CELIBACY OF JESUS COMMUNICATING THE GOSPEL IN TODAY'S WORLD THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST

THE FIRST FOUR COUNCILS GNOSTIC AND OTHER NON-NEW TESTAMENT WRITINGS IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH

OPUS DEI MARY MAGDALENE NEW TESTAMENT WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

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The Catechism of
the Catholic Church

Readings from the New American Bible

Opus Dei Q&A

Are Opus Dei members monks?

No. Opus Dei members seek to live their Christian faith in the middle of secular society, not by withdrawing from the world like those called to the monastic life. The Da Vinci Code gets Opus Dei’s nature exactly backwards.

Numerary and associate members of Opus Dei – a minority – choose a vocation of celibacy in order to be free to organize and carry out Opus Dei’s programs and activities. Like all members of Opus Dei, however, they have regular secular work and continue to be laypersons. They do not take vows, wear robes, sleep on straw mats, spend all their time in prayer and corporal mortification, or in any other way live like Silas in The Da Vinci Code.

Do Opus Dei members practice “corporal mortification”?

Yes. Like other Catholics, members try to incorporate an element of sacrifice into their lives. In accord with its emphasis on finding God in everyday activities, Opus Dei encourages small sacrifices like carrying out one's duties conscientiously, putting others' needs before one's own, finding a smile in annoying circumstances, and so on. In addition, as recommended by the Catholic Church, members practice small physical mortifications occasionally, such as giving up certain items of food or drink.

Within this spirit, numeraries and associates (celibate members) sometimes practice traditional Catholic penances such as using the cilice and discipline. Unlike the exaggerated picture presented in The Da Vinci Code, the cilice and discipline do not cause injury. These are practices that Catholics have used for centuries and are commonplace in the lives of the saints, for example: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas More, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Padre Pio and Blessed Mother Teresa. The motivation for these voluntary penances is to imitate Christ and to join him in his redemptive sacrifice (cf. Matthew 16:24), and they can also be a way to suffer in solidarity with the many poor and deprived people in the world.

Is Opus Dei a fundamentalist sect, as described
in The Da Vinci Code?

No. Opus Dei is part of the Catholic Church. As a personal prelature (an organizational structure of the Catholic Church), it complements the work of local Catholic parishes by providing people with additional spiritual education and guidance. Opus Dei is directed by a prelate appointed by the Pope, Bishop Javier Echevarría. It carries out its work in more than 60 countries, always with the knowledge and permission of the local bishop.

Opus Dei has no doctrines except those of the Church, and members seek to follow all of the Church’s teachings. The Catholic Church does not fit into categories such as liberal or conservative, progressive or fundamentalist; and neither does Opus Dei. Moreover, Opus Dei respects the legitimate freedom of conscience of all: it does not pressure people to adopt particular views, participate in activities, join the institution, etc. Living out an authentic Christianity, whether as a member of Opus Dei or not, can only be done with the full freedom of love.

Do women have the same status as men in Opus Dei?

Yes. Women and men share the same dignity as children of God and share the same calling to holiness. Lay men and women in Opus Dei share the same spirit, carry out parallel apostolates, and have the same commitment to sanctify their work and family life; they also undertake identical responsibilities in governing and providing formation within Opus Dei.

Women members of Opus Dei can be found in all sorts of professions, those which society views as prestigious and those which society today tends to undervalue, such as homemaking or domestic work. Much has been made of the fact that some women members of Opus Dei take care of the domestic work in Opus Dei’s centers. But the same is true in many families, and to suggest that this work lacks dignity and value is demeaning to those who do it. Opus Dei teaches that any kind of honest work done with love of God is of equal value.