzmán, but remaining both institutionally and legally separated from each other. That traditional fear stemmed from the thought that mixing both sexes in the same community could lead to some promiscuity. Over time, Escrivá found himself in the position of Opus Dei being divided into two separate realities, one for men, the other for women, thereby destroying the organic unity he had foreseen. In this context, the only viable solution to appease the concerns of the Vatican was to build a separation wall, which would put an end to any suspicion of promiscuity.

Incorporation and exit

To belong to Opus Dei it is necessary to apply freely. The formal incorporation into the Prelature is carried out through a bilateral convention that stipulates the commitments mutually assumed by the interested party and by the Prelature itself.

The bond of the faithful with the Prelature is established by means of a declaration of moral nature between the person who wishes to request admission (previously requested by letter to the prelate) and a representative of the prelate, before a witness. There are at least six and a half years between the application by letter of admission to the prelate and the definitive legal incorporation of the applicant, during which the applicant must renew his intention annually. In the event of not doing so, the mutual obligations disappear, and in no case will donations of goods or money or compensation for the work carried out up to that moment be returned.

The link with the Prelature ceases at the end of the term of the contract, or before, if the Prelature considers it so or if the interested party wishes, requesting a waiver from the Prelate. In the latter case, for said cessation of the link between the person and the Prelature to occur, the interested party must state his desire to voluntarily leave the Prelature. In general, this will is manifested in writing by means of a letter addressed to the prelate of Opus Dei. Said letter is sent to the prelate, who is responsible for granting the dispensation of the duties contracted. It is not necessary for this letter to state reasons: it is enough to state a free, clear and explicit will not to proceed. Confirmation of the cessation of the link between the person and the Prelature is transmitted to the interested party, trying to clarify any aspect of his new situation and offer you, if you wish, spiritual help appropriate to your circumstances. Generally, all this develops with some speed after the request to terminate the link. Frequently people who have left Opus Dei want to continue as cooperators. After some time, it may happen that a person wishes to return and is admitted as a supernumerary, with prior authorization from the Prelate. In the hypothetical case that the interested party did not request the waiver, he would obviously act illegitimately.

Legally, of their own free will and at any time, anyone can leave Opus Dei without any legal obligation to remain, since the contractual commitment is of a purely moral nature. In certain cases, donated or testamentary assets may be repossessed.

Instruction and training

According to the founder of Opus Dei, a Christian becomes a saint through two essential elements: the personal struggle to achieve the Christian ideal and the grace and mercy of God. To achieve the Christian ideal of "learning to love", there are means of sanctification. In Opus Dei, these means can be summarized in four aspects: 1) interior life: the life of contemplation that Jesus Christ called "the only necessary one"; 2) work: Escrivá defended that work is not a punishment from God, but a means to sanctify oneself and others; 3) Apostolate : the Christian cannot reserve the message received for himself, but he must communicate it to others; 4) doctrinal formation: knowledge of the doctrine of the Catholic Church, which is seen as a "religion of the Logos" (logos = "Verbo", "reason" or "knowledge"). Thus Escrivá says that the Christian has to have &# 34;the piety of children and the sure doctrine of theologians".

Means of training

The means of personal formation are fraternal talk or confidence (which is what, in the rest of the Church, is known as spiritual direction proper) and fraternal correction (Catechism of Opus Dei, n 200). The objective is to help the faithful to improve in their interior life and in other aspects of their personal lives.

The means of collective formation are: Brief Circles or Study Circles, monthly retreats, spiritual retreat courses, annual courses and get-togethers, monthly collationes; in addition to other classes or talks, special gatherings, etc. (Catechism of Opus Dei. n. 201). They seek to deepen the knowledge of the doctrine of the Church and the spirit of Opus Dei.

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction is an important part of the formation received by members of Opus Dei. The guidance is provided through the "fraternal chat", which began as a personal conversation with St. Josemaría for spiritual accompaniment on the spirit and customs of the Work and to communicate intimacy, and in it he seeks to identify his own spirit with the spirit of the Work and improve personal apostolic activity. As the number increased, it began to be carried out weekly or biweekly with the director of the Center, or other members; and with the priests of the Prelature, especially in confession. Fraternal correction is also part of the spiritual direction. [4]

Fraternal correction

In Opus Dei, as in the Catholic Church, "fraternal correction" is practiced, to which great importance is attached as a means of helping others to improve. These corrections can be made to everyone, including priests and directors.

In the case of Opus Dei, before doing the fraternal correction, the director of the correction should be consulted, and after it is done, inform him. According to some critics, this is tantamount to betraying the brother to superiors. According to Opus Dei, it is done to avoid that a person receives the same fraternal correction several times, or that a fraternal correction is made that is not prudent, and not so that the superior knows the defects of the corrected person.

A balance is required for this custom to be positive: 1) Exaggerating control over "what is right" friendship is difficult. 2) It is an evangelical custom, a manifestation of charity, if things are said that help to improve, and also the good things about people, and it will be bad to correct without an overall vision, if the good things are not said.

Confession

Confession or the sacrament of penance is considered in Opus Dei, as in the rest of the Catholic Church, as a basic means to advance in the process of identification with Christ or sanctification. In the case of Opus Dei, its members usually receive this sacrament periodically every week. It is also a widespread practice in Opus Dei to always go to confession with the same confessor. However, they have complete freedom, especially if it is urgent, to go to any priest who has the licenses to administer the sacrament of Penance.

Attitudes towards Opus Dei

John Allen, who shows a positive image of Opus Dei, describes it as "the most controversial force in the Catholic Church". The vast majority of bishops and all popes appreciate the pastoral action of Opus Dei. Opus Dei. Even so, there is no shortage of theologians who consider it a sign of contradiction or a source of controversy. Some former members have also been critical after leaving Opus Dei.

Criticism

External critics include:

• Adolescent training and proselytism, especially in schools led by Opus Dei. According to Tammy DiNicola, a former numerary who worked on these work, Opus Dei promotes many types of social projects, but believes that behind there is a hidden motive: recruiting new partners for the Work.

• At the time of applying for admission, the numerous obligations and restrictions to which the numbering members are subsequently subjected in a systematic and progressive manner are unknown.

• Integrismo: the most important writing is an article by Hans Urs von Balthasar, famous theologian of the centuryXX.published in 1963.

• Supposed psychological damage.
• Accusation of dehumanization and lack of empathy in numeraries and aggregates, due to indoctrination within the Work.

• Encourage the numbering members to break contact with their friends and family in favor of contacts within the group.

• Threatening members who try to leave. At least psychological interaction with members who wish to leave Opus Dei. Especially numbering members, who are sometimes derived from psychiatrists or psychologists belonging to the Work, before leaving them out, to treat their "vocational problems".

• Control over the daily activities of the numbering members, having to require permission to perform any unregulated activity, and giving detailed account of their activities every week to their superiors through weekly confidence. In addition, the numeraries must give all the money they earn to the organization.

• Lack of respect for the correspondence of the numeraries, who frequently receive letters from their friends and family open and read by those responsible for the centers. The numeraries are also prompted to deliver the letters they write open to the directors, so they can read them, and censor them in their case.

• Lack of freedom to choose spiritual director.

• Critics have often attacked practices such as body mortification, which involves the use of sackcloth and disciplines (small palm and middle rope whip). This practice is reinforced by the history that Escrivá de Balaguer applied both these practices that left traces of blood on the walls of his room, although he later indicated that members should not do so.

History of the expansion of Opus Dei in the world

• Megaloman ambition to achieve relevant positions in society, whether in governments, in companies or in any social organizations, with the unequivocal aim of increasing their influence and power, both economic and hierarchical, even if there are auxiliary numeraries, which are dedicated to domestic tasks. This is why university graduates are sought from the beginning, preferably from the career of Law (the society is dominated by them: politicians, judges, ministers, notaries, etc.), although their conduct and professional activity are often unorthodox.^{[chuckles]required]}

• Fostering large families, with many children, avoiding any artificial contraceptive method; they only support family planning.

The personal activity of the founder is also criticized and, for example, it is pointed out that in 1968 Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer asked the Francoist government of Spain to name him Marqués de Peralta (a noble title that did not correspond to him by family lineage, but which it was granted to him that same year). Four years later, and without having used it, he would give this title to his brother. A study by the historian Ricardo de la Cierva demonstrated, through his research documents, that the granting of this appointment had been irregular. The request -according to de la Cierva- would have been motivated by the founder's desire to do something for his family, who had suffered so much, and because he was sincerely convinced that he had the right to that claim.

The almost unanimous support of the Church for the central message of Josemaría Escrivá contrasts with the silence in the face of the novelties that Opus Dei and its founder introduce in relation to the spiritual life: there is no intervention by ecclesiastical dignitaries in favor of the new ascetic modes introduced by Opus Dei. Neither the fact that spiritual direction is carried out mainly by lay people, nor its dependence on the government structure of the Prelature, nor the obligation of members to allow their superiors to know their privacy, nor that fraternal correction includes duty to inform the superior of the brother's defects, have never been approved or rejected by the Catholic authorities. However, some Catholic officials have reacted with concern to the complaints received against alleged abuses committed by Opus Dei.

Responses to criticism

Opus Dei UK spokesman Jack Valero denies all allegations against the "Obra," although he admits that some members may have made mistakes.

Regarding the complaints from former members, Valero explains that it hurts him that they left on bad terms and speak ill of Opus Dei, but he also highlights the cases of people who left the group and maintain a good relationship with it. However, he clarifies that he does not question the credibility of people who tell their bad experiences.

About the criticisms of some former members, John L. Allen, Jr. says that much of what the critics say is contradicted by many other former members, due to the large number of members present and the people who participate in the activities of the Opus Dei.

Auspicious postures

The core of the message transmitted by Opus Dei has been praised by different ecclesiastical personalities. Both the universal call to holiness and the apostolate as well as the sanctifying importance of professional work appear in speeches and interventions by bishops, cardinals and theologians, even in various Church documents related to Opus Dei, pointing out the novelty of its message.^{[citation required]}

Albino Luciani, better known as Pope John Paul I, wrote in July 1978 that the great contribution of Opus Dei consisted in the development of a true lay spirituality, which he summarized in the image: "Faith and work done competently for Escrivá they walk arm in arm: they are the two wings of holiness". John Paul II said that "Opus Dei anticipated the theology of the lay state that is a characteristic note of the Church of the Council and after the Council" and described his end as "a great ideal.";a message of great importance... that leads us to overcome the great temptation of our time —the fiction that after the 'Big Bang' God withdrew from history".^{[citation needed]}.

The Eucharists celebrated by Opus Dei have a great reputation within the more traditional Catholic environment, for their solemnity and formality.

Jesus Christ, sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34).

Through the teaching of the sanctifying value of work, ordinary people already have a "genuine lay spirituality" to become saints. According to Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the "great originality" of Opus Dei's message is to "systematically proclaim" that:

• (1) All men are created to work (Gen 2:15);
• (2) all are called to holiness; and
• (3) all created realities have been sanctified by God-man: films, computers, excursions, sports are and must be "means of sanctification".^{[chuckles]required]}.

Pope Benedict XVI, before occupying that position, pointed out that Escrivá presents "a Christ in whom the power and majesty of God is made present through human, simple and ordinary things". Waiting like a Merciful Father in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and truly present in the Eucharistic bread, Christ makes himself "fully available" to feed the Christian so that he becomes "one with him." With the gift of this "divinization" in grace, "a new beginning of energy," and with the support of "the family of Christ," the Church, and a good spiritual director, the difficult task of being holy, "it is also easy," says Escrivá. And he adds: "He is within our grasp."^{[citation needed]}

Holiness is shunned, according to Joseph Ratzinger (2002), because there is "a misconception of holiness... that it would be reserved for some 'great ones'... who are very different from us, normal sinners. But it is an erroneous conception that has been corrected precisely by Josemaría Escrivá". The saint has heroic virtue because he has been available to let God act. Being holy is nothing other than talking to God as a friend talks to a friend, the only one who can really make this world good and happy".

Disputes

Accusations of constituting a cult

One of the frequent accusations against Opus Dei is to classify this institution as a religious sect, or that without being so it makes use of various sectarian methods.

On the part of Opus Dei and the Catholic hierarchy, it is emphasized that it is not correct to call a Prelature of the Catholic Church a sect and that a sect is an unrecognized organization and that Opus Dei is recognized by the Church.

Opus Dei is not mentioned in the French National Assembly's report on sects.

Accusations of secrecy

The members of Opus Dei are characterized by their discretion according to their defenders or by their secrecy according to their detractors. Its founder explained that "the easiest way to understand Opus Dei is to think about the life of the first Christians. They lived their Christian vocation to the full; they seriously sought the perfection to which they were called by the simple and sublime fact of Baptism. They were indistinguishable outwardly from other citizens".

Like many other organizations, Opus Dei does not make public who is or is not a member of the organization; This information is of a private nature and leaves the free choice of each member to recognize this fact.

Until 1950, Opus Dei did not have a full legal status within the Church, with the first constitution. Article 191, modified in a revision of the statutes in the eighties when Opus Dei was named personal Prelature, in the original constitution read: «Numerary and supernumerary members know well that they must always observe prudent silence about the names of other associates and that they should never reveal to anyone that they belong to Opus Dei». That lack of publicity gave an image of secrecy that continues to this day, despite the statutes and constitutions of Opus Dei being public.

This has tended to create the suspicion that Opus Dei functions as a secret society and, until well into the 1980s, it has been practically impossible, not by ordinary people, but even by clergymen and, according to some ^{[citation required]}, many of the members fully know the constitutions and regulations of the association.

Based on reports from Spain, in the 1940s, the superior general of the Society of Jesus, Wlodimir Ledochowski (1866-1942), told the Holy See that he considered Opus Dei "very dangerous for the Church of Spain". He blamed it for having "a secret character," plus there were "signs of a penchant for world domination through a form of Christian secret society"^{[citation required]}. According to Andrés Vázquez de Prada, a member of Opus Dei (1997), Peter Berglar (1994), Catholic journalists Vittorio Messori (1997) and John Allen (2005), this initial controversy, which came from highly respected ecclesiastical circles (the &# 34;opposition of the good ones", according to Escrivá), will be the first root of the subsequent accusations throughout the world: that it is a secret society, dangerous and inclined to power and money. These accusations have been refuted by both the founder and his successors. ^{[citation needed ]}

In this regard, the Italian Parliament investigated Opus Dei in 1986 and concluded that it was not a secret society. The German Courts, for their part, have indicated that Opus Dei is not authorized to publish lists, since membership is a matter that forms part of the private sphere that must be respected.^{[citation required]}.

Criticism for doctrinal aspects

In the work of teaching its message, Opus Dei found controversy and rejection by numerous detractors, including some bishops. Cardinal Julián Herranz, a member of Opus Dei, said that "Opus Dei was a victim of Christianophobia.".^{[<citation needed]}

Pope Benedict XVI, when he was a cardinal, said that Opus Dei is "the surprising union of absolute fidelity to the tradition and faith of the Church, and unconditional openness to all the challenges of this world". However, Opus Dei has been criticized for promoting an overly orthodox (pre-conciliar) view of the Catholic faith. Critics say^{[citation needed]} that Opus Dei managed to get closer to the leadership of the Catholic Church thanks to Pope John Paul II, to become a "church within the church", being employed as a "strike force" by the need to carry out a "new evangelization" with ultraconservative and reactionary principles. On the other hand, its supporters^{[citation needed]} say that this term "conservative" it is misapplied to religious, moral, and intellectual notions. However, others say^{[citation needed]} that the term is broad enough to refer to attitudes of conservatism in general, not exclusively in the political field.

The second prelate, Javier Echevarría, once said that "if the word conservative is used outside the political context, it could be said that the whole Church is conservative, because it preserves and transmits the Gospel of Christ, the sacraments, the treasure of the lives of the saints and their works of charity. For similar reasons, the entire Church is progressive, because it looks to the future, believes in the young, does not seek privileges, and is close to the poor and needy. In other words, Opus Dei is conservative and progressive as is the entire Church, neither more nor less".

Escrivá also says that "religion is the greatest rebellion of men who do not want to live like beasts".

Opus Dei and its relationship with politics

Antonio Fontán, a Spanish journalist and member of Opus Dei, who fought for freedom of the press and democracy in the Franco regime. He was persecuted by the regime and was elected as the first president of the Senate of Spanish democracy.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Spanish head of state and dictator Francisco Franco appointed various members of Opus Dei as ministers and senior officials within the regime. These ministers, then known as the "technocrats", are generally recognized for having introduced into the Franco dictatorship a liberal-capitalist ideology, also modernizing the Spanish economy, which contrasted with previous Falangist, Carlist and military influences.. This fact caused the idea of Opus Dei's support for the Franco regime to spread at the time and vice versa. The English historian and Hispanist Paul Preston affirms that Franco appointed them as ministers for their technical ability and not for their membership in Opus Dei.

On the accusation that Opus Dei was some kind of political party in Franco's government, Messori says that this is a "black legend" that the Spanish Falange and some clergy have propagated, and he alleges that the Franco regime also persecuted some members of Opus Dei. However, according to the historian Ricardo de la Cierva: "The comparison of members of Opus Dei in the power of Franco and in the opposition is false. They were overwhelmingly in power; they started a very minority opposition current among themselves already at the very end of the regime, through Professor Calvo Serer, who for decades had been an ardent supporter of Franco and his regime, like Antonio Fontán and Rafael Calvo Serer.

In more recent times, during the period of the government of the Spanish Popular Party (1996-2004), some members of Opus Dei, such as Federico Trillo or Isabel Tocino, were appointed ministers by the then leader of that party, José María Aznar. In the same way, the former state attorney general, Jesús Cardenal, is a member of the prelature. Another member who also held a high position was Juan Cotino, as director general of the Spanish National Police. Within Basque nationalism, holding an ideological position contrary to the aforementioned, Rafael Larreina, from Eusko Alkartasuna, a parliamentarian in the Congress of Deputies, belongs to Opus Dei.

In any case, John Allen confirms that although Opus Dei, from an institutional point of view, "does not have an official political position," there is little doubt that many of its members are politically conservatives, like the majority of Spanish Catholics within the dynamics maintained by the Popular Party and the Spanish Socialist Workers Party in Spain at the end of the century XX and early XXI.

Today there is also a certain presence of some of its members and sympathizers in financial and political elites, especially those with a conservative Catholic tendency. It has received the support of various political and business leaders^{[citation needed]} such as Lech Wałęsa from Poland, Corazon Aquino from the Philippines, Ruth Kelly from the United Kingdom, Raymond Barre from France, and Charles Malik, former President of the United Nations General Assembly; These are some of the characters who consider the influence of Opus Dei in the world to be positive.

The members of Opus Dei emphasize that the institution has a purely spiritual purpose and that each member assumes their professional responsibilities in the world of politics or business, without involving the other members and even less the institution. Escrivá said that the faithful of Opus Dei could have the political position they wanted, as long as it did not contradict Catholic doctrine.

The opposite positions are reflected in how point 353 of the book Camino by Escrivá is interpreted:

"Confessionalism, neutrality: old myths that always try to remorse. Have you bothered to meditate on how absurd it is to stop being a Catholic by entering the university or in the professional association or in the wise assembly or in the parliament, as who leaves the hat at the door?"

(Camino, point 353)

Alberto Moncada, a former critical member, suggested that perhaps Opus Dei's alleged quest for influence in society is channeled through its colleges and universities.

Critics also say that Opus Dei members would not be free in political matters, since they would follow a "national-Catholic" and, according to these, the members of Opus Dei would be on the political right, promoting a conservative influence in the world, promoting the most traditional policies of the Catholic Church. According to Opus Dei spokesmen, this would not prove Opus Dei's relationship with politics, but the political activity of some of its members.

Opus Dei in the 21st century

According to data from the Pontifical Yearbook for the year 2022, a total of 93,510 faithful belong to the Prelature. Regarding the evolution of the number of members, Opus Dei has maintained a slight numerical growth for several decades, especially in Europe. Since 1990 there has been approximately a 4% increase in their number, while in the 1960s and 1970s their membership had increased by more than 45%^{[citation needed]}. This can probably be attributed to the progressive secularization of those countries where it had traditionally settled first, such as Spain, Italy and Portugal^{[citation required]} and a low penetration rate in the rest of European countries. And in Latin America, due in part to the phenomenon of the expansion of Protestant churches^{[citation required]}, which in Brazil, for example, account for more than 20% of a population, before almost entirely Catholic. Its expansion is currently somewhat greater in the countries of the former communist bloc, especially Poland, homeland of Pope John Paul II (in Poland, with 38,187,488 inhabitants, there are about 450 members of Opus Dei), in which, until the fall of the Iron Curtain, Opus Dei as an organization did not have an official presence, as well as in others in Asia, such as the Philippines, where the largest group on this continent is located.

The distribution of members is approximately: 57% are women and 43% are men; and by continents:

• Europe: 57%
• America: 34%
• Africa: 4%
• Asia: 4%
• Oceania: 1%

According to Messori, in terms of socioeconomic level, Opus Dei is predominantly people from the middle and low levels and he affirms that in Latin America, for example, Opus Dei is popular among peasants. Gómez Pérez says that the social composition of Opus Dei corresponds to the local situation and that there are more professors among the members, since Opus Dei places emphasis on proselytizing among intellectuals.

The Work, with economic contributions from different sources (donations from supporters and the salary of full members), supports schools, institutes and several universities, and opens new centers, since in the academic aspect, for the prestige and quality technique of its educational centers, currently has an important social demand. Examples of the above would be the University of Navarra and the Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, with the IESE Business School with offices in Barcelona and Pamplona (Navarra). Other examples of this are the University of Piura, the University of the Andes (Chile), the University of La Sabana (Colombia), the Austral University, the IAE Business School and the Austral Hospital (with offices in Buenos Aires, Pilar and Rosario, Argentina), the Universidad Panamericana (Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico), IPADE (Mexico), and the Universidad Monteávila (Caracas, Venezuela).

In his 2005 study, Allen says that there are 608 projects in varying degrees of execution, promoted by the laity and priests of the Work: of these, 41% are schools, 26% are technical and agricultural schools, 27% are university residences and 6% are 18 universities, 12 business schools and 8 hospitals.

On the other hand, it is worth noting the youth movement created, during World Youth Day 2013, by the former priest member of Opus Dei, José Pedro Manglano, called Hakuna. Since 2017, it has been recognized as a Private Association of the Faithful, approved by the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro.