[Marxism] Mel Gibson and Opus Dei

["Craven, Jim" <JCraven@xxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ed George
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 1:12 PM
To: marxmail
Subject: [Marxism] Re: Mel Gibson and Opus Dei


On Opus Dei, here's a snippet from the note I wrote on Spanish state politics 
last June (it's in the archives).

'Aside from the traditional Catholic Church, which in Spain is in part financed 
through the public tax system (direct payments to the Church in 2001 amounted 
to some approximately €120 million, not including state funding for religious 
teachers in public schools, military and hospital chaplains, and other indirect 
assistance), we also have to take note of the influence of the fundamentalist 
and highly secretive sect Opus Dei, which enjoys a heavy influence in 
governmental circles. The Defence Minister Federico Trillo, for example, is an 
Opus Dei 'supernumerary', a member of the organisation's elite who tithe it a 
share of their earnings. Other prominent Opus supporters include Spain's 
Attorney General Jesús Cardenal, the former police chief Juan Cotino, and three 
former ministers, Isabel Tocino, José Manuel Romay and Loyola de Palacio, the 
last of these now a European Commissioner. The present Foreign Minister, the 
deeply strange Ana Palacio, attended last year's canonisation of Opus Dei 
founder José María Escriva in Rome. Aznar himself sent two of his children to 
Opus Dei schools and his wife, Ana Botella, a political figure in her own 
right, is at least openly sympathetic, if not an actual member.'


There are different classes of membership in Opus Dei:


Numerary members pledge to remain celibate and generally live in Opus Dei 
houses. They commit their entire salaries to Opus Dei, submit incoming and 
outgoing mail to their directors, and practice various forms of corporal 
mortification, including use of the cilice, a spiked chain worn around the 
thigh, and use of the discipline, a knotted rope for whipping.

Supernumerary members may be married, and live with their families. They follow 
the same "plan of life" as the numeraries, but generally do not know about many 
of the details of numerary life. They contribute large portions of their income 
to Opus Dei, often at the expense of their local parishes.

Numerary priests join Opus Dei as lay members, but are then hand-picked by Opus 
Dei superiors to become priests of Opus Dei. Numerary priests hold the top 
government positions in Opus Dei. Many hold important positions in the Vatican. 
Each Opus Dei house is assigned a numerary priest, whose responsibilities 
include saying Mass, hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction to the 
Opus Dei members.

Associate Opus Dei members also pledge celibacy, but they generally do not live 
in Opus Dei houses. They include people who have not acquired university 
degrees, or who must remain with their families for personal reasons.

Numerary assistants are women who pledge celibacy, and are responsible for the 
care and cleaning of all Opus Dei residences.

Cooperators of Opus Dei provide financial support, but are not considered 
members of Opus Dei. Unlike Opus Dei members, cooperators do not have to be 
Catholic.
   

Opus Dei members carefully stage "vocational crises" at vulnerable moments in 
recruits' lives. The recruits are often told that God calls people at certain 
times in their lives, and if they say "no" they will never receive God's grace 
in their lives because they are "on the wrong track." 

Opus Dei members often tell their "friends" that failure to follow a calling to 
Opus Dei will lead not only to a life of misery and discontent, but possibly to 
eternal damnation. 

Opus Dei numeraries are expected to hand over their entire salaries to Opus 
Dei, and generally may not hold their own bank accounts.  The numeraries are 
told to use money as if they were the mother in charge of a large and poor 
family.  They ask for the money they need each week and are then required to 
report how it was spent to the penny.  Opus Dei does not provide any financial 
report that indicates how the members' money is spent. 

Both incoming and outgoing personal mail is generally read by the Directors of 
each Opus Dei residence, without the knowledge or consent of family and 
friends. 

Reading material is strictly controlled, as are television viewing, listening 
to the radio, and other forms of recreation and entertainment. 

Opus Dei numeraries notify their Directors of (and secure permission for) their 
comings and goings. 

Opus Dei numeraries are required to practice corporal mortification such as the 
use of a cilice (a spiked chain worn around the thigh), flagellation, and 
sleeping on the floor or on boards. 

Opus Dei numeraries are required to confess weekly and are strongly discouraged 
from confessing to a non-Opus Dei priest. 

Opus Dei numeraries typically may not attend events which are not conducive to 
proselytizing, such as athletic games, theater, concerts, movies, etc.  In the 
rare instances when they may attend these events, permission must be secured 
from the Opus Dei directors. 

Opus Dei members are enjoined to confess even their slightest doubts to Opus 
Dei priests and/or Spiritual Directors; otherwise, "the mute devil takes over 
in the soul." 
Alienation From Families

Communication to family about involvement with Opus Dei is limited and even 
discouraged.

Opus Dei teaches individuals (despite their ages) that it is acceptable and 
even advantageous to leave parents and loved ones out of the decision-making 
process because "they will not understand."  Most parents learn of their 
child's lifetime commitment to Opus Dei months and even years later.  Many 
times, parents do not realize their children have  joined because the 
numeraries are told to remain in university residences and do not move into 
centers designated exclusively for numeraries, so as not to raise any 
suspicions.  Gradually, the bond of trust between child and parent is broken. 

Display of pictures of loved ones is discouraged, not by rule, but by subtle 
example.


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