Opus Dei reveals itself to members and recruits along an “inclined plane”. The breadth and depth of one’s commitment to the institution is not revealed upfront. It is revealed gradually and over a period of several years.
The contract that commits the member and the institution is couched in broad, general terms. Only later will celibate members find out that
- they will use instruments of corporal mortification,
- they will turn all their earnings over to the Opus-run foundations,
- they will have little or no time to be in touch with their families,
- they will have to ask for permission to help their parents in times of financial need,
- they will have to ask for guidance regarding everything they read and they will be forbidden to read a large number of classics of literature, philosophy, and science;
- their last will and testament will have an Opus-run foundation as beneficiary,
- they will keep a list of 10-15 prospects among their co-workers and friends, and
- they have to devise and implement strategies to recruit them to the organization, etc.
This site offers an inside view on what goes on in Opus Dei beyond the broad generalizations. It reveals what the institution refuses to share upfront. We hope that its content will be useful to all who come in contact with this prelature of the Catholic Church.
