Opus Dei responds to 2022 DW documentary on mysteries and power in the Work

The Opus Dei communications office published a video in which it responds to “a series of inaccuracies, even errors” of a 2022 documentary entitled “Faith, power, manipulation – The secrets of the Opus Dei sect” from the German channel Deutsche Welle (DW).

Sofía Altimari, a supernumerary of Opus Dei who works in the Communication office, points out in the video published on September 3 that from the title of the documentary “the intention is advanced, which is to present Opus Dei as a conflictive, controversial, opaque institution.” and murky and full of strange people. To do this, they seek testimonies from people who have left Opus Dei and also collect opinions from expert critics about the institution.”

Altimari explains that one of the “errors” has to do with the origin of Opus Dei, which the documentary indicates is Pamplona in Navarra, when in reality “the Opus Dei was born in Madrid in 1928, not in Navarra. In fact, the first Center that was set up in Pamplona, ​​specifically, was several decades later.”

Another piece of information that Opus Dei responds to would be La Obra’s supposed support for General Francisco Franco at the end of the Spanish Civil War. “Supporting this thesis is a little complicated because when the civil war ended, in 1939, Opus Dei had 14 people, in addition to the Founder. “They were all very young,” says Altimari.

After recalling that the family of the current Prelate of Opus Dei, Mons. Fernando Ocáriz, “had to go into exile to France for political reasons,” Altimari responds to “another statement that is repeated a lot throughout the documentary consists of attributing to us a conspiracy influence , an influence of power in areas of banking, the judiciary or even the Church.”

“This whole idea of ​​influence is supported in the statement of Luis de Guindos (vice president of the European Central Bank) who has openly said that he is from Opus Dei and in the statement of a judge in a Spanish digital media. ‘In Spain a third of the judicial group is from Opus Dei.’ It is not based on any deep and contrasted study but on the statement of a judge to a digital media,” Altimari continues.

The supernumerary also specifies that “the Opus Dei is not going to call” its members “to tell you how to do your work, they can give you ideas about the dignity of your work or the transcendental meaning of the effort you put in, on the importance of arriving at work on time, honesty; but they don’t tell you how to have more power at work.”

“As for the parishes, there are other Churches in the world attended by Opus Dei priests, such as in Cologne, but it is fair because the bishop of the diocese asks for help from Opus Dei to take care of the people who go through those places,” he adds.

The Opus Dei video then responds to a “case in Murcia where some people from Opus Dei are accused of having accelerated the death of another person. The court in charge investigated it and dismissed it.”

As for the sources, the Opus Dei video continues, the documentary shows “testimonies of people who have left Opus Dei disappointed. We would ask each of these people for forgiveness to the extent that we have not taken care of their hopes or due to lack of attention or understanding. And that is painful for us. “We don’t always do things the way we would like.”

“Since his point of view is totally valid, it cannot be extrapolated to other people who stop being from Opus Dei and maintain a relationship of affection and friendship with those who continue to be from the Work,” he adds.

In summary, he concludes, “the approach of this documentary lacks informative rigor. On the one hand because of the dates and figures that are easily verifiable and then on the other hand because it calls into question the reality of Opus Dei and its exclusively spiritual purpose.”

What is Opus Dei?

Opus Dei is a personal prelature, the only one that currently exists in the Catholic Church. It was founded in Spain in 1928 and today it is present in 68 countries around the world.

A personal prelature is an entity headed by a pastor called a Prelate, who governs the institution as a jurisdiction, in the same way that a bishop governs his diocese.

In July 2022, Pope Francis ordered a reform of Opus Dei, which focuses on the drafting of new statutes, a work carried out by the prelature in coordination with the Vatican in a climate of dialogue and trust, as indicated by Mons. Fernando Ocáriz , top leader of “La Obra”.

Opus Dei means Work of God, so its members familiarly refer to it as “The Work.” Its special accent or charisma is sanctification through work.

Opus Dei is not a sect. The organization includes priests, celibate lay people who are called numeraries and attaches, and supernumeraries who are married members.