 Seal of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei | |
| Formation | 2 October 1928 |
|---|---|
| Type | Personal prelature |
| Purpose | Spreading the universal call to holiness in ordinary life |
| Headquarters | Viale Bruno Buozzi, 73, 00197 Rome, Italy |
| Coordinates | 41°55′18″N 12°29′03″E / 41.9218°N 12.4841°E |
Region served | Worldwide |
Membership | 95,318 (2018)[citation needed] |
Founder | St. Josemaría Escrivá |
| Fernando Ocáriz Braña | |
Main organ | General Council Central Advisory |
Parent organization | Catholic Church |
Opus Dei (English: Work of God) is an institution of the Catholic Church which was founded in Spain in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá. Its stated mission is to help its lay and clerical members to seek Christian perfection in their everyday occupations and within their societies. Opus Dei is officially recognized within the Catholic Church, although its status has evolved. It received final approval by the Catholic Church in 1950 by Pope Pius XII.[1] Pope John Paul II made it a personal prelature in 1982 by the apostolic constitution Ut sit.[1]: 1–9 While Opus Dei has met controversies, it has strong support from Catholic leadership.
Lay people make up the majority of its membership; the remainder are secular priests under the governance of a prelate elected by specific members and appointed by the Pope.[2] As Opus Dei is Latin for "Work of God", the organization is often referred to by members and supporters as "the Work".[3][4] Members are located in more than 90 countries.[5] About 70% of Opus Dei members live in their own homes, leading family lives with secular careers,[6][7] while the other 30% are celibate, of whom the majority live in Opus Dei centers. Aside from their personal charity and social work, Opus Dei members organize training in Catholic spirituality applied to daily life; members are involved in running universities, university residences, schools, publishing houses, hospitals, and technical and agricultural training centers.
- ^ a b Berglar, Peter (1994). Opus Dei: Life and Work of Its Founder, Josemaria Escriva. Translated by Browne, Bernard; Chessman, Stuart; Junge, John; Gottschalk, Mary. Princeton, NJ: Scepter Publishers, Inc. p. 189. ISBN 0-933932-64-2. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
- ^ "Upon whom does the prelate of Opus Dei depend? Who appoints him?". Opus Dei.
- ^ "Decoding secret world of Opus Dei". BBC News. 16 September 2005. Retrieved 27 November 2006.
- ^ Bill Tammeus (19 October 2005). "Bishop confirms connection to group". Kansas City Star.
- ^ "Opus Dei to produce Italian cartoon and mini-series on St. Josemaria Escriva". Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Opus Dei". BBC Religion and Ethics. Retrieved 27 November 2006.
- ^ Terry Mattingly. "'Da Vinci Code' mania opened up Opus Dei". Albuquerque Tribune. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.