I’ll Be Doing Opus Dei No Matter What
The organization Opus Dei has always had difficulty fitting into the greater structure of the Catholic Church. But the fundamental mission of Opus Dei is still fundamentally the mission of the baptized.
What Does the Pope Have Against Opus Dei?
Is there some problem with Opus Dei that led Pope Francis to take so many steps to contradict what its founder thought a key to its continued usefulness to the Church?
The Controversial Opus Dei
Perhaps no other organization within the Catholic Church has generated more controversy over the years than Opus Dei. We’ll look at the foundations and purpose of this group and explore why it’s so controversial.
The Final Conversations of a Dying Priest
Father Arne Panula died quite publicly and for a very long time. We kept hearing the end was near, but he kept on going and going. Besides in his coffin, the last time I saw him was when he took the podium at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and offered a prayer. This movie-star-handsome man … Read more
Escrivarian Civics: Pax Christi in regno Christi
“To be ‘Catholic’ means to love your country, and to let nobody surpass us in that love.” — St. Josemaría Escrivá Josemaría Escrivá was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 6, 2002. I marked the occasion by re-watching There Be Dragons, the epic film about his life during the Spanish Civil War. It’s … Read more
An Intimate Portrait of the Founder of Opus Dei
Opus Dei is a Catholic institution made up largely of lay people who believe that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The past forty years have seen several biographies of its founder, Monsignor Josemaria Escriva, who died in 1975 and was proclaimed a saint in 2002. By … Read more
The Escriva Option: An Alternative to St. Benedict
Nostalgia lurks always in the near corners of the human imagination. It often takes very little to bring it to life; a sunny day, the wind blowing the grass, a taste of food, a smell, a picture. They all bring us back to sweet and sweeter times, childhood, courting, weddings, childbirth. These are all nostalgic … Read more
St. Josemaría Escrivá: The Saint of Ordinary Life
June 26 is the Feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In his own life this saint was admired by Popes Pius XII, St. John XXIII, and Blessed Paul VI. Since his death, he has been admired by Popes John Paul I, St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, as well as our current Holy Father, Pope Francis, … Read more
Alvaro Del Portillo: The “Shadow” Steps into the Light
Alvaro Del Portillo died in his sleep on March 23, 1994. He would have preferred it that way: unnoticed, without fuss, and as ordinary an end to any man’s life as is possible. It was a fitting conclusion to one who had spent all his life as an apostle of the sanctity of ordinariness, now … Read more
The Oh-So-Thoughtful-Church is Still Steamed about the Translation
If you read the dissident or otherwise discontented Catholic blogs and websites you will know those folks are steamed about practically everything. A year ago they were beside themselves at the prospects and then the implementation of a long-needed new translation of the Missal. The English translation was generally considered not only weak but out … Read more
John Allen on “There Be Dragons”
Over at the National Catholic Reporter blog, John Allen has an intriguing discussion of There Be Dragons, Roland Joffé’s upcoming film about the life of St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei. From a journalistic point of view, it’s tempting to style “There Be Dragons” as a sort of anti-Da Vinci Code – a pop culture portrayal of Opus … Read more
Los Angeles’s new archbishop is…
…Jose Gomez of San Antonio, TX. He will be announced as LA’s coadjutor bishop at a press conference this morning, meaning he will take control of the archdiocese when Cardinal Mahony reaches retirement age next year. The speculation over this appointment has been heated, and it’s groundbreaking in a number of ways. Whispers in the … Read more