On the Prelature of Opus Dei. History

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A PERSONAL PRELATURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Historical OverviewOpus Dei was founded in 1928 in Spain and is currently established in 61 countries. : 

Historical OverviewOpus Dei was founded in 1928 in Spain and is currently established in 61 countries. 1928. 2 October: While on a spiritual retreat in Madrid, Saint Josemaría Escrivá, under divine inspiration, founded Opus Dei. 1930. 14 February: In Madrid, while Saint Josemaría was celebrating Mass, God made him understand that Opus Dei was for women too. Pope at that time, Pius XI Fr Josemaria

MESSAGE"Sanctify yourself through the things you do" : 

MESSAGE"Sanctify yourself through the things you do" Painting of St. Josemaria, the founder of Opus Dei, surrounded by people who are doing different kinds of work: a family working on a computer, a girl sweeping the ground, a doctor on a medical mission, girls studying, a mother taking care of her child, a fisherman casting a net for a catch

MESSAGE"Sanctify yourself through the things you do" : 

MESSAGE"Sanctify yourself through the things you do" Opus Dei’s most important apostolate is the testimony of the life and conversation of each individual member in his daily contacts with his friends and fellow workers. Who can measure the supernatural effectiveness of this quiet and humble apostolate? It is impossible to evaluate the help we receive from a loyal and sincere friend or the influence of a good mother over her family (In Conversation with Msgr. Escriva, 31).

MESSAGE"Sanctify yourself through the things you do" : 

MESSAGE"Sanctify yourself through the things you do" The principal fruit of the sanctity and apostolate of Opus Dei members is this capillary influence, evangelizing the world with the light of the Gospel through their families, schools, institutions, culture, and professional work. Again, in words of St. Josemaría: “Our task as Christians is to proclaim this kingship of Christ, announcing it through what we say and do. Our Lord wants men and women of his own in all walks of life” (Christ is Passing By, 105).

1928 : 

1928 2 October: While on a spiritual retreat in Madrid, Saint Josemaría Escrivá, under divine inspiration, saw Opus Dei. He heard the tolling of the bells of the nearby Church of St Mary of the Angels.

Activities started with young students : 

Activities started with young students After the first Circle, St Josemaria had the benediction with the Blessed Sacrament for the 3 students.

Activities started with young students : 

Activities started with young students In the attic of the building of the first centre, The Academy DYA

Activities started with young students : 

Activities started with young students First residence started. 1935, The Bishop granted permission to have the Blessed sacrament in the oratory.

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1941. 19 March: The Bishop of Madrid, Leopoldo Eijo y Garay, granted the first diocesan approval of Opus Dei. 1943. 14 February: Again during Mass, God let Fr. Josemaría see the juridical solution that would enable priests to be ordained for Opus Dei: the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Historical Overview

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Everything under the mantle of Our Lady The Founder praying in Lourdes, and kissing the grotto. Historical Overview

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1944. Bishop Leopoldo Eijo y Garay, ordains the first members to the priesthood. Among them, Fr Alvaro del Portillo. Historical Overview

Historical Overview : 

1947. 24 February: The Holy See granted the first pontifical approval. 1950. 16 June: Pius XII granted the definitive approval to Opus Dei. This approval enabled married people to join Opus Dei, and secular clergy to be admitted to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Historical Overview

Members : 

Members 1950: 2,954 members (23 priests) 1960: 30,353 (307 priests) 2007: around 87,000 members; 98% are laypersons, most of whom are married. The remaining 2% are priests, drawn from the Prelature's lay faithful. Africa 2,000Asia and the Pacific 5,000The Americas 30,000Europe 50,000

MESSAGE : 

MESSAGE The aim of Opus Dei is to contribute to that evangelizing mission of the Church, by promoting among Christians of all social classes a life fully consistent with their faith, in the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives and especially through the sanctification of their work. 1. Universal call to holiness 2. Secularity 3. Fullness of Christian life

Place in the Church : 

Place in the Church Opus Dei's work of spiritual formation complements the work of local churches. People who join Opus Dei or attend its activities continue to belong to their local dioceses. FOUNDATIONAL CHALLENGE: Juridical configuration?

Place in the Church : 

Place in the Church FOUNDATIONAL CHALLENGE: utopia, heresy, 1 Century in anticipation? Juridical configuration needs to guarantee: 1. Juridical unity 2. Secularity 3. Hierarchical structure.

Canonical path : 

In 1936 St Josemaria showed Pedro Casciaro 2 burial stones of 2 Archbishops, Vicars for the Armies in Spain. In St Elisabeth’s Church in Madrid: “There lies the future juridical solution for the Work”. Canonical path He envisaged a Prelature not territorial but Personal, with a Prelate.

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1975. 26 June: Josemaría Escrivá died in Rome. Around 60,000 people belonged to Opus Dei at that time.* 15 September: Álvaro del Portillo was elected to succeed the founder at a congress of Opus Dei Before, the Founder had to concede with other juridical solutions: the least inadequate: Pious Union, Secular Institute, with the “risk” of deforming the message. The Founder went to Heaven Without seeing the end of the Juridical Path of Opus Dei. But he left the message, charism, and the Statutes.

Intermediate solutions : 

Intermediate solutions

Secular InstituteNew Legislation since 2 Feb 1947Opus Dei 1947?1982 : 

Secular InstituteNew Legislation since 2 Feb 1947Opus Dei 1947?1982 Advantages: the Work was approved in a definitive way. Admission of priests and laity, men and women, married and celibate. Universal character. Disadvantages: to profess evangelical counsels. Under the Congregation for Religious.

Secular InstituteNew Legislation since 2 Feb 1947Opus Dei 1947?1982 : 

Secular InstituteNew Legislation since 2 Feb 1947Opus Dei 1947?1982 PROBLEM? like wearing a very short and narrow dress.

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Canonical path How to fit Opus Dei spirit & charism with the appropriate canonical status? How to become a Personal Prelature, …from the status of a Secular Institute?

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Canonical path Only the Vatican Council II would bridge the gap, with a theological Understanding of both: -The Message: LG 39,42. GS 46, 92. -The Structure: Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis 10 (1965) Personal Prelatures can be created for special pastoral projects.

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Canonical path Paul VI, Motu Proprio Ecclesiae Sanctae, 1966: Canonical framework for Personal Prelatures. Opens something new in the Canonical Legislation. Under the Jurisdiction of the Congregation of Bishops. JURIDICAL GAP IN THE CHURCH: 1928 ? 1966

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Canonical path Meetings with Paul VI Solution found: offer prayers, sacrifices, and wait. Homily in the Campus of University of Navarre (nature of Opus Dei explained) 1969 Congress in Opus Dei 1974 Code of Particular Law of Opus Dei 1978 Pope John Paul II requested to work on definitive solution

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Canonical path Fr Alvaro del Portillo formally presented petition to transform Opus Dei into a Personal Prelature (12 February) 1979, 3 March Pope John Paul II instructed S C Bishops to study 1980-1981 Technical Committee studied the application 1981, 26 September Commission Cardinals gave positive opinion 1982, 5 August Pope John Paul II approved SCB declaration 1982, 23 August, Official Announcement of erection as Personal Prelature

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1982. 28 November: John Paul II established Opus Dei as a Personal Prelature, appointing Álvaro del Portillo as its Prelate. Apostolic Constitution Ut Sit. Canonical path

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PERSONAL PRELATURE An Apostolic organism made up of priests and laity, both men and women, which is at the same time organic and undivided… unity of spirit, aims, government and formation. Now the legal configuration respects the charism of Opus Dei, the message and mission.

How is a Personal Prelature created? : 

How is a Personal Prelature created? It is the Church itself, represented by the Pope, that makes the decision to create a personal Prelature, after consulting the Bishops’ Conferences, in order to serve souls more effectively. Naturally this decision requires the existence of the elements that constitute a Personal Prelature: a community of faithful, presided over by a prelate, with a clergy that assists him in his pastoral task, and a specific ecclesial purpose.

Opus Dei and Dioceses : 

Opus Dei and Dioceses The prelature always gives great importance to working in full harmony with the life of the diocese and with the bishop’s pastoral goals.The Prelature of Opus Dei is in communion with all of the ecclesial groups present in the diocese. Within the legitimate ecclesial autonomy of each of these groups.

Opus Dei and Dioceses : 

Opus Dei and Dioceses Can Opus Dei members participate in Associations? Opus Dei does not constitute a separate group within the diocese. It is not, nor does it act like, an association, and that therefore its members can freely participate in associations of the faithful of a secular nature.

Commitment in Opus Dei : 

Commitment in Opus Dei Opus Dei faithful are also faithful of their respective dioceses. One becomes a member of the Church by divine vocation at Baptism, belonging to a particular diocese by domicile; yet one becomes a member of Opus Dei by divine vocation and by voluntary making a contract with the Prelate.

Commitment in Opus Dei : 

Commitment in Opus Dei Incorporation in the prelature of Opus Dei is essentially united to the personal vocation of that individual. Hence the incorporation brings with it the commitment to live all that that vocation entails. In its external manifestations this commitment is always situated exclusively on the plane of the person’s ecclesial life, without every entering into areas of a temporal nature. Commitment: 1. duties that refer to one’s spiritual life, 2. one’s own formation, 3. personal apostolate and active participation in the apostolic activities carried out by the Prelature.

Commitment in Opus Dei : 

Commitment in Opus Dei The bond with Opus Dei does not interfere with one’s temporal obligations, and opinions For some of the faithful, the commitment also includes apostolic celibacy and a greater availability for the apostolic activities proper to the Prelature.

How does the Diocese benefit from the work of the faithful of Opus Dei? : 

How does the Diocese benefit from the work of the faithful of Opus Dei? The benefit takes place within the context of one’s secular life, in one’s family, cultural, economic, political, etc. circumstances. It is there that the members of Opus Dei, while enjoying the same freedom and autonomy as any other person, strive to live the radical demands of the Gospel, serving others out of love for God.

Upon whom does the Prelate of Opus Dei depend? Who appoints him? : 

Upon whom does the Prelate of Opus Dei depend? Who appoints him?

Upon whom does the Prelate of Opus Dei depend? Who appoints him? : 

Upon whom does the Prelate of Opus Dei depend? Who appoints him? The Prelate of Opus Dei and the prelature itself depend—as do all ecclesiastical circumscriptions—on the Holy See, that is, on the Roman Pontiff and the organ that assists him in what refers to dioceses and prelatures, the Congregation for Bishops.The Prelate of Opus Dei is appointed by the Pope, following the procedure for choosing the prelate provided for in the prelature’s statutes.

How is it financed? : 

How is it financed? The Prelature of Opus Dei is financed in the same way as the Dioceses and other future prelatures, that is, above all by the contributions of its own faithful and of other people who provide financial assistance for its mission. The apostolic initiatives linked to the prelature in the areas of education, health, social work, etc. (for which the Prelature assumes responsibility only in what relates to their Christian vigor) are financed in the same way as other institutions of that type in each country. Personal / Corporative undertakings.

How is the prelature of Opus Dei governed? Who directs it? : 

How is the prelature of Opus Dei governed? Who directs it? Like any prelature, the government of Opus Dei is the responsibility of its Prelate and his Vicars, who are assisted by Councils made up of other faithful, many of them lay persons, both men and women. The lay faithful also play a decisive role in the organizational tasks and in the formational activity of Opus Dei. Prelate Vicars Councils (men) Advisory (women) Local Councils

How do Personal Prelatures resemble and how do they differ from Religious Orders, Associations and Movements? : 

How do Personal Prelatures resemble and how do they differ from Religious Orders, Associations and Movements? Some of these, such as the confraternities or charitable Associations, Legions, do not require a specific vocation for their members. The Religious Orders and congregations bring together faithful who through their life and apostolic action, moved by a particular charism, give public and official witness to the radicality of the Gospel (vows)

Popes’ comments : 

In 1960, Pope John XXIII commented that Opus Dei opens up "unsuspected horizons of apostolate". Furthermore, in 1964, Pope Paul VI praised the organization in a handwritten letter to Escrivá, saying: "Opus Dei is "a vigorous expression of the perennial youth of the Church, fully open to the demands of a modern apostolate... We look with paternal satisfaction on all that Opus Dei has achieved and is achieving for the kingdom of God, the desire of doing good that guides it, the burning love for the Church and its visible head that distinguishes it, and the ardent zeal for souls that impels it along the arduous and difficult paths of the apostolate of presence and witness in every sector of contemporary life." Popes’ comments

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John Paul II canonized the Founder in 2002, and called him "the saint of ordinary life." John Paul II said: "[Opus Dei] has as its aim the sanctification of one’s life, while remaining within the world at one’s place of work and profession: to live the Gospel in the world, while living immersed in the world, but in order to transform it, and to redeem it with one’s personal love for Christ. This is truly a great ideal, which right from the beginning has anticipated the theology of the lay state of the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar period." One-third of the world's bishops petitioned for the canonization of Escrivá. During the canonization, there were 42 cardinals and 470 bishops from around the world.

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Implantation of the Prelature Expansion to the whole World