“The Vatican prelature, known as Opus Dei, is a deeply devout Catholic sect that has recently attracted controversial public interest amid reports of ‘brainwashing’, coercive methods and a dangerous practice known as ‘flesh mortification.'” In New York, At 243 Lexington Ave., the recently completed $47 million Opus Dei International Office.” Such a reference-style text can be found in the introduction to Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code, on the page titled “Fact”.
In the plot of the work, “Opus Dei” appears as an organization that does not shy away from any means in the fight for the preservation of traditional Christian ideas in the modern world, combining medieval fanaticism with real political cynicism and lust for power. If you notice that the novel, published in 2003, has been translated into 44 languages, its total circulation has exceeded 80 million copies, and the screen version of the same name was also a global blockbuster, then it is understandable that Brown’s plot has brought widespread and not the best fame to the organization called “Holy Cross and the prelature of God’s work”, whose date of origin is considered to be October 2, 1928.
According to the founder of the organization, the Spanish cleric Josemaria Escriva, that day he experienced a vision, “saw the work of God”, which inspired him to create the organization. The name was chosen accordingly: “God’s work” – Latin “Opus Dei”. The founder formulates the goal of the organization as creating awareness among believers that “their life is a path of holiness and evangelization. And for those who accept this ideal of holiness, Opus offers the spiritual support and training they need to put the ideal into practice.”
“Opus Dei” was created in Spain at a time when that country was oscillating between authoritarianism and democracy. Radical tendencies – Marxist, anarchist, fascist – began to manifest themselves more and more clearly in society, and the desire to assert traditional religious values in this situation is understandable. In the following decade, the situation in the country led to a bloody civil war and decades of Franco’s dictatorship, and this period of junta power coincided with the rise of Opus Dei.
Many of the organization’s members turned out to be active supporters and co-creators of the extreme conservative regime.
Having established itself in Spain, the organization began to expand elsewhere in the world; In 1946 its headquarters were moved to Rome, in 1950 Pope Pius XII approved its statutes. In 1982, “Opus Dei” became a personal prelature of the Roman Catholic Church, that is, a structural unit which, like traditional prelature, is not connected to the territory, but to the circle of persons belonging to it. Currently, the number of members of the organization worldwide is estimated at about 95,000 people.
So what about Dan Brown’s use of the term “cult” and the alleged practices of “flesh mutilation”?
Of course, the novel and the film cannot be considered an authoritative source of information in this respect. Starting with the fact that “Opus Dei” is not a religious order, it does not accept monks, and the clergy are only a few percent in its ranks. According to the official representatives of the organization, it is neither secret in itself, nor in its ideology or practice violates the generally recognized orientations of the Catholic Church. It is not denied that some members of the organization practice celibacy and subject themselves to physical tests, but this happens only voluntarily and is in no way masochistic self-torture. However, suspicions persist, and Opus Dei is invoked as the more controversial body of the Catholic Church.
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2023-10-02 08:09:09
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