so many people who have seen or read the Da Vinci Code are trying to figure out what Opus Dei is......one of my friends hasn't seen or read it, so it was kind of hard to explain to her what they are and how not all of them are like the bad guy in Da Vinci Code....
so what is opus dei? here's a part qouted directly from their website (www.opusdei.org [1]) : "Opus Dei is a Catholic institution founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá. Its mission is to help people turn their work and daily activities into occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society". as for that bad guy? he's one of the extremes.....he wears the cilice and uses the discipline....but what does all of that mean?
"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, and finding a smile in annoying circumstances. 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. 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". (another direct quote)
so how many are like the bad guy? surpirsingly, it's not the majority that do it. and the ratio of priests to member should surprise you as well....only 2% of the entire organization is priests, the other 98% is members in various forms. and "opus dei" literally means "work of God".......they have 84,000 members worldwide......
the catholic church, i feel, has made things worse by telling all of their members to boycott the movie because it doesn't represent facts. but if you, like me, check out the opus dei website, it proves some things true about opus dei.....granted there's nothing about the Knights of Templar or anything like that. it just shows you that there are members that do the things the bad guy did, but that doesn't make them a bad group. they actually have several charities and things that they donate to, which in my book makes them the good guys.