Miranda Devine raised eyebrows last week when she referred to Opus Dei as a “mainstream Catholic movement.”

Kate Mannix from Online Catholics fires back today. If Opus Dei is mainstream, why is it so secretive? she wants to know.

Mannix
complains about “the lack of candour” shown by prominent people with
Opus Dei associations. “This crosses denominational boundaries in ‘holy
alliances.’ Their memberships, connections and intentions are rarely
discussed. Their “values” are repackaged and stamped ‘PG’ for family
consumption.

“They will talk mildly about ‘values’ and ‘the
traditional family.’ They will point away from themselves and make
judicious references to being “mainstream” and reflecting a wider
societal ‘return to values.’ But there is little evidence of
broad-based support, and little awareness of their real values.

“This
band of brothers has the same goal as the late B.A. Santamaria: to
impose a conservative, Christian-influenced set of principles into the
legal system and into government policy.”

The way Opus Dei promotes these principals is a source of controversy, even to theologically conservative Catholics.

Opus Dei is Latin for “Work of God.” It is an international organisation with more than 80,000 members.

Opus
Dei is a “personal prelature,” with its power not linked to a
geographic territory but over its members, wherever they may be. This
is a particular source of tension, leading to claims of conflict
between bishops and Opus Dei members in their dioceses.

Critics
call the organisation a cult. It is the subject of constant complaints
over secrecy. Jesuit Superior General Wlodimir Ledochowski alleged
“there are signs in it of a covert inclination to dominate the world
with a form of Christian Masonry.”

As more and more government
activities are outsourced to private and community providers, religious
organisations are spending our taxes. Mannix uses the example of
“pregnancy counselling services that are essentially fronts for
right-wing proselytising.” She asks “In an Opus Deified world, what
would a more strictly ‘Catholic’ hospital look like? It could not offer
abortions, sterilisations, in-vitro fertilisation or certain plastic
surgery…”

Asking questions about Opus Dei is not a matter of bigotry. It is a matter of accountability.