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An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church
Doubleday
November 2005
416 pages ISBN: 0385514492 Hardcover
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Inspirational
The first serious journalistic investigation of the highly
secretive, controversial organization Opus Dei provides
unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and
discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on
the politics of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei (literally “the work of God”) is an international
association of Catholics often labeled as conservative who
seek personal Christian perfection and strive to implement
Christian ideals in their jobs and in society as a whole.
Founded in Spain in 1928, it now has 84,000 members (1,600
of whom are priests) in eighty countries. But far from
running bingo nights at local parishes, Opus Dei has become
a center of controversy and suspicion both within and
outside the Church. It has been accused of promoting a
right-wing political agenda and of cultlike practices,
aggressive recruiting, brainwashing new recruits, and
isolating members from their families. Its notoriety
escalated with the publication of the runaway bestseller
The Da Vinci Code (Opus Dei plays an important and sinister
role in the novel) and with the previous pope’s much-
debated canonization of its founder (often linked with
Francisco Franco’s facist regime) and the discovery that
convicted FBI spy Robert Hanson was a member of Opus Dei. With the expert eye of a longtime trusted observer of the
Vatican and the skill of an investigative reporter intent
on uncovering closely guarded secrets, John Allen finally
separates the myths from the facts in Opus Dei. Granted
unlimited access to the prelate who heads the organization
and to Opus Dei centers throughout the world, Allen draws
on a wealth of interviews with current members, as well as
with highly critical ex-members, to create an unprecedented
portrait of the activities, practices, and intentions
behind its veil of secrecy. Allen reveals the remarkable
power that Opus Dei commands in shaping Vatican policy and
presents a detailed look at the full extent of its network,
which includes people in key positions in politics,
banking, academia, and other influential arenas. He even
describes the arcane rituals—including self-flagellation—
performed to preserve and promote a spiritual tradition
strange and unsettling to modern sensibilities. For years, Opus Dei has been the subject of conspiracy
theories and dark, uninformed speculation. Opus Dei sets
the record straight.
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