April 21, 2005
Steadfast Beliefs in a Tumultuous World
Steadfast Beliefs in a Tumultuous World (washingtonpost.com)
By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 20, 2005; Page A01
VATICAN CITY, April 19 -- In his words and actions, the man who on Tuesday became Pope Benedict XVI has shown a determination to hold fast to the moral certainties that have guided him from the horrors of Nazi Germany through the tumult of the 1960s -- even though these beliefs appear to be falling out of public favor across Europe and much of the developed world.
The choice of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 78, to succeed John Paul II signals a stubborn unwillingness by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church to abandon Europe to secularism. Despite John Paul's efforts to re-evangelize the church's historic heartland, Catholicism has been waning for decades across Western Europe, and nowhere more than in the new pope's home country, where an ecclesiastical tax collected by the government has produced a well-funded church whose pews are largely empty and whose influence on public life is in decline.
The cardinals could have turned away from Europe and chosen a pope from the vibrant congregations of Latin America, Africa or Asia. But in electing Ratzinger they chose to make one more attempt to hold on to the Christian identity of the continent, said the Rev. Joseph Fessio, a friend and former doctoral student of the new pope.
Fessio, who is provost of Ave Maria University in Naples, Fla., said the name that Ratzinger chose for himself -- Benedict -- is a sign of his determination to re-energize European Catholicism.
"The Benedictine order, in the midst of a collapsing and immoral superpower called the Roman Empire, civilized and Christianized Europe," Fessio said. "Today, Cardinal Ratzinger is our best hope to revitalize Christian culture in Europe -- and probably our last chance, too."
Fessio and others who have worked closely over the years with Ratzinger say that his reputation as a harsh disciplinarian and intellectual bulldog does not conform with the affable man they know.
"He's a kind of simple person. He chuckles," said the Rev. Augustine DiNoia, a Dominican priest from the United States who served as Ratzinger's second-in-command at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican department in charge of doctrinal orthodoxy.
Yet the new pope faces a major challenge: overcoming the perception that he is a cold, forbidding figure and demonstrating the friendly, pastoral instincts that made his predecessor so compelling, particularly to young Catholics. Unless Benedict can project a kindly aura and brighter outlook, it is hard to imagine how he can succeed where even John Paul failed, said Giuseppe Alberigo, a professor of church history at the University of Bologna who has known the new pope since the 1960s.
"He has a shy character, rather mild, but with a rigidity on important questions," Alberigo said. "I don't think that a pope with such a pessimistic vision will be able to deal with the great social problems of the world, or the issue of Islam."
Ratzinger's searing experience as a Nazi conscript during World War II left him with an abiding distrust of nationalism and socialism, along with a passionate belief in holding firm to enduring truths, according to those who know him well.
Born into a lower-middle-class family, Ratzinger grew up in Bavaria, a deeply Catholic and politically conservative region. His father was a rural police officer, his mother a cook in small hotels. His father, he has said, went to Mass three times each Sunday.
Ratzinger's biographer, John L. Allen Jr., has pointed out that his formative years coincided with the life span of the Third Reich. He was 6 when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and 18 when the war ended in 1945.
Though his family made no public show of opposition -- in fact, one of his great uncles had written a series of crudely anti-Semitic books -- Ratzinger has described his father as opposing Nazism, largely as an outgrowth of his faith. "My father was one who with unfailing clairvoyance saw that a victory of Hitler's would not be a victory for Germany but rather a victory for the Antichrist," he wrote in his 1998 memoir, "Milestones."
Although the Roman Catholic Church in general and the wartime pope, Pius XII, in particular have been accused of not doing enough to oppose the Holocaust, Ratzinger's personal experience left him convinced that the church was the only institution that could stand up to false ideologies.
"Despite many human failings, the church was the alternative to the destructive ideology of the brown rulers; in the inferno that had swallowed up the powerful, she had stood firm with a force coming to her from eternity," he wrote.
Ratzinger entered a seminary in 1939, following in the footsteps of his older brother Georg, who also became a priest. But in 1943 he was conscripted along with his entire class into the Nazi antiaircraft corps and sent to defend a factory that made aircraft engines. He told Time magazine in 1993 that a badly infected finger prevented him from ever firing a shot.
He was subsequently drafted into forced labor, then into an army unit. In the final months of the war, Ratzinger deserted from his unit. He later spent several weeks in an American POW camp before making his way back home to the town of Traunstein and reentering the seminary.
In 1951 he was ordained a priest, along with his brother. He went on to earn a doctorate in theology at the University of Munich, where he developed a love of patristics, the study of the key thinkers in the first eight centuries of the church.
By the 1960s, patristics had gone out of style. The leading lights in Catholic theology were grappling with modernism, and Ratzinger was soon embroiled in a watershed event in his life and the life of the entire church: the Second Vatican Council.
The council, first convened by Pope John XXIII, brought nearly 3,000 bishops and their expert advisers, including many theologians, to Rome for a series of meetings from 1962 to 1965 that resulted in 16 major documents and caused a revolution in Catholic thinking and practice.
Most famously, Vatican II cleared the way for the Mass to be said not just in Latin but also in the modern languages spoken by Catholics around the world. But alongside the liturgical reforms came even more far-reaching changes in other areas. The council's "Constitution on Divine Revelation" accepted a critical approach to the Bible. Its "Declaration on Religious Freedom" accepted the idea that governments should be neutral toward religion. Its "Decree on Ecumenism" endorsed the search for unity with other Christians, abandoning centuries of hostility toward Protestants.
Yet many of these documents created as many questions as they answered -- questions that were still being debated by cardinals as they went into this week's conclave, such as how far Catholics should go toward accepting other faiths as paths to God, and how much power the pope should share with bishops and their national associations.
Ratzinger attended the council as an adviser to Cardinal Joseph Frings, an ecclesial moderate who emerged as a leader of the progressive wing in the council's debates. The future pope gained a reputation as a reformer at the time, serving on the board of the reformist journal Concilium.
In 1968, many of the reformers, including Ratzinger, were shaken by two events: the anti-establishment and antiwar student riots that convulsed Europe, and the sharp dissent that greeted Pope Paul VI's encyclical against contraception, Humanae Vitae. By 1972, Ratzinger and several other leading theologians left Concilium to form a rival journal, Communio, with a more traditional line.
Dennis Doyle, a historian of the church at the University of Dayton in Ohio, said there is still debate over whether Ratzinger's views changed, or whether he remained constant and the world changed around him. What is clear, he said, is that Ratzinger "has always been quite happy with the results of the council in terms of basic documents" but felt that the implementation was becoming "too political, too focused on immanence -- God's presence in this world -- and not focused enough on transcendence, God's invitation to man for communion in eternity."
In a sign of his relative conservatism and rising discontent, Ratzinger left a prestigious post at Germany's University of Teubingen to help launch a new, more orthodox Catholic university at Regensburg in his native Bavaria. His academic career effectively ended, however, when he was named archbishop of Munich and Freising and elevated to cardinal in 1977.
Ratzinger first met Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, the following year, when both came to Rome to attend the conclave to replace Paul VI. They had crossed paths at the Second Vatican Council and had read each other's books, but when they met in person, there was "spontaneous sympathy," Ratzinger told John Paul's biographer, George Weigel.
Once he became pope, John Paul called Ratzinger to Rome to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the institutional successor to the Inquisition. Though it has a staff of only about 40, it wields enormous influence through its ability to censure theologians and vet documents from other Vatican departments for doctrinal orthodoxy.
By all accounts, Ratzinger wielded those tools heavily. With his antagonism to nationalism, he helped John Paul keep a tight rein on national bishops' conferences. With his insistence on the supremacy of Catholicism over other faiths, he wrote a letter, Dominus Iesus, that declared that all other religions were "defective" by comparison. And with his belief in holding fast to absolute truth, he oversaw the disciplining of theologians who questioned the church's doctrine on papal infallibility as well as its bans on contraception and ordination of women as priests.
Some of the new pope's ardent admirers believe that he is not, by nature, rigid.
"He has been misrepresented because of the role he has had as prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Anyone who has that job is always disliked," said the Rev. Thomas Williams, dean of theology at the Pontifical University Regina Apostolarum in Rome.
But as pope, he will face a church that is still deeply divided on many issues and pulled in many directions, from demands for a tough stand against the impact of economic globalization in Latin America, to calls for the empowerment of women and the laity in the United States, to open violation of the ban on condom use by bishops concerned about HIV/AIDS in Africa. Given his lifelong belief in constancy, it is hard to see how Benedict XVI could waver now.
Special correspondents Sarah Delaney and William Magnuson contributed to this report.
April 21, 2005 at 12:39 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home
December 22, 2004
Opus Dei: Everything you need to know about the conservative Catholic organisation
Guardian Unlimited | Today's issues | Opus Dei
Simon Jeffery
Wednesday December 22, 2004
1. For some, 2004 was a bad year - for others, it was a good year. Sometimes, the two were related. Take the author Dan Brown and Opus Dei. Brown's novel Da Vinci Code was a runaway success but, in casting the conservative Catholic group as its main villain, it perhaps made life a little bit harder for them.
2. Devoted readers of the thriller will no doubt think Opus Dei deserve it for the depicted peculiar devotion to self-flagellation and an intent to suppress the secrets of the early church, but the group feels a little misrepresented.
3. A section on its website addressed to loyal Da Vinci Code readers (who are presumably in shock that a such secret society is online) tells them: "These topics are important and valuable to study, and we hope that interested readers will be motivated to study some of the abundant scholarship on them that is available in the non-fiction section of the library."
4. Founded in 1928, Opus Dei has around 80,000 members in Europe, North and South America and elsewhere. Its invite-only members are asked to promote traditional Catholic values and prayer.
5. It is not being the sect in Brown's bestseller, but its power in the Catholic church (Joaquín Navarro-Valls, the pope's spin doctor, is a member), and links to General Franco, the ultra rightwing Spanish dictator, make it an intriguing body to outsiders.
6. Its founder, Josemaría Escriv´, became Saint Josemaría. He died in 1975, but the speed of his beatification and canonisation (the process of becoming a saint) was contested by left-leaning Jesuits, who feared Opus Dei's growing influence in Rome.
7. So it not the type of organisation one necessarily associates with the Blair government, and today's report in the Times that Ruth Kelly, a former Guardian journalist and the new education secretary, is a member seems sure to raise eyebrows.
8. The newspaper says scientists are alarmed at the impact that Ms Kelly's beliefs may have on her job. The mother of four has responsibility for a £1bn research budget, and is believed to follow a strict Vatican line on contraception, embryo research, cloning and abortion. She reportedly told Mr Blair she could never support stem cell research.
9. Such positions, are of course, possible to hold without being a member of a "mysterious" religious organisation - a significant number of those who voted for George Bush in the last US presidential election would endorse them - but, as Brown knows, a Latin name and hints of secret societies have a strange compulsion to them.
10. For its part, Opus Dei is not playing along. The handy FAQ insists it is nothing more than a group for those with a similar spiritual mindset. "For the most part [ordinary members] do their job and live their family and social lives like everyone else, doing exactly what they would do if they were not in Opus Dei," it says.
December 22, 2004 at 07:48 PM in Holy Grail | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home
November 21, 2004
Code king cracks monumental mystery
A secret inscription said to lead to the Holy Grail has been unravelled, reports Nick Fielding
FOR two-and-a-half centuries it has stood in a glade at a stately home in Staffordshire, defying the efforts of code breakers, classical scholars and amateur sleuths to unlock its secrets.
Now, at last, the mystery of inscriptions carved on the Shepherds’ Monument at Shugborough Hall, ancestral home of the earls of Lichfield, has been solved — well, possibly.
Following a competition launched earlier this summer, some of the most convincing explanations for the inscribed picture in reverse and a seemingly random series of letters will be presented this week by Bletchley Park, the centre that made its name cracking Hitler’s Enigma code.
Bletchley itself is cautiously supporting a theory from a professional codebreaker whose job does not permit him to disclose his identity. He argues that the inscription points to the hiding place of a stone tablet handed down from the Old Testament prophet Jacob, which was a talisman for a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.
According to this theory, the 18th-century admiral who built the monument and was reputed to be a member of the priory captured the tablet from a French ship. He then buried it on an island off the coast of what is now Nova Scotia, Canada.
“The person who drew up this solution has considerable professional experience in codebreaking and his logic hangs together well,” said Christine Large, director of Bletchley Park. “We think this theory is about the most convincing we have seen so far.”
The Nova Scotia theory comes from one of more than 130 respondents to the challenge from countries as far apart as Iceland and Australia. Even GCHQ, the government surveillance and cipher-breaking centre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, has contributed.
The mystery centres on a stone monument commissioned in the mid-18th century by George Anson. He was a sailor and an ancestor of Patrick Lichfield, the society photographer and present earl, who has an apartment in the house.
Anson circumnavigated the globe, fought the French off the coast of America and won a famous naval victory off Cape Finisterre, which brought him a reward of £300,000 for capturing one of the ships.
He used the money to rebuild Shugborough and a series of monuments in its gardens. The Shepherds’ Monument incorporates a carved mirror image of Arcadian Shepherds, a painting by Nicolas Poussin, the 17th-century French artist, which is now in the Louvre.
The monument appears to show two lovers listening to an elderly shepherd who reads them an inscription on a tomb: Et in Arcadia Ego (And I in Arcadia). The message of the picture is often interpreted as being that there is no situation in life that death will not one day snatch from us.
The cryptic inscription below the main panel was a subject for speculation by both Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens, who spent many hours trying to crack its inner meaning.
The official website for Shugborough, which is owned by the National Trust and run by Staffordshire county council, says it “defies interpretation”. It consists of the letters DOUOSVAVVM, with the first and last letters set lower than the rest.
According to Bletchley, the 130 solutions in the competition can be divided into three groups. “There are the wacky ideas sent in by people with little or no supporting evidence; those that have tried to find words to fit the inscription; and those that base their often detailed explanations on historical or mathematical research,” said Murlyn Hakon, of Bletchley, who oversaw the entries.
Some of the solutions suggest that the monument may provide the “true” location for the Holy Grail, the cup used by Christ at the last supper. Others draw in a swathe of secret societies, new age theories and legends of hidden treasure. Among the favourites are the Knights Templar, a medieval military order, and the Jacobites, supporters of the restoration of a Catholic to Britain’s throne.
The explanation supported by Bletchley concentrates on a mixture of mathematical and historical analysis. Anson is thought to have been associated with Freemasonry and to have been a member of the Priory of Sion, as was Poussin. The priory claimed links to the Knights Templar and believed that Jesus was not a divine figure. Priory members were persecuted for this heresy.
By a process of substituting one letter for another, the inscription “translates” as “Jesus H defy”. The letter H has a similar sound to the Greek letter chi, the first letter of Christ. The analyst believes this could be an exhortation to the reader to deny Jesus’s divine nature.
The Latin part of the inscription, according to this solution, may be masking the message: “In Acadia go”. Acadia was the old French name for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in modern Canada, territories seized by the British and visited by Anson. The code may thus be a veiled instruction to go to Nova Scotia.
In 1795 a “money pit” was uncovered there which was apparently designed to conceal a valuable treasure. Little of any value was found, however, and nobody has managed to decipher a number of inscriptions at the bottom of the 180ft shaft.
The theory, closely argued over 20 pages, is that one of the French ships captured by Anson was carrying a tablet recovered from an earlier hiding place in America. The stone tablet, covered in ancient writing, is referred to in some history books of the period but is now lost.
It was said to have been handed down from the lost tribe of Benjamin in Israel and to have been a treasured item for the Templars and, subsequently, for the Priory of Sion and followers of the Jacobite cause. Anson, runs the theory, put it away to hide it from enemies of his various causes.
A second paper, from Louis Buff Parry, a Canadian writer, uses similar arguments but suggests instead that the inscription indicates a hiding place for the tablet in Hebron, Israel, at the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
Other theories are more personal. In 1987 Margaret, Countess of Lichfield, grandmother of the photographer, said that the inscription consisted of letters from a poem that she had been taught as a child. Hakon suggested that the message could be for a lover of Anson’s.
The Bletchley competition is unlikely to throw up a definitive winner or to end the dispute over the inscription’s meaning, given the lack of any firm evidence of Anson’s intentions. Instead, the theories that seem the most logical and plausible will gain ground.
These are, perhaps, unlikely to include the writer from Iceland who said the inscription could be read as the Hebrew phrase “Dov ov suvam” — meaning “Why feathers come”.
“Is there a feather on the carvings?” he asked plaintively.
OTHER THEORIES
# The countess and the curate: the late Margaret, Countess of Lichfield, believed the code came from a poem about a shepherdess called Alicia. A local curate taught her the ditty as a child. But he could have written the verse himself after having ungodly thoughts about a peasant girl — in which case the countess’s idea would not crack the code.
# Trendy religious solution: by substituting numbers for letters using the ancient Jewish code of Kabbalah, a hiding place can be found for a relic such as the Holy Grail — possibly in the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. This does at least tell us what Madonna and other modern adherents of Kabbalah spend their time discussing.
# Buried treasure: the inscription gives directions to a secret location at the Tombs of the Patriarchs in Hebron where a stone tablet, supposedly handed down from Jacob via the Knights Templar, may be buried. A trip to the West Bank to check, anyone?
# Canada connection: the letters are code for a site in Nova Scotia where Admiral Anson, the monument’s builder, hid the tablet after capturing it from the French.
# Trust me, darling: the letters refer to a secret poem, now lost, from Anson to a mistress. He then made up all that hooey about the Knights Templar to put his wife off the scent.
November 21, 2004 at 12:06 PM in Holy Grail | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home
April 28, 2004
Opus Dei: Rick A. Ross Institute
This page contains information The Rick A. Ross Institute has
gathered about Opus Dei.
Visit the Opus Dei Official Web site
(Link takes you outside the Rick A. Ross Institute web site)
April 28, 2004 at 02:21 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | TrackBack (271) | Top of page | Blog Home
What is Opus Dei?
BBC News | EUROPE | What is Opus Dei?
By the BBC's Jan Repa
One of the figures amongst Pope John Paul II's latest list of candidates approved for canonisation is the Spanish founder of the controversial Catholic movement known as Opus Dei, Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer.
Opus Dei - which means God's Work in Latin - was established in 1928 and has around 80,000 members in Europe, North and South America and elsewhere.
Members are enjoined to promote the evangelising mission of the Catholic Church through their professional work. Membership is by invitation only.
Critics describe it as a sort of Catholic freemasonry - accusing it of being secretive and manipulative.
Father Escriva de Balaguer preferred the word discreet.
It is a strong advocate of traditional Catholic values, including opposition to abortion and artificial contraception.
It also lays particular stress on the unique character and status of Roman Catholicism - as compared with other churches and faiths.
Its relationship with the present Pope is a matter of some speculation.
'Fundamentalist power'
The Vatican's press spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, is a member.
On the other hand, one of the Pope's favourite theologians, Hans Urs von Balthasar, once described Opus Dei as a "concentration of fundamentalist power in the Church".
Controversy also surrounds Opus Dei's founder, Father Escriva de Balaguer. Biographers have alleged various character flaws - including deviousness and social snobbery.
Personal failings have never been a bar to Christian sainthood. More problematical were his connections with the Franco dictatorship.
Like most Spanish churchmen, Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer sided with the Nationalist uprising against the Spanish Republic in the 1930s. Thousands of priests were murdered by Republican militias and Escriva de Balaguer himself had to flee for his life.
He has also been quoted as saying that Hitler would save Christianity from Communism.
But Opus Dei's relationship with Franco was always ambiguous.
Although a number of the regime's senior officials were members, a faction of Opus Dei was also instrumental in engineering a break with Francoism and helping to prepare the ground for Spain's post-Franco democracy.
April 28, 2004 at 02:18 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | TrackBack (11) | Top of page | Blog Home
Matt's Opus Dei FAQ
Trust the Truth - Matt's Opus Dei FAQ
I've come across a lot of posts on the internet regarding Opus Dei. Many of them reflect a good understanding of the organization and its mission. Others less so. It's my intention to offer a clear explanation of Opus Dei and to clarify many misconceptions that exist about its nature, structure, mission and methods. I don't agree with everything in the Work, but I don't intend to engage in debate on these matters. I'll simply offer explanations to the best of my ability.
This FAQ contains both fact and opinion. Where I believe the facts don't give the whole story I've tried to include a context in which to interpret them. You may or may not agree with my interpretation. That's where the opinion part comes in. You'll find that not all my opinions are in favor of Opus Dei.
I've also written two articles on the lay vocation. These articles are: On a Mission from God: Discovering Our Vocation and An Action Plan for the Laity. The articles discuss how EVERYONE is called to a life of holiness, and how the laity can pursue holiness in the middle of their everyday activities.
I'm willing to answer any sincere question you have. To ask a question, just email me and I'll respond as soon as I can. If I think your question would be of general interest I'll post my answer on this page.
DISCLAIMERS (The legal mumbo jumbo.)
I'm speaking for myself in this FAQ. I don't represent Opus Dei in any official capacity. I have not sought, nor have I received, any official endorsement, approval, sanction, encouragement, support or authorization from Opus Dei. I simply want to provide accurate and useful information to those who want to know more about about the organization.
This is a work in progress. You can contribute by asking me a question via email me and I'll respond as soon as I can.
CLAIMERS
All opinions and any errors or omissions are solely my responsibility.
All material on this page is Copyright 2002-2003 Matthew G. Collins. All rights reserved worldwide.
You are free to quote from this page under the following conditions:
You give proper attribution;
You do not modify my statements in any way;
You present them in the proper context;
You do not attempt in any way to change their evident meaning; and
You must not, under any circumstance, represent this FAQ or any part of this FAQ as:
i. the "official" position or work of Opus Dei; or
ii. having been produced with the official approval of Opus Dei; or
iii. otherwise having received any official endorsement, approval, sanction, encouragement, support or authorization from Opus Dei.
This FAQ was originally published on my blog, Trust the Truth, on October 18, 2002. I wrote and published it without the knowlege, much less the approval or involvement, of anyone in Opus Dei. Since that time, it has been read by thousands of people from all over the world, including members of Opus Dei whose job it is to provide accurate information about Opus Dei in the media. I have not received any significant objections to what I have written. Rather, both those who are friendly toward Opus Dei and those who are opposed have written to express their thanks for presenting a balanced portrait of the organization. I have tried to respond to the constructive comments I've received by noting the different perspectives they represent throughout the FAQ.
I continue to update the FAQ as people ask questions and make suggestions, and I have maintained complete editorial control over it.
Questions
So here we go, in no particular order...
1. Who are you, what makes you so knowlegeable about Opus Dei, and why should I trust what you say?
2. What is Opus Dei?
3. What's Opus Dei all about?
4. What is "apostolate"?
5. What does membership in Opus Dei entail?
6. I've heard people in Opus Dei refer to "the plan of life." What's that?
7. What's a supernumerary? Is it a really good numerary? And what's a numerary?
8. Why are the men's branch and the women's branch separate?
9. Why does Opus Dei refer to its chapels as "oratories?"
10. Are Opus Dei and "the Work" the same thing?
11. What relationship does a member of Opus Dei have with the parish he or she lives in?
12. I've heard that members of Opus Dei are forbidden to confess to a non-Opus Dei priest. Is that true?
13. What's "fraternal correction?"
14. Why do Opus Dei priests say Mass in Latin in centers of the Work?
15. Isn't Opus Dei only for the "professional elite?"
16. What are the "norms?"
17. I've heard that Opus Dei supported Franco and Hitler. Is that true?
18. What is an "annual course?"
19. Why do Opus Dei members have so many kids?
20. You mean Opus Dei prohibits its members from using birth control?!
21. I heard Opus Dei spent over $1,000,000 getting Escrivá canonized. What's with that?
22. Do members of Opus Dei take vows?
23. What is a "circle"?
24. What is a "cooperator"?
25. Who can attend the apostolic activities offered by Opus Dei?
26. What are some of the apostolic activities offered by Opus Dei?
27. Where can I find all the technical "nits and grits" about Opus Dei?
28. Where can I get a copy of the statutes?
29. What is a "corporate work of apostolate" of Opus Dei?
30. What corporate works of apostolate does Opus Dei run in the United States?
31. Why do Opus Dei spiritual directors read the mail of numeraries?
32. Do members of Opus Dei have to confess their sins publicly?
33. How do you respond to charges that members of the Work make friends only so they can get them to join Opus Dei?
34. What are the cilice and discipline? What are they for? Who uses them?
35. Does Opus Dei keep records of what people discuss in spiritual direction?
36. Is all work "equally sanctifiable?"
37. Why do I need spiritual direction?
38. What distinguishes a supernumerary member of the Work from other lay Catholics who are trying to sanctify their ordinary lives and to bring other souls to Christ?
39. Can a member of a third order join Opus Dei?
40. Why do you call the prelate of Opus Dei "the Father" and St. Josemaría "our Father"?
41. Is Mel Gibson a member of Opus Dei?
42. What is the "Preces"?
43. Why is Opus Dei so secretive?
44. How does one join Opus Dei?
45. Does Opus Dei pressure people to join?
46. What about the children of members? Are they pressured to join?
47. "The Da Vinci Code" says some pretty negative things about Opus Dei. What about that?
48. Do members of the Work have to have books approved by their spiritual director before reading them?
49. What about all the horror stories about life in Opus Dei?
50. What is a supernumerary or associate priest?
Answers
1. Who are you, what makes you so knowlegeable about Opus Dei, and why should I trust what you say?
My name is Matthew Collins. I'm the author of this blog, Trust the Truth. I'm happily married with 3 children, live in Baltimore, MD and work at a hospital in Baltimore as a computer programmer.
I was a supernumerary member of Opus Dei for almost 27 years. I left Opus Dei on my own initiative for personal reasons, but remain friendly toward the organization, and am now a cooperator. I have not had time to update the FAQ to change the language to reflect the fact that I'm no longer a member, but I do not plan to make any changes to the substance of the information contained on this site.
Why should you trust what I say? Well... read this FAQ, and if it seems to you I'm being open and honest, then believe me. If not, then don't.
Besides, I'm staking my reputation on it, and I'm putting everything I say out there for the whole world to see.
I promise to tell the truth about Opus Dei according to my perspective, and to acknowlege other perspectives. I don't apologize for it. I'm not embarassed by it. I'm just telling it like I see it.
One reader noted that because I live in Baltimore, where there is no center of Opus Dei, I may not be aware of some of the more subtle abuses Opus Dei is accused of. He has a valid point. However, I believe that over the 28 years I have known the Work (as Opus Dei is often called) I have received enough formation and been close enough to get a pretty good feel for how things work.
To find out more about me read my resume.
Back to the top...
2. What is Opus Dei?
Opus Dei was founded in 1928 by a Spanish priest, Josemaría Escrivá. Escrivá died on June 26, 1975. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 6, 2002 amid some controversy.
Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Roman Catholic Church, composed of both laity and priests, whose purpose is to fulfill a specific pastoral mission under the jurisdiction of its own prelate, who may or may not be a bishop. Personal prelatures are sort of like dioceses, but they consist of people rather than territory. Opus Dei may operate in dioceses around the world, but only with the express permission of the diocesan bishop. Opus Dei reports directly to the Vatican Congregation for Bishops.
Personal prelatures are discussed in Canon Law, canons 294-297.
Personal prelatures were foreseen by Vatican II, largely through the efforts of St. Josemaría, who wanted a juridical structure in the Church which he believed suited Opus Dei better than the old structure of a secular institute. Currently Opus Dei is the only personal prelature in the Church. It was given this status by Pope John Paul II in 1983. Hopefully the Holy Spirit will make use of this relatively new and flexible organizational structure in the church and inspire the church to create other personal prelatures to address the various needs of the apostolate.
The specific pastoral mission of Opus Dei is to spread knowledge of the universal call to holiness and to offer its members and others who wish to take part in its activities the assistance they need to become saints in the middle of the world according to Opus Dei's spirit and practice.
One of the specific characteristics of Opus Dei is its emphasis on one's work, whatever it is, as a means of sanctification. We are encouraged to see all the circumstances and events of our lives as opportunities to grow in love for the Lord and to serve the Church.
In Opus Dei we are taught (and teach others) that holiness is not only for priests and nuns. It is the obligation of all Christians to seek holiness. And for lay Christians, we have to seek it right where we are, in the ordinary circumstances of our lives. We don't seek holines despite the activities of our ordinary life as lay people, but precisely through those activities. The "stuff" that goes into being a lay person is the very "stuff" that can make us holy. As part of this path to sanctity, members of Opus Dei follow an intense "plan of life" (see Question 6) which focuses on traditional methods of prayer, such as the Rosary, mental prayer, daily Mass, etc.
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3. What's Opus Dei all about?
In a nutshell, and following up on the ideas in the previous question, Opus Dei is about spreading the universal call to holiness.
One of the basic responsibilities of ALL Christians is to spread the Good News. Opus Dei encourages its members and all Christians to take this responsibility seriously. The work people do in service to the Gospel message is called "apostolate". In Opus Dei, our apostolate is a "directed apostolate." That is to say, it is supervised by the directors of Opus Dei and is discussed with the member as part of his or her spiritual direction. The director may suggest topics to bring up with specific friends, ask us to invite someone to become a cooperator or member, suggest we invite someone on a retreat, etc.
Opus Dei emphasizes that members are ordinary Catholics. In terms of Canon Law (i.e., the law of the Church) this is true. Nevertheless, members of Opus Dei do have a contractual bond with the prelature that other Catholics don't have, which obliges them to perform certain duties and give obedience to the prelature in all that relates to the prelature's aims. See Question 5 for more details.
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4. What is "apostolate"?
Apostolate is simply the activity one carries out in the service of the Gospel. It is being an apostle. While there may be some technical difference I'm not aware of, it is also known as "evangelization," and I use the terms interchangeably. In Opus Dei you are more likely to hear the word "apostolate", but as far as I'm concerned, "evangelization" means the same thing.
One reader wrote with the following observation: "Apostolate includes evangelization, but it also includes many things which would not normally be considered evangelization -- for example, setting up schools, soup kitchens, programs for the homeless, job training, etc. We are apostles (we are sent) into the world to serve the world, partly by evangelization but partly by 'simple' Christian service."
I suppose if there's a difference, that's it. Anyway, it works for me.
Members of Opus Dei are encouraged to carry out our apostolate by continually looking for opportunities to impart the spirit of Opus Dei to our friends, family, and colleagues through conversations, doctrine classes, study clubs, retreats, evenings of recollection, etc.
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5. What does membership in Opus Dei entail?
Before being formally admitted to Opus Dei, prospective members are instructed that:
they must commit themselves to strive for personal holiness according to the spirit and practice of Opus Dei;
they will be under the jurisdiction of the directors of the Work and must obey them in all that pertains to the aims of the prelature, its government, spirit, and apostolate;
they should assiduously try to live the plan of life in its fullness, especially daily mental prayer, the Holy Rosary, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion;
the spirit of Opus Dei demands that they lead a life of intense work;
they must fulfill all the obligations that come with the type of membership (i.e., numerary, associate, supernumerary);
they must carry out an active apostolate under the supervision of the directors of Opus Dei which is primarily aimed at spreading the spirit of Opus Dei;
they must provide for their own economic support; and
they must generously contribute financially to the apostolic works of Opus Dei according to their personal circumstances.
In return, members have the right to receive appropriate means of formation and the ministerial care of priests of the Prelature.
The prelature provides its members formation in the spirit of the Work primarily through personal spiritual direction (weekly for numeraries and associates, biweekly for supernumeraries), weekly "circles", evenings of recollection, retreats, classes in Christian doctrine, philosophy, and theology, and the ministry of the priests of the prelature. Members commit themselves to receive this formation in a spirit of docility. Supernumerary members, because they are not as available to the prelature, receive it according to their personal circumstances. Numeraries and associates, who are more available to the Work, receive it in a much more intense way.
All members commit to carry out the apostolates of Opus Dei generously, according to their availability. Thus, it may not be possible for members to be as active in their home parish as other parishoners, although there is no prohibition against such involvement. See What relationship does a member of Opus Dei have with the parish he or she lives in? for more information.
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6. I've heard people in Opus Dei refer to "the plan of life." What's that?
When I first asked Opus Dei to teach me about their way, the numerary who was helping me, apparently thinking I was further along than I was, asked me how the plan of life was going. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I figured it had something to do with my future professional plans. I replied that I was going to get my degree in Speech Pathology and then work on my master's degree. Then I figured I'd get married and have a family. He got a good laugh out of that and then told me what he meant.
The "plan of life" is simply a plan for daily prayer. The specific practices in the plan of life are called "norms." I don't know where the term came from. Members of Opus Dei are committed to live a specific plan of daily prayer established by the founder. The plan consists of:
Morning offering.
We try every morning to get up on time and to offer the day to the Lord. I like to use the prayer of St. Francis.
Daily Mass.
St. Josemaría said the Mass is the "root and center" of our interior life, so we put a serious effort into attending Mass every day.
The Rosary.
This is the one part of our plan of life that St. Josemaría wanted us never to miss. Sometimes it's hard to find the 15-20 minutes necessary, so we can say part of it now and part of it later, if necessary. Driving in the car is a good time if you're not too distracted by traffic.
Mental prayer.
Mental prayer is simply spending time in intimate conversation with the Lord. Sometimes words don't form, and it's simply sitting in His presence, keeping Him company. St. Josemaría wrote in The Way: "You write: 'To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About what? About Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know him and to get to know yourself: 'to get acquainted!'" The plan of life calls for 30 minutes of mental prayer in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening, for a total of 1 hour per day.
The Angelus or Regina Coeli.
In traditional Catholic piety the Angelus is said at noon and at 6:00 PM. It is part of our plan of life to say it as close to noon as we can. During the Easter season (Easter Sunday through Pentecost) we say the Regina Coeli instead.
Particular examination of conscience.
This is where we examine a particular aspect of our spiritual life to see how we're doing today. We typically do this immediately after the Angelus.
Spiritual reading.
We spend about 10-12 minutes per day reading a spiritual book, typically one of the classics of spiritual literature. Naturally we are encouraged to read the writings of our founder, too.
Reading of the New Testament.
We also spend about 3-5 minutes per day reading the New Testament. This allows us to read the entire New Testament over the course of a year.
Visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
We try to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament sometime during the day, even if it's only to pop our head in the door, genuflect, and say a quick informal prayer. In centers of the Work and on retreats the visit is made immediately after supper and consists of 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Mary's, 3 Glory Be's and a spiritual communion.
Preces
The Preces is a set of prayers members of Opus Dei say every day. It takes about 5 minutes to say them and they are prayed in Latin. See Question 42 for a fuller explanation.
General examination of conscience.
Before going to bed at night we spend about 3 minutes examining how we've lived our day in confomity with the Gospel message, and make a specific resolution or two for the next day. Many members keep track of how they lived the plan of life so they can discuss it with their spiritual director.
Weekly Confession.
We are supposed to go to confession each week, preferably to a priest of Opus Dei.
Aspirations.
St. Josemaría would encourage us to turn to the Lord many times during the day and say short prayers like "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul" or "Jesus, I love you with all my heart," or anything else that springs from our heart.
Days of Recollection.
Every month we attend a day (or evening) of recollection. They consist of two "meditations" preached by a priest, a short talk by one of the lay members on a virtue or a topic like "the good use of time", benediction, confession, and time for personal prayer.
Retreats.
Every year we go on a retreat. These are silent retreats with a number of preached "meditations," plenty of time for personal reflection and prayer, etc.
As you can see, with the exception of the Preces, there's nothing in our plan of life that is peculiar to Opus Dei. It's all stuff Catholics do all the time, though they may not do all of it every day. It's a lot, and it's usually a real challenge to do it all every day. And perhaps that's why Opus Dei isn't for everyone.
The founder of Opus Dei used to say that the vocation to Opus Dei is the vocation to be a "contemplative in the middle of the world", and as any Catholic can see, many of the practices in the plan of life were taken from the contemplative orders.
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7. What's a supernumerary? Is it a really good numerary? And what's a numerary?
There are three types of members in the men's branch: Numeraries, associates and supernumeraries. The vocation is the same for all 3 types. The distinction is in their availabilty to direct and assist in the apostolic activities of the prelature.
Numeraries are the most available. They live celibacy and give all their free time and money to the Work. As a general rule, they live in centers of the Work. They receive an intense formation in the philosophy and theology of the Church. Most of them hold regular secular jobs, but for some of them their professional work is to direct the apostolic activities of Opus Dei or to hold an internal position in the governance of the prelature. For most of those who hold internal positions, this is a temporary situation. The numeraries are the primary givers of spiritual direction to the rest of the membership. They are at the disposal of the prelature and are ready to move wherever the prelature needs them.
It is generally from the numeraries that the prelate calls men to the priesthood. When a man becomes a numerary, he does so with the willingness to seriously consider the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood if the prelate should ever ask him. However he may decline the invitation. A very important point is that he does not become a numerary with the intention of becoming a priest. Rather, he simply remains open to seriously considering the possibility if the prelate asks him.
When you hear horror stories about life in Opus Dei it is generally in reference to life as a numerary. See Question 49 for a discussion of what I believe is the source of these stories.
Associates are the next type of member, in order of availability. Associates are similar to numeraries, in that they live celibacy, but they typically do not live in centers of the work. Their personal circumstances do not permit them to be as available to Opus Dei as a numerary. Perhaps they have an elderly parent they have to take care of, or they run a family business that would interfere with their ability to move to another city. There are a whole host of reasons they would be less available than a numerary. Associates also are involved in giving spiritual direction to other members of the prelature and to non-members, too. The prelate may also ask associates to become priests. They also remain free to say no.
Supernumeraries are the third type of member. These are the least available to Opus Dei. Supernumeraries may be married or unmarried. They live wherever they want. Most of the members are supernumeraries, and it is they who carry out the real apostolate in Opus Dei. It is in the supernumeraries that "the rubber hits the road," so to speak, because, as St. Josemaría used to say, the real apostolate of Opus Dei isn't the schools, the hospitals, etc. The real apostolate of Opus Dei is the apostolate carried out by its members among their colleagues, their friends, and their families.
Both the women's branch and the men's branch have numeraries, associates and supernumeraries, and they perform the same functions in each branch. While the women numeraries can't be ordained, they receive the same philosophical and theological formation the male numeraries receive.
There is another type of member in the women's branch called "numerary assistant". Numerary assistants attend to the domestic needs of the centers of Opus Dei, both for the men and for the women. They run Opus Dei's conference centers. They do all the cooking and cleaning. They take care of the chapels (actually, they're called oratories, but that's addressed in question 9). St. Josemaría used to call the work they do the "apostolate of apostolates" because it is they who imbue the centers with the family spirit that characterizes Opus Dei, and their work frees up the other members to devote more time to giving formation.
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8. Why are the men's branch and the women's branch separate?
There are a lot of reasons. It's just a matter of prudence. There's an old Spanish saying "Entre santa y santo, pared de cal y canto." (Thanks to L. for giving me the correct Spanish!) It means "Between a male saint and a female saint, a wall of brick and mortar." Of course, that's an exaggeration, but the point is that you've got normal people who are trying to be faithful to a life of celibacy. Too much contact between them can lead to all sorts of moral dangers and scandal.
Yet there's another good reason: Men and women are simply very different. The purpose of Opus Dei is to give spiritual direction and other means of spiritual formation. When a priest preaches a meditation to a group of men he's likely to say things in a different way than he would to a group of women. He'll emphasize different points. He'll use different words. He'll use different examples and different humor. The women who give spiritual formation to the women in Opus Dei are much more likely to understand a woman's point of view and her struggles than a man would, and vice-versa.
This view may not be popular today in a world that tries to pretend that the differences between women and men are merely physical, but psychology and psychiatry are continually affirming these differences. In my opinion, St. Josemaría, was truly prescient in this matter.
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9. Why does Opus Dei refer to its chapels as "oratories?"
As I understand it, chapels are open to the public and oratories are private. The centers of Opus Dei are residences. People live there, so the "chapels" in them are private.
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10. Are Opus Dei and "the Work" the same thing?
Yes. "Opus Dei" is Latin for "The Work of God." "The Work" is just a sort of nickname for Opus Dei.
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11. What relationship does a member of Opus Dei have with the parish he or she lives in?
Members of Opus Dei are encouraged to be active members of the parish in which they reside. When I got married I did so in my wife's parish. My uncle, who is a permanent deacon, received our vows. The parish priest said the Mass. Our children were baptized in our parish and attend the parish school. They received their first Holy Communion in our parish, as well as the instruction leading up to it. They made their first confessions in the parish. I was a lector in our parish for many years and served on the parish's pastoral council. I'm a scout leader in our parish's scout troops. My wife served on the Board of Directors of the parish's Home/School Association. We attend weekly and daily Mass in our parish. If we can't attend Mass in our parish we go to another parish, just like anyone else would.
Nevertheless, members of Opus Dei commit to assist the apostolates of Opus Dei and therefore often give more of their time and energy to Opus Dei than to their parish.
From a financial perspective, we contribute to our parish just as every Catholic should contribute to the financial support of his or her parish. Any contributions we make to Opus Dei are above and beyond, but not necessarily equal to the contribution we make to the parish.
This is the relationship members of Opus Dei have with their parish. It's the same as any other Catholic. We're subject to the pastor and local bishop in everything other Catholics are subject to them in. The jurisdiction Opus Dei has over us is in addition to any authority the local priest or bishop has, not in place of it, and extends only to those things that are the proper aim of the prelature: our personal spiritual direction and the apostolic aims of the prelature.
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12. I've heard that members of Opus Dei are forbidden to confess to a non-Opus Dei priest. Is that true?
No. It is not true.
Like all Catholics, we may confess to the priest of our choice. This is a fundamental right of all Catholics and is explicitly stated in canon 991.
Yet it's also true that it's good for a member of the Work to confess to a priest of Opus Dei because they are most familiar with our spirit and can more readily give advice that is harmonious with that spirit. They share the same vocation, after all. So we are encouraged to make a priest of Opus Dei our regular confessor.
Given that the purpose of Opus Dei is to give spiritual direction, and confession is a primary means for doing so, this should not be surprising or difficult for people to understand.
Still, when a priest of Opus Dei is not available we're encouraged to go to confession to a non-Opus Dei priest if necessary.
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13. What's "fraternal correction?"
Fraternal correction is the practice in which brothers and sisters in the faith support each other in the pursuit of the perfection they're both striving for. Jesus recommended this practice in Matthew 18:15 - "But if thy brother sin against thee, go and show him his fault, between thee and him alone. If he listen to thee, thou hast won thy brother."
In Opus Dei fraternal correction is practiced in a way that is intended to ensure that:
The perceived fault in the other person is, in fact, a fault or failing in the spirit of the Work;
The person receiving the correction doesn't get hit with the same thing over and over and over again;
If the directors of the Work are aware of some fact that makes it inopportune to make the correction, it isn't made;
A spirit of fraternal charity is the motivation for the correction;
The person receiving the correction is aware that the matter in question isn't simply the opinion of another member but is, in fact, an issue of the spirit of the Work.
Any member of Opus Dei may give a fraternal correction to any other member. There is an established procedure to ensure that the above criteria are respected. The person who observes a fault or failing in another member first prays about the issue and for the person to whom he will make the correction. He then goes to that person's director or the director of the center and confidentially mentions it. If the director agrees the correction should be made he gives permission. The person making the correction then confidentially tells the other person what he observed, simply and clearly. The person receiving the correction then thanks his brother for making it. When the correction has been made, the person goes to the oratory to pray for the other, and then tells the director that the correction has been made.
When receiving a fraternal correction should do so cheerfully and without making any excuses. If he disagrees with the correction he may go to the director for an explanation.
Any fault or failing in living the spirit of the Work would be matter for fraternal correction.
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14. Why do Opus Dei priests say Mass in Latin in centers of the Work?
Priests of Opus Dei say the Mass according to the new rite that came out after Vatican II. When they celebrate Mass in a center of Opus Dei they often say it in Latin, but sometimes it's in the vernacular.
Those who find this practice objectionable should note that Vatican II, while allowing the vernacular to be introduced into the Liturgy, actually ENCOURAGED the continued use of Latin. See Sacrosanctum Concilium for more information.
Aside from the liturgical reasons for saying the new Mass in Latin, there is the practical reason that centers of Opus Dei tend to have people living in them and visiting from many different countries. Having the common language of Latin used at Mass allows those attending to participate more readily. Mass is usually said in the vernacular during retreats and other public functions.
There's also the symbolic reason that Opus Dei, being spread throughout the world, and having a universal mission, more readily expresses that reality by the use of Latin.
Having attended Mass in Latin while on my "annual course" (see Question 18), and relying on the fact that many English and Spanish words have their roots in Latin, I've learned a lot about the true meaning of many of the words and phrases in the English translation of the Mass. The experience has definitely improved my understanding of the Mass.
Still, my personal preference is to hear Mass in English, and only occasionally in Latin.
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15. Isn't Opus Dei only for the "professional elite?"
In Opus Dei we're encouraged to see our professional work as a means of sanctification. We're taught that we must do it to the best of our ability if we're going to offer it to the Lord as prayer. Naturally those who are particularly gifted may reach the top of their profession. The prestige they attain can be a genuine help in their apostolate.
Imagine for a moment that you're an atheist. If you were to work with some Catholic who seemed like a nice enough guy, but wasn't particularly good at his work, you probably wouldn't take anything he says about Christianity very seriously. In the Work, we try to remember that our professional reputation can be either a great help or a great hindrance to our apostolic activity.
It is the explicit desire in Opus Dei to help people of all social classes and conditions, especially intellectuals and those at the top of their professions, to accept the teachings of Christ and to sanctify their work so that they may influence civil society according to the will of God. Thus, you will find centers of Opus Dei close to many of the best colleges and universities, and many of Opus Dei's corporate works of apostolate are schools and colleges. See What is a "Corporate Work of Apostolate" of Opus Dei? for more information.
Still, Opus Dei is not only for the professional elite. I was an average college student at a relatively good college, graduating with a C+ average. After 19 years in my profession I'm a staff-level computer programmer at a local hospital with no particular reputation for computer programming greatness. I just do the best I can. I know cops, accountants, teachers, housewives, low and mid-level bureaucrats, bakers, computer network "cable pullers", and even janitors who are in the Work. One of the numeraries I know sells men's clothing in a department store. These are hardly the "professional elite," and most of the members of Opus Dei are like me. We're people who are just trying to support our families and get to heaven doing it.
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16. What are the "norms?"
The "norms" are the specific practices of our daily plan of personal prayer. They are discussed in Question 5.
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17. I've heard that Opus Dei supported Franco and Hitler. Is that true?
Opus Dei encourages us to view our professional work as a means of sanctification. We're taught that we must do it to the best of our ability if we're going to offer it to the Lord as prayer.
If a member of the Work is particularly gifted and works diligently, like anyone else he will likely rise to the top of his profession. This applies to those who work in politics as much as it applies to anyone else.
According to Vittorio Messori, author of Opus Dei: Leadership and Vision in Today's Catholic Church:
Of the 116 ministers named by Franco for the 11 different cabinets that existed from 1939 to 1975, only 8 were members of Opus Dei. There were no members of Opus Dei in the Spanish government until 1957; there were none in the final cabinet. Of the 8 who did serve under Franco, 1 died 3 months after his appointment, and another 4 were in office for only 1 term. At no time did members come close to representing a majority in any cabinet. The myth of an Opus Dei dominated Franco government is just that - a myth.
Moreover, several known members of Opus Dei were opposed to the regime. Rafael Calvo Serer, editor of the daily Madrid, was hounded into exile for his criticism of Franco, who closed the publication. Working underground, Calvo Serer helped to bring democracy to Spain. Antonio Fontan was likewise a journalist who advocated free elections and trade unions. He too was persecuted, but after Franco's death he returned as president of the Senate in 1977 to help draft Spain's new democratic constitution.
Also significant is that the Falange, the political arm of the Franco Regime, conducted several smear campaigns in the press against Opus Dei over the years. The Falangists were opposed to the liberal tendencies of the so-called technocrats - some of whom were members of Opus Dei, including Alberto Ullastres and Mariano Navarro Rubio - who wanted to modernize the economy and introduce cultural freedoms.
Opus Dei claims to take no political position whatever, and that has been my experience. I have never heard anyone in Opus Dei give a political position as part of any kind of Opus Dei activity. That isn't to say that I've never discussed politics with other members of the Work. To ensure that Opus Dei never even gives the appearance of promoting one political position over another, the priests of Opus Dei are expressly forbidden to discuss politics. Of course, members of Opus Dei, including priests, are fully entitled to speak out, even in activities of Opus Dei, on issues like abortion and stem cell research - issues which have clear moral implications and where the Church has given clear guidance on what constitutes acceptable behavior for Catholics.
In my opinion there is a clear tendency among the members toward political conservatism. But Opus Dei does not impose any political ideology and there still exists a wide variety of political opinion among the members of Opus Dei, even if it is somewhat lopsided. I've known members who worked in the administration of President Carter. I've also known members who worked in the administration of President Reagan. I myself am a tree-hugging pro-life Democrat, and I'm not the only one.
Should anyone be scandalized by the fact that a member of Opus Dei worked in the administration of a pro-abortion president? Does that mean that Opus Dei supported President Carter or his policies? Of course not.
Should members of Opus Dei be prohibited from working in politics? Absolutely not. As long as Catholics in general can work in politics, there will be members of Opus Dei who do so.
As far as Hitler goes... The only thing I've ever heard from a source I consider to be credible regarding St. Josemaría and Hitler was a comment he once made that implied that when compared to the communists, Hitler was the lesser of two evils. The comment was made during or shortly after the Spanish Civil War, in which the communists persecuted the Church mercilessly, even executing a man they thought was him. It was also before the full extent of the horrors of Nazism were known to the world.
I remember viewing a movie of a get-together with St. Josemaría in which he said that "Jesus is a Jew and Mary is a Jew." He then emphasized "Notice that I say he IS a Jew, not that he WAS a Jew, because Jesus still lives!"
As an aside, the sentiments he expresses here are the same ones that make it so difficult for me to see how any Christian could ever be anti-semitic. It just makes no sense.
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18. What is an "annual course?"
An important aspect of a vocation to Opus Dei is the vocation to give good doctrine to those around us. This requires extensive and ongoing doctrinal formation ourselves. Thus, every year we try to go away for a short course in philosophy or theology. These courses are typically held at a conference center run by Opus Dei and are taught by a member who has received a higher degree in one of the sacred sciences, either a priest or a lay person. They are also called "workshops."
Because of time constraints these courses last about a week for supernumeraries. For numeraries and associates they are typically 3 weeks long.
Because Opus Dei is a spiritual family these courses also provide the opportunity to experience the fraternity of the other members, and to get to know them better. The time spent together in an environment conducive to fellowship and prayer serves to strengthen our commitment to the Work and to each other, and to get to know the spirit of the Work more deeply.
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19. Why do Opus Dei members have so many kids?
Because they're madly in love with their spouses and they (... um ... how shall I put this?...) like to express it! (If you know what I mean.) ;-)
And they don't use birth control. (Gasp!)
See Pope Paul VI's masterful work, Humanae Vitae, for details.
Members of Opus Dei are encouraged to be exemplary in their witness to the beauty of large families. In today's world where so many people, Catholics included, view both children and the elderly as distasteful burdens, this witness is sorely needed. Still, we must exercise our own judgment about the number of children to have. If, in our own conscience, formed in the privacy of our own prayer we believe we have a serious reason to limit the number of children, we enjoy the same freedom other Catholics have to use Natural Family Planning. It's good for all Catholics to consult a priest in this matter when making this decision, but the decision belongs to the couple alone. The decision should be made taking into account the financial, physical, and emotional needs of the spouses and the children they already have. This includes the likelihood of being able to provide a suitable home and an adequate education.
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20. You mean Opus Dei prohibits its members from using birth control?!
No.
God does.
See Pope Paul VI's masterful work, Humanae Vitae, for details.
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21. I heard Opus Dei spent over $1,000,000 getting Escrivá canonized. What's with that?
I'd be very surprised if that's all it was!
Let's do some math...
Assuming they had only 5 people working on the canonization for the 20 years it took, and if it cost only $10,000 per year to support each of them, that would be $1,000,000 right there!
If you add in the cost of travel, documentation, research, bulletins promoting his cause, verification of the required miracles, the beatification ceremonies, etc., etc., etc., you can see that the total cost would be well over the $1,000,000 figure that critics complain about.
These are costs that are simply part of the process. Those who are promoting any person's cause for beatification and canonization have to find a way to pay for them.
Given that Opus Dei has over 84,000 members, the $1,000,000 figure critics find so offensive would work out to less than $12 per member. And that would be assuming no one outside of the Work contributed.
Between 300,000 and 500,000 people attended the canonization. That's three to six times the total membership of Opus Dei. And there were many, many thousands of people who wanted to attend but couldn't.
It seems to me that this "criticism" is much ado about nothing. But that's just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
One reader accused me of being disingenuous in my answer to this question. He says that the question had to do with accusations that Opus Dei "paid" the Vatican in a sort of "quid pro quo" to have Escrivá canonized. I have encountered these accusations on the Internet, but obviously would have no way of knowing whether they are true any more than any other ordinary Catholic. What can I say to defend the canonization? All I can say is that I haven't seen any evidence that this is true - just vague accusations of impropriety - and there would need to be complicity with many people in the Vatican, including Pope John Paul II, to pull off such a travesty of justice. You decide...
I will agree, though, that there is a kind of "cult of personality" in Opus Dei with regard to St. Josemaría. This is somewhat understandable, though, given that he was the founder, and obviously was fairly charismatic. He wouldn't have been able to guide and "grow" Opus Dei as effectively as he did if he did not have such a dynamic and attractive personality.
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22. Do members of Opus Dei take vows?
No.
When someone joins Opus Dei he does so by means of a verbal contract between himself and Opus Dei in which he agrees to try to live the spirit of Opus Dei, to live the plan of life described above, to carry out an active apostolate, and to help the apostolic activities of the prelature, according to his talents and availability. Opus Dei, for its part, agrees to provide the spiritual direction and the assistance needed to do so.
Every March 19th members must renew the contract in the privacy of their own prayer and then notify Opus Dei that they have done so. Failure to do either of these two things without a serious reason automatically results in the member no longer being in Opus Dei. It's that easy to leave.
After 5 years a supernumerary may make the "fidelity," which is a life-long commitment to remain in Opus Dei. It is not a vow, but a promise, based on his honor as a Christian. After making the fidelity the supernumerary no longer has to make the yearly renewals. Supernumeraries are never required to make the fidelity.
Numeraries and associates must make the fidelity after 5 years, or become a supernumerary or leave the Work.
All Christians are required to live the virtue of chastity according to their state in life. Numeraries and associates, being single, live chastity as a single person. Supernumeraries who are married live chastity according to their state in life. There are no vows involved.
As St. Josemaría used to say, "We are interested in virtue, not vows."
This is one of the ways that distinguishes members of Opus Dei from members of religious orders. If you were to strike a numerary in anger, you would be guilty only of assault. If you were to strike a vowed Religious, in addition to assault you would be guilty of a sacrilege.
Another practical effect of the fact that we don't take vows is that there is no need for the involvement of the Holy See when a member of the Work leaves, even if they've made the fidelity. There are no vows to be released from. This is not to say that a numerary could abandon his vocation to Opus Dei in such a manner without it being a mortal sin, at least objectively speaking. But the sin would be due to the serious nature of the obligation he was leaving behind, i.e., the obligation all Christians have to follow the will of God in their vocation, not because of any vows.
A reader pointed out to me that, philosophically speaking, if there is no identifiable difference between two things then they are, in fact, the same. His point was that while we don't call them vows, members of Opus Dei do make an explicit "personal commitment" to live the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to our state in life, and that this "personal commitment" is really the same thing as a vow. While I agree that "if it looks like a duck, smells like a duck and swims like a duck, it must be a duck", I don't agree that it applies here because of the clear differences mentioned above and because canon law clearly defines what a vow is, and for it to be a vow, it must be called a vow. Still, I see his point...
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23. What is a "circle"?
A circle is a geometric shape in which all points are equidistant from the center.
I just could't resist. ;-)
But seriously... A circle is what we call the meetings we attend, usually weekly. These meetings are designed to teach us the spirit of Opus Dei. We receive talks related to the virtues, or the norms of piety mentioned above, or some other aspect of our spirit. Part of the circle is an examination of conscience in which a standard set of about 30 questions is asked relating to our spirit. An example would be "Do I always work with the joy of one who knows he is a son of God?" We reflect on each question for a moment in the privacy of our own conscience.
There are circles for each of the types of members, numeraries, supernumeraries and associates. There are also circles for "cooperators," who are not members of the Work, but who wish to receive some formation in our spirit. Cooperators are covered in Question 24.
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24. What is a "cooperator"?
A cooperator is just what the word means. It is someone who, while not being a member of the Work, would like to cooperate with us in our apostolic activities. Anyone who believes what we're trying to do is worthwhile may be a cooperator, including non-Catholics, non-Christians, and even those who don't believe in God.
Cooperators agree to help the Work first of all by praying for it every day. Secondly they assist in some material way, such as assisting in one of our apostolic activities, or making a financial contribution.
In return, members of Opus Dei pray for the cooperators every day in the Preces (See Question 42). They may also partake in special means of formation Opus Dei offers to cooperators, like the circles mentioned in Question 23, or workshops, spiritual direction, doctrinal classes, etc. The church has also granted cooperators the privilege of receiving a plenary indulgence each year on the anniversary of the day they became a cooperator, under the usual conditions.
November being the month when special attention is paid in the church to those who have died, all priests of the Work offer a Mass during November for the repose of the souls of all those cooperators who have died. For one day in November, the members of Opus Dei are asked to offer up the Mass they attend, Holy Communion, and the Rosary for the repose of the souls of the deceased cooperators.
Often people who are not yet ready to join Opus Dei become cooperators instead, but that is not a requirement, and most cooperators never become members.
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25. Who can attend the apostolic activities offered by Opus Dei?
Pretty much anyone of good will may attend the apostolic activies offered by Opus Dei, whether or not they are Catholic. They do NOT have to be a cooperator. In practice, Opus Dei rarely advertises its means of formation, choosing instead to rely on the members and others who attend to personally invite others. Still, normally no one is prevented from attending.
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26. What are some of the apostolic activities offered by Opus Dei?
Opus Dei offers the circles mentioned above, evenings of recollection, retreats, doctrinal classes, etc.
Probably the most distinctive "activity", though, is spiritual direction. Anyone may receive the spiritual direction offered by the Work, and this is really the most important reason for the Work's existence. This direction is intended to be geared to the individual and designed to help the individual discover how they can find God right where they are, in his job, among his family and friends, by fulfilling his ordinary duties. Numeraries and associates receive spiritual direction once a week. Supernumeraries receive it biweekly. Others may receive it on a mutually agreeable schedule.
In addition to these, Opus Dei carries out numerous "corporate works of apostolate" (see Question 29). These works, usually of a social, educational, or health care nature, are imbued with the spirit of the Work and are designed to help fill some need of the community. Examples are The Heights, in Maryland, a school for boys in grades 3-12. Another example is Midtown Center, in Chicago's inner city.
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27. Where can I find all the technical "nits and grits" about Opus Dei?
The best exposition of all the technical "nits and grits" I can find on the web is a series of pages written by Beat Muller of the Information Office of Opus Dei on the Internet, at http://www.kattoliko.it/opusdei/ingdati.htm.
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28. Where can I get a copy of the statutes?
The statutes have never been officially published in English. However, they are published in Latin in the back of a book called "The Canonical Path of Opus Dei - History & Defence of a Charism." Click here to find out more about the book.
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29. What is a "corporate work of apostolate" of Opus Dei?
Corporate works of apostolate are those activities which Opus Dei itself promotes and which Opus Dei guarantees are authentically Catholic. Opus Dei takes responsibility for everything related to their Christian character. The professional aspects of the corporate work are the personal responsibility of the individuals running the institution.
The prelate of Opus Dei appoints the chaplains and religious instructors. The boards of directors usually consist of members of Opus Dei, but may include cooperators. As a matter of common practice Opus Dei oversees the board of directors to ensure that the institution is being run according to the spirit of the Work. Opus Dei itself does not usually own the assets of the corporate works.
Corporate works include schools, universities, vocational training centers, medical clinics, farming schools, student residences, etc.
Anyone may participate and be served by the corporate works of Opus Dei. They serve the following purposes:
To provide a genuine service to the community;
To promote the ideal of sanctity in one's ordinary life, especially among those who might have a vocation; and
To promote the Gospel message.
Naturally, some of those who participate in these activities will be attracted to the message of Opus Dei and will become official cooperators. Through their contact with the members of the Work who run the institution, others may even come to the conviction they have a vocation to Opus Dei.
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30. What corporate works of apostolate does Opus Dei run in the United States?
All the conference centers of Opus Dei are corporate works. In the United States these include Arnold Hall in Massachusetts, Longlea Conference Center in Virginia, Shelbourne Conference Center in Indiana, and Featherock Conference Center in Texas. I believe there's one in California, too.
In addition to the conference centers, Opus Dei has the following corporate works in the U.S. Each link is followed by the blurb contained on the center's web site.
The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland
"Since our founding in 1969, The Heights has earned the reputation of providing excellent academic and personal preparation for higher education and professional work. Ours is a school where students are known by their teachers and are given friendly encouragement to develop their intellectual and moral capacities. Each student is important and success is measured one student at a time."
Oakcrest School in McLean, Virginia
"Oakcrest School is an independent college preparatory school (grades 7-12) for girls, which focuses on academic excellence, character development, and active parent involvement."
Lexington College in Chicago
"Lexington College is a private, accredited, two-year college for women specializing in hotel, restaurant and institutional management and located in Chicago."
Midtown Center in Chicago
"Midtown Center for boys is one of two supplementary educational centers directed by Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF). The centers aim to promote the educational and personal development of Chicago's inner city kids, providing them with hope and positive alternatives to the perils of the street."
Tenley Study Center in Washington, DC
"The Tenley Study Center is a not-for-profit supplemental education center dedicated to the academic and character development of young men. The goal of the Center is to provide young men between the ages of 15 and 25 with the direction and encouragement that they need to see their studies, their work, and family responsibilities in a broader and more complete perspective. Tenley痴 programs stress that these everyday commitments make up an arena in which they can serve God and others, contribute generously to the common good of society, sharpen their intellects, and develop strong moral characters. By helping young men to accept and carry out their current duties well and with a spirit of service, Tenley hopes to enable them to lead stable, committed, and happy lives as fathers, husbands, friends, and professionals."
Bayridge in Boston
"For over 42 years Bayridge has served women, married and single, of all ages, races, creeds and professions as a unique resource center for those who wish to live by Judeo-Christian principles. Through a variety of programs, Bayridge continually looks for ways to inspire and encourage women, assisting and challenging them to be leaders with strength of character and a positive influence among their peers at the university, in their family life, and with their colleagues at work.
At Bayridge, we strive to create an environment for women students that truly stands behind our vision of creating a culture of genuine feminism one woman at a time."
Chestnut Center in San Francisco
"Chestnut Center organizes activities for professional, college, and high school women. The spiritual and doctrinal activities offered at Chestnut Center are entrusted to Opus Dei, a personal Prelature of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei's purpose is to help people find God in their everyday lives of work, family, and social relations."
These are just a sample of the corporate works in the U.S. There are many others.
In all cases, the statutes of the Work specify that the corporate work's association with Opus Dei must be made known to all participants.
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31. Why do Opus Dei spiritual directors read the mail of numeraries?
I am personally unfamiliar with this practice, so I'll quote from an ABCNEWS.com interview with Brian Finnerty, an Opus Dei spokesman:
"It's something different than some years ago, as far as the directors might open the mail. They don't read mail. They stopped doing that. That custom was changed. I think the spirit is still the same, in that people are encouraged to share it, if people think there is something important that they need to talk to or get advice on, they're encouraged to do that. I think the idea is that that's a helpful process."
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32. Do members of Opus Dei have to confess their sins publicly?
Of course not!
It has often been reported that we must confess our sins to the other members of the Work during our weekly meetings. (See What is a circle?). This is absolutely not true!
The practice that has been so distorted is called the "emendatio," or in English, the "emendation." This is when, after the examination of conscience that is part of the circle, a member of the Work kneels down and says aloud "In the presence of God Our Lord I accuse myself of _______." The person giving the circle then assigns some task as a sort of reparation for the fault. Such a task would typically be "Pray a Memorare for the intentions of the Pope."
There are some important things to note with regard to the emendation:
No one is required to do this.
The fault that is mentioned must be just that: a fault. It should NOT be a sin. It should be a fault in living some aspect of the spirit of the Work, such as "not going to Mass on Tuesday without a good reason," or "failing to get out of bed on time."
The person who plans to do the emendation should check with the director beforehand to make sure that it would be appropriate matter, and not a sin or something else that should be kept private (such as arguing with our spouse).
There is no pressure to do the emendation with any particular regularity. It is left COMPLETELY up to the individual, and the individual must take the initiative.
The purpose of the emendation is to foster a spirit of humility. It also serves to encourage the other members, who see that they are not alone in their struggle to be ever more faithful to our spirit. It is very encouraging to see that even those who have been in the Work for a very long time continue to struggle with the very same things I struggle with.
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33. How do you respond to charges that members of the Work make friends only so they can get them to join Opus Dei?
St. Josemaría said our apostolate should be an apostolate of "friendship and confidence." What this means is that we should be true friends to those around us, and our friends should be able to confide in us. As a brother supports his brother, we should support our friends in their journey of faith.
However, like everyone else, members of Opus Dei are not perfect. I've personally witnessed enough situations where a member of the Work seemed to befriend a person only so he could bring him to Opus Dei to understand why some people think this is the Opus Dei way of recruiting new members. This should not happen!
The directors of the Work occasionally remind us not to fall into this trap. If we are to be effective apostles, bringing the truth and light of the Gospel to those around us, it must come from a heart that genuinely loves our family and friends. It is wrong to "instrumentalize" our friendships in the way that sometimes happens.
Please pray for us and for all the organizations in the Church so that we may be more faithful to the Gospel and to our particular charisms.
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34. What are the cilice and discipline? What are they for? Who uses them?
The cilice is a chain or strap with small spikes in it. Numeraries and associates wear it around their thigh for 2 hours a day. It has also been described as a wire mesh, with the ends of the wires pointing inward. Sometimes the points are filed down.
The discipline is a cord with knots in it. Once a week numeraries and associates use it to strike themselves with.
Jesus invites all Christians to help him carry the cross. It's true that for most of us there are plenty of crosses in our daily lives, and we don't need to invent new ones. Nevertheless, it's a good and longstanding Christian practice to deny ourselves some simple pleasures in order to fortify our will, remind ourselves of the passing nature of this world's goods, unite ourselves to the sufferings of the Lord in his passion, and to offer atonement for our sins. This is the purpose of the ancient practice of fasting and abstaining from meat, for example.
It's interesting that many people understand the need to deny themselves sweets and excessive amounts of food and to get up early in the morning, regardless of the weather, to run miles and miles, enduring great physical pain. They will submit to painful operations and medical treatments, even to the point of injecting poisons (chemotherapy, botox) into their bodies. They do all these things to preserve or restore their physical health, or even just their beauty. Yet they recoil at the idea of doing things that cause far less physical discomfort if the motivation is spiritual in nature. These are the people who don't understand and are horrified at the practice of corporal mortification.
It seems to me that the controversy over the use of these means of mortification arises from the fact that they're intended to fortify the soul rather than the body, and they don't involve the use of Spandex® or a membership in a health spa. However, these are traditional means used by many saints in the church's history, and even if they aren't used quite so much today, that doesn't diminish their value.
It's true that these types of corporal mortifications are not for everyone. In Opus Dei, only numeraries and associates use them and they must ask permission to do so more frequently than prescribed. It is my understanding that supernumeraries are not allowed to use them.
It has been reported that the cilice causes severe pain, and can even draw blood. It seems to me that would depend on how tightly you wear it. It has also been reported that numeraries whip themselves with the discipline to the point where blood splatters the walls. While I've never seen either a cilice or a discipline, I find it preposterous to believe that. The best I can tell, this lie is based on a true story about St. Josemaría in which he did use the discipline to the point of drawing quite a bit of blood. But he tried to hide this from others and even forbade his sons and daughters from imitating him in this matter. He believed that his unique role as founder required this sacrifice from him, but not from others.
Like I said, I have never seen either the cilice or the discipline, much less used them, but this answer has been read both by a former numerary who is now opposed to the Work and by a current numerary, and they agree it is accurate.
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35. Does Opus Dei keep records of what people discuss in spiritual direction, and is it confidential?
Opus Dei does not keep records of what people discuss in spiritual direction, and all spiritual direction is confidential.
It is possible, though, that the director will ask someone else for guidance if he feels he can't give sufficiently adequate advice in spiritual direction, but this is always done with as much anonymity as possible.
Obviously, in matters of assessing the suitability of new
April 28, 2004 at 02:16 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | TrackBack (8) | Top of page | Blog Home
Opus Dei web site
Opus Dei - U. S. A. - Finding God in Work and Daily Life
Finding God in Work and Daily Life
April 28, 2004 at 02:08 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | TrackBack (38) | Top of page | Blog Home
Article © William Mann: Author of "The Labyrinth of the Grail"
| The Knights Templar | Did The Templars Possess The Holy Grail? | templarhistory.com |
With the advent of the internet, there appears to be a swelling tide of interest relating to the question as to whether the medieval Knights Templar in fact possessed the Holy Grail. The answer to this is a very simple one: There is no doubt whatsoever that the Templars possessed the Holy Grail.
The explanation behind this answer, unfortunately, remains somewhat complicated and, to a degree, very speculative. The key, as I have learned during the writing of The Labyrinth Of The Grail, is to constantly "look beyond" what appears at first to be the true answer. The simple reasoning is that why else would both the Church and State pursue the Templars to the far ends of the earth and torture them beyond compassion. Obviously, the accusations of blasmephy were only an excuse to justify their actions. It really doesn't take any skill to recognize that the inner circle of the Templars possessed something far more valuable than mere silver and gold - something that threatened the very being of the Church and State.
What the Templars possessed, and became sworn guardians of, was the unbroken line of "ancient knowledge" which among other things allowed the ancient mariner to circumnavigate the world. It is now coming to light that trade among the "Old World" and the "New World" had regularly occurred throughout the Neolithic to Roman eras by "societies who were in on the secret." Hints of these visits and settlement now appear to be revealing themselves through a variety of sources including classic mythology, Indian legend and maritime folklore, as well as through recent archaeological discoveries.
This knowledge was pure power. Societies that not only possessed the ability to track the sun, moon and the stars, but possessed the inherent wisdom to maintain the "secret" of being able to fix longitudinal positions long before it became common practice, were societies in constant danger of being exterminated. On the other hand, those societies who were able to exploit their advantage to the fullest such as the earliest Templars enjoyed a status rivaled by none.
In other words, the Templars, and those who came before them, were accorded the ability to "look beyond" standard Church dogma to places yet to be "discovered" - the mythical Otherworld.
Think about it for a moment. If you possessed an unlimited source of raw material, fertile land, and mineral wealth, would you reveal it to the world? No, I don't think that you would, especially if you were in the business of "brokering" peace among nations. The Templars would surely have considered this knowledge to be a "God-given gift." Thereby, the Templars would have considered themselves to be the guardians of a direct "conduit" between God and man. The Templars would have also believed that this conduit of knowledge straight from the heavens exposed itself through the Mysteries of Christ. To the Templars, this embodiment of heavenly knowledge was The Holy Grail.
You may ask how was it that longitudinal coordinates could be established in pre-Christian times prior to the development of the chronometer. Again, the answer is the simplest, yet most complicated, of all possibilities. Since the concept of time began, man has turned his eyes to the sky and followed the paths of the heavenly bodies. Evolving from this activity was the establishment of strategic viewing positions, which allowed the "Ancients" to establish "roseline" (meridians) around the world. These ancient stone circles and menhirs found around the world, such as Stonehenge, were used to track the known paths or circuits of the eclipses of the sun and the moon.
It was this recognition of "order" and "pattern" in all that made up the universe, which resulted in the development of "sacred geometry." As such, sacred geometry was derived through man's ability to reason, which means that all men possessed the "Grail knowledge" through the "art of reasoning." Come to think of it, there is nothing really "sacred" about it, other than the knowledge that certain Egyptian "royal lines" came to assume it as their God-given right.
Indeed, modern society should not be looking to certain royal houses to capture the "lost art," but to its historical guardians including the Celtic Druids and Irish, and medieval Knights Templar. Hence, the seeker of the true Holy Grail must follow the path to the source of Celtic tradition and its Indo-European roots. Only when one understands their roots will one better understand themselves. And for the seeker who is able to arrive at the proper application of knowledge and understanding, wisdom and truth will be revealed.
Coming full circle, these four "commodities" were the "Grail treasures" that the inner core of Knights Templar possessed. Unfortunately, even sailing half way around the world in A.D. 1398 to what was considered a New Jerusalem (modern-day Nova Scotia) could not prevent the Templars from being relentlessly pursued by both Church and State. Therefore, it was in the wilderness of A(r)cadia that the 14th century spiritual leader of the Knights Templar, Prince Henry Sinclair, buried the Holy Grail until such time that a more enlightened society could make better use of its virtues.
In this circumstance, one can only conclude that the Holy Grail was the recorded knowledge of the Ancients, set down by those initiates who were willing to sacrifice their lives to perpetuate in words the one true connection between heaven and earth.
Remember that the Celtic soul lies in the head. Thus, the Templars did not allow their hearts to rule their actions. Similarly, the Holy Grail awaits those who practice the simple art of reasoning, enabling them to look beyond the trappings that await them on their journey.
April 28, 2004 at 02:01 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | TrackBack (7) | Top of page | Blog Home
Knights Templar information web site
The Knights Templar | A History And Mythos Of The Knights Templar | templarhistory.com
Welcome to Templar History.com, the world's most popular Knights Templar information web site. We have many exciting things going on at present, with the launch of another new site, "The Templar Review." This site will feature reviews of all sorts of books on alternate and speculative history, as well as interviews and exclusive articles by the authors. And speaking of new websites, Alan is about to launch his own site, "The Golden Thread.com," which will feature information on his newest book, "The Goddess, The Grail & The Lodge. This book will be released on May 1st, 2004.
April 28, 2004 at 01:59 AM in Holy Grail | Permalink | TrackBack (12) | Top of page | Blog Home
ROSLIN AND THE ROSE LINE
As of 1096, the first Crusader wave of Vatican-sponsored French fighters attacked the Muslim enemy north of Palestine prior to invading Jerusalem. Led through the city walls (1099) by a Godfrey de Bouillon (duke of Lower Lorraine), the "Christians" slaughtered unmercifully even the Jewish inhabitants. For his prize, De Bouillon was chosen ruler of the city, but died the next year...if that tells you how blessed he was of God. And the Pope who dispatched him had also died...before hearing about the Jerusalem victory.
The Jews of Europe would surely have joined the Catholic fighters had the Crusaders intended to establish the Biblical prophecies calling for a restoration of Jews to the Promised Land. But the Vatican had not only proclaimed that God was forever done with the Jews, but it also held to the doctrine of amillennialism i.e. that the Millennial Kingdom of God was already under way through the Vatican, and with the Pope as Christ on earth. Therefore, Catholics, and least of all the counterfeit-Christian Crusaders, simply were not interested in setting up a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Don'let anyone convince you, as enemies of the Cross would like to convince you, that the Crusaders were Christians, for it is Jesus Christ who defines what true Christians are, and He does not consider murderers of Jews, thieves and rapists to be his saints.
A leader of the Crusade, Baldwin I, brother of the late Godfrey de Bouillon, was then chosen to be the king of Jerusalem. After Baldwin died (1118), a third brother, Eustace III, was elected king...but while on his way to Jerusalem to accept the title, the Crusaders made his nephew, Baldwin II, king instead. The so-called "Rose Line" has been said to be the bloodline of Jesus Christ (via sex with Mary Magdalene) that, through the centuries, came to produce the three brothers above. I don't believe the Magdalene-aspect of the claim, of course, but I do believe that a Rose Line did exist...yet I'm not sure that these brothers had much to do with what might be considered the modern or end-time Rose Line.
My tasks are to identify the meaning and deepeest roots of the end-time Rose Line, to explain how Rosicrucianism and world-conquest Illuminata arose around it, to show that the pre-tribulation rapture was invented by Rose Line Illuminatists to aid in their scheme, and perhaps to predict the Biblical False Prophet whom I believe may be a Rose-Line member. If I told you that my head doesn't spin at the mere thought of taking these tasks upon myself, I'd be lying.
My starting point is based on this assumption: that two of the three Bouillion brothers did not come to rule Jerusalem by chance, but were maneuvered into the rulership position by those seeking to found a flesh-powered Biblical Millennium. I see that Viking blood was involved in the same agenda--perhaps the Normans/Vikings carried the agenda forward into France. For reasons to be given, I believe now, temporarily anyway, that the Ros(e) Line was, at first, a Rus-Viking bloodline that may not have had anything to do with the Carolingian bloodline (most modern authors associate the Rose Line with the Carolingians).
Godfrey de Bouillon had sold Bouillon, his title there, and the Bouillion castle in order to finance his part in the Crusade. But Robert II, a Norman (and the duke of Normandy), son of William the Conqueror and therefore a descendant of the St. Clair or Rollo-Viking line, "pawned Normandy to [his brother] Rufus so that he [Robert] could be the leader of the first crusade" (Britannica Vol. 11, page 358). Therefore, that Crusade was very important to both of these French and the Norman "noble" families. But why did both want Jerusalem so badly? It's doubtful that either family (or circle of families) was as interested as the Roman empire and the popes in subduing the Muslim threat, wherefore it can be suspected that they, the Normans and the French, were instead after the world throne of Christ.
Britannica also tells us that De Bouillon was not the Crusade's primary leader, but that "Bohemund [I] was the principal leader of the crusade" (1970; Vol. 10, page 514). Now Bohemund I, when he joined the Crusade, "gathered a fine Norman army" for the purpose (Vol. 3, page 855). Fifteen years prior to the Crusade, Bohemund's Norman father, Robert Guiscard, and Guiscard's brother, Roger I, had led a Norman army from southern Italy against the the Byzantine kingdom north of Israel. Prior to that, they conquered the Byzantines of southern Italy, which is why they ruled that part of Italy in the first place.
Therefore, one could conjecture that the ultimate Norman purpose in the heart of the Mediterranean was to pave a Norman road to Jerusalem...and that the first Crusade (1096) was spurred first and foremost by that Norman quest. The rising up of the Bouillion circle of French fighters then becomes a secondary event only in response to the Norman vision...i.e. to compete with the Normans.
Why was a Viking army settled in southern Italy in the first place? It had attacked the papal powers and the Byzantine empire virtually all at once, and this suggests a strike at world rulership. Guiscard had defeated the Vatican (1053) but thereafter made peace with a new Pope in order to have little to fear in Italy while waging war in Byzantine regions. Back in the north, other Normans were active militarily and were proving quite successful in Britain and on the French mainland. Had the Byzantines not made an alliance with the Viking leaders (i.e. the Varangian Rus) of proto-Russia, the Vikings just may have conquered the world at that time. As it turned out, the Varangian Rus faught against the Italian Normans on behalf of the Byzantines.
Peter the Hermit, a man given overwhelming credit for rousing the French and other Europeans to engage in the first Crusade on Jerusalem, was first in Bali (1094), southern Italy...realm of the Guiscard Normans. This further supports my belief that the conquest of Israel was initially a Norman goal, joined by the Vatican/French only after the Normans had made the first plans/assaults to that end. By that time, the papal powers had formed an alliance with the Italian Normans so that the whole Jerusalem affair became a competition between the Popes, the Normans and the French even while the three worked together as one.
I can see that that the Normans had their own bloodline chosen to rule on the Jerusalem throne in competition with the bloodline of Godfrey de Bouillon. I suspect that the Normans back in Normandy and Britain had chosen the St. Clair clan, for obvious reasons, while the Norman leaders of Italy had themselves in mind.
Perhaps it's a long shot that shouldn't be mentioned without extensive investigation on my part, but note that the "Guis" in Guiscard reflects "Jews." I noted in my internet research that Guiscard's family gave all tax revenues taken from their Jewish subjects to a medical institution (Salernum) reknown for Jewish doctors. That sounds like the Jews helping the Jews. Could this explain Guiscard's interest in Jerusalem?
In an article on the Normans, Britannica shares that the shocking slaughter in Jerusalem is explained by its similarity to typical Viking bloodbaths. And in the early Templar period, there were three places where the Templar-related Order of Sion had monasteries: Palestine, France, and southern Italy. A French-Norman alliance is therefore implied in the make-up of, if not the original Templars, then the Order of Sion. Allegedly, monks from southern Italy (Calabria) built the monastery in France, and they with Godfrey de Bouillon formed the Order of Sion. In modern times, Pierre Plantard de St. Clair claims to have been the Order's leader until 1984. I don't know quite what to make of that, but there you have the Norman name ("St. Clair") attached to a Frenchman. Keep in mind that the Order of Sion may have sprouted the Rosicrucians and other Millennial-minded Illuminatists.
After the Crusaders had won Jerusalem, most returned home whereas a small lot, including the original nine Templars, held the region as though their main purpose was merely to maintain the region until something larger should transpire, and I see that larger thing as the conquest of Europe. We see this conquest-agenda coming to pass in the propagation of the Templar movement...which took wings shortly after the Jersalem victory. But the Northmen were already well on their way to world conquest; the Varangian Rus from Sweden were to the far north of Israel, just then in the process of expanding from Kiev (north of the Black sea) to create the proto-Russian empire. And not long before the first Crusader invasion, the Viking Claro family in Normandy had successfully invaded England (1066) at the support of their leader, William (The Conqueror) St. Clair. The Claro family (like all Vikings who were becoming Christianized for political reasons) became counterfeit Christian, wherefore it became known as the "Saint Clair" family...and because "Claro" refers to "light," while "Sancto Claro" means "Holy Light," the beginnings of a "Christian" Illuminati could come to mind.
With the victory of William the Conqueror over England, the rightful heir to the English throne (Edgar Aetheling), previously hiding out under the protection of the royal court in Hungary, was escorted back to Britain by another William St. Clair...the latter received from the king of Scotland the hill of Roslin (Scotland), a hill which thereafter became a Sinclair (the Anglicized form of "St. Clair") settlement...and hub of Scottish Freemasonry. You may have noticed that "Roslin" and "Ros(e) Line" have a distinct similarity. If we ask why William Sinclair was granted this hill by the king of Scotland (Malcolm III), it's because Edgar's sister, Margaret, married that king while William was her cupbearer. And if we ask why Margaret had a cupbearer with Viking blood, I'd say it was because Margaret herself had plenty of it.
As evidence for a Norman-French alliance, we find that William's son, Henry Sinclair, joined Godfrey de Bouillon on the first Crusade to Jerusalem. And De Bouillon himself had as father, Eustace II, from Boulogne on the coast facing Scandanavia, who had been married to Goda...whose half-Viking blood was of the Rollo line, the same line that William the Conqueror (and other Sinclairs) would stem from. That is, Goda had as mother, Emma, daughter of Richard I, duke of Normandy (942-96), grandson of Rollo...the Viking pirate who had been baptized into Christ and yet lived thereafter, and died, as a pagan.
Rollo, after a series of invasions onto the French mainland by his fathers, succeeded in winning a region at the north shore of France called, "Normandy." This land was won by the treaty, St. Clair-sur-Epte, made with the French king (911). As part of this arrangement, Rollo would become the first duke of Normandy, but in return was to accept Christianity and moreover Christianize his people. But with the addition of Christianity to the Viking goal of conquering Europe there may have manifested the counterfeit-Millennial agenda that included the seizure of Jerusalem from the Moslems. That's my theory, anyway, explaining why the Guisacard would later take Italy en route to the Crusades.
Although Eustace II was married to Goda, it is reported by historians that Godfrey de Bouillon, and his two brothers in line for the Jerusalem throne, were born from Eustace's second wife, Ida of Bouillon. In other words, there was no Viking blood in these three brothers...wherefore I seek the Ros(e) Line in other men.
Now Emma (Goda's mother) had been married to two men, first to a king of the Anglo Saxons, Aethelred II, and, after he died, to a Viking pirate and king of Denmark (Canute) who conveniently "converted" to Christianity and thereafter fought against pagan Viking enemies coveting parts of his enlarged empire. Aethelred II fathered king Edmund II Ironside reportedly from another wife (not Emma) named "Aelfgifu"--alternative "Elgiva." But something smells like a cover up here, not just because little is known about Elgiva (wherefore she appears to pop up out of nowhere), but because Emma was also called "Elgiva," especially in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles of the day, suggesting that the two women could have been one and the same. If so, then Edmond Ironside was Emma's son and therefore half Viking! And that would be the reason for the cover up (remember, what goes into written history is often controlled by the rulers, and if Christian-Viking rulers didn't want their sons to be recognized as stemming from pagan Vikings, they could successfully attempt to hide it).
Canute, who married Aethelred's widow, Emma, was at first married to an Aelfgifu that is as mysterious historically as the one reportedly married to Aethelred. In fact, some historians suggest that Canute's Aelfgifu was one and the same Aethelred's Aelfgifu...but even if so, we can't lose sight of the fact that both men had been married to Emma who for some confusing reason was also known as "Aelfgifu."
What I am suggesting is that the true Ros(e) Line may stem from the Rollo kings and then through Emma to Ironside...who moreover married the daughter of a Danish Viking, wherefore Ironside's son, Edward the Aetheling, was three-quarters Viking if indeed Ironside's mother was a Viking (the history books tell us that he was an Anglo-Saxon). But even if Emma was not Ironside's mother, and there was in fact an Aelgifu who was, the latter may also have been a Viking (no one knows the identity of her parents).
The reason that I am burdening you with genealogical details is that Edward the Aetheling's children were prince Edgar the Aetheling (of England) and his sister princess Margaret. This is important because Margaret (who was in this way born with Viking blood) would become closely associated with Roslin...wherefore it could seem for another reason yet--besides Roslin being the estate of the Viking Sinclairs--that the Roslin Rose Line was rooted in Vikings. Because the blood of Margaret's mother, Agatha, is also a mystery, while some historians claim that she had Rus-Viking parents, Margaret may have been almost wholly of Viking blood i.e. with merely a tiny fraction of Anglo-Saxon blood (from her great-grandfather Aethelred II). If this is true, then this surely rates as one of the secrets of the Rose-Line cult, if not the core secret.
Margaret was associated with Roslin not only because Roslin's manager, William Sinclair, was her cupbearer, but because she, as queen of Scotland, lived only six miles from Roslin (in Edinburgh). Again, "Roslin" and "Rose Line" have got to be synonymous; in referring to centuries past, a New-Age website says:
Of course, the spelling of the day of "Rose line" was "Roslin."
The above website (http://www.skybusiness.com/cornucopialodge362/masonart.html) echoes what others are suggesting, that the Rose Line was the bloodline of Jesus and his mistress, Mary of Magdala. But that's a silly idea intended to take us (and naive Freemasons) deliberately off course. We even hear claims that the head of Jesus is buried under the Roslin chapel...and you understand that this idea comes with the wicked implication that Jesus did not truly rise to life.
In 1113, fourteen years after the French and Viking Crusaders together conquered Jerusalem, the king of Jerusalem, Balwin I, married the daughter (Adelaide) of a late Viking leader, Roger I (Guiscard's brother), under the condition that his son, Roger II, should become king of Jerusalem when and if Baldwin should die without a child. Interestingly, Baldwin, although married to two women, one of whom he dumped for Adelaide, was to die without children. More interesting yet, the Dictionary of Royal Lineage, while not indicating the personalities, tells that Guiscard's family was from the Rollo line...showing that the Rollo dyasty was attempting to place a son on the Jerusalem/Millennnial throne.
By this time, the count of Champagne (Hugh) had sent Frenchman, Hugh de Payen ("Pagan"), to Jerusalem with a letter addressed to Baldwin (1112). Then, in Jerusalem itself, under the oversight of Baldwin, De Payen begins to unite a small group of closely-related men in an unofficial formation of an order of Temple Knights...and the count of Champagne would himself be included in that organization.
Almost simultaneously, the Patriarch of