Clarification

A focus on the nature of Opus Dei, following some comments by journalists.

Following Richard Martineau's article in the Journal de Montréal on October 6 and Luc Lavoie's comments on Bernard Drainville's October 7 program, we felt it necessary to clarify the nature of Opus Dei, for the sake of truth and as a service to the general public.

First of all, Opus Dei is an institution of the Catholic Church, born in Madrid and not in Galicia as Luc Lavoie claims. Its purpose is to offer formation to people who wish to live their Christian vocation by seeking union with God in their daily work.

Let us clarify that the members of Opus Dei are present in all five continents and not only in Spain and Latin America, although it is true that there is a higher concentration in some countries.

The members of Opus Dei are from all walks of life. There are some well-known people, however the vast majority of members do not qualify under this category. The Opus Dei website, www.opusdei.ca, contains testimonies that show the great variety of members.

Opus Dei has no political allegiance and as a result, each member enjoys complete freedom to join the political party he or she wishes.

Opus Dei does not profess any particular theology other than the teachings of the Catholic Church.

People adhere to Opus Dei in full knowledge of these facts and live their vocation in complete freedom. They do what they want and go where they want. No one tells them what to say, think or do. What animates them from within is a desire to reflect the life of Christ where they are.

As for the supposed secrecy, all you have to do is go to the Opus Dei website to find a lot of information. There is also a Press Office for journalists and those who want to know more. The fact that the Press Office does not disclose the list of members is a matter of respect for the privacy of each individual. This is the common practice of most civil or religious organizations or associations.

Luc Lavoie states that the founder of Opus Dei, Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, and not Escrivo de Balaguer as he repeats, moved to holiness in 6 months, but in fact he was beatified 15 years after his death, in 1992, and canonized 10 years later, in 2002.

For more information, please contact Isabelle Saint-Maurice, Opus Dei Information Office, press.ca@opusdei.org .