Opus Dei: Priestly Society of the Holy Cross
Encyclopedia
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
within the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
"intrinsically united" to Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
.
According to the Annuario Pontificio, there were 1996 priests of the Prelature in the year 2009. In 2005, there were roughly two thousand diocesan priests who belonged to society who were not clergy of the prelature, thus the total membership of the society is around 4000 priests.
Foundation and mission
The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross was begun by St. Josemaría on 14 February 1943, and received its first canonical approval a few months later. He was always concerned that his message of sanctification of ordinary work be transmitted also to the secular clergy. He even said that he was willing to leave Opus Dei, as Abraham offered up his son Isaac, to be able to help the clergy. But on February 14 1943, he said he received an illumination from God on how to continue serving both the laity and the diocesan clergy.
The first priests of the Priestly Society were the numerary members of Opus Dei, who as such are automatically members of the Society. The first three priests ordained as members of the Society were: Álvaro del Portillo
Alvaro del Portillo
Álvaro del Portillo, or Álvaro del Portillo y Diez de Sollano, , was a Spanish engineer and Roman Catholic bishop. He served as the prelate of Opus Dei between 1975 and 1994.-Life:...
, José Luis Muzquiz and José María Hernández Garnica.
The need for this type of association has been explained in the following way:
- As many priests can testify, loneliness can be the most difficult Cross to embrace. However, there are remedies for loneliness, and priests are free to seek for that help upon which their happiness largely relies. Diocesan priests can certainly establish their own support groups for prayer, socializing, exercise, and relaxation. But normally that is not enough. In #29 of the DLMP, the document, echoing the Second Vatican Council (Prebyterorum ordinis, #8) and the Code of Canon Law (C 550, n. 2), highly praises “those associations which support priestly fraternity, sanctity in the exercise of their ministry, and communion with the Bishop and with the entire Church”. http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Homiletic/Feb98/priests.html
Establishment by Pope John Paul II
Through this document, John Paul II, aside from erecting Opus Dei as a personal prelature, also erected the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross “as a priestly Association intrinsically united to the Prelature.” http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CBISUTSI.HTM
Composition
It is made up first of all of the clergy of the Prelature who are automatically members. Secondly, it is made up of diocesan priests, deacons, and bishops. Some Opus Dei members also serve as bishops in various dioceses throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, South America, and Africa. The prelate of Opus Dei is the president of the society.These diocesan clergy of the Priestly Society are not incardinated into the presbyterate of the Prelature. They depend solely on their bishop and receive spiritual help from the Society to fulfill their priestly duties well.
According to the Annuario Pontificio, there were 1996 priests of the Prelature in the year 2009. John Allen stated there were roughly two thousand diocesan priests who belonged to society who were not clergy of the prelature, thus the total membership of the society is around 4000 priests.
Formation
The priests are given the same formation as the lay faithful of Opus Dei. St. Josemaría always said that he has “the same cooking pot” for his children: classes on doctrine, ascetical formation, spiritual direction, recollections, retreats, etc.Membership
Here are some of the prominent members of the Society:
Founder:
- Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei (d.1975)
Prelates of Opus Dei:
- Álvaro del Portillo y Diez de Solano, (d. 1994), Prelate of Opus Dei and Titular Bishop of Vita
- Javier Echevarria RodriguezJavier Echevarria RodriguezMost Reverend Bishop Javier Echevarría Rodríguez is a Spanish bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current head of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei...
, Prelate of Opus Dei and Titular Bishop of Cilibia
Cardinals:
- Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of LimaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of LimaThe Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lima is part of the Roman Catholic Church in Peru which enjoys full communion with the Holy See. The Archdiocese was founded as the Diocese of Lima on 14 May 1541. The diocese was raised to the level of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Paul III on ...
, former Archbishop of Ayacucho o Huamanga, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... - Julián Herranz CasadoJulián Herranz CasadoJulián Herranz Casado is a Spanish Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as President of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts in the Roman Curia from 1994 to 2007, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003.One of only two cardinals—along with Juan Luis...
, President emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative TextsPontifical Council for Legislative TextsThe Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts is part of the Roman Curia. Its work "consists mainly in interpreting the laws of the Church". ....
Bishops:
- Antonio Arregui YarzaAntonio Arregui YarzaMsgr. Antonio Arregui Yarza is a Roman Catholic archbishop.Msgr. Arregui Yarza was Auxiliary Bishop of Quito and Titular Bishop of Auzegera from January 4, 1990, to July 25, 1995....
, Archbishop of Guayaquil, EcuadorEcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
- Luis Gleisner Wobbe, Titular Bishop of Mididi, Auxiliary Bishop of Rancagua, Auxiliary Bishop of La Serena, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- Alfonso Delgado Evers, Bishop of San Juan de Cuyo, former Bishop of Santo Tomé, former Bishop of Posadas, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- Antonio Augusto Dias Duarte, Titular Bishop of Tuscamia, Auxiliary Bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de JaneiroArchdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de JaneiroThe Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was established as a territorial prelature on July 19, 1575. It was elevated to the status of a diocese on November 16, 1676. It was later elevated to a metropolitan see on April 27, 1892. On May 6, 2003, the territorial abbey of...
- Robert FinnRobert Finn (bishop)Robert William Finn is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, having succeeded Raymond James Boland on May 24, 2005.-Early life and ordination:...
, Bishop of Kansas City - Saint Joseph, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... - John Barres, Bishop of Allentown, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
- Ricardo García García, Prelate of Yauyos, Peru
- Ignacio González Errazúriz, Bishop of San Bernardo, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- Francisco de Guruceaga Iturriza, Bishop of Margarita, former Bishop of La Guaira, former Auxiliary Bishop of Ciudad Bolivar, VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
- Ignacio María de Orbegozo y Goicoechea, Bishop of Chiclayo, and former Prelate of Yauyos, Peru
- José Horacio GómezJosé Horacio GomezJosé Horacio Gómez is a Mexican-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, currently serving as the Archbishop of Los Angeles. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Denver from 2001–2004 and as Archbishop of San Antonio from 2004–2010.Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Gómez was...
, S.T.D., Archbishop of Los Angeles, California; former Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas; and former auxiliary for the Archdiocese of Denver, Colorado, United States of America - Philippe Jean-Charles JourdanPhilippe Jean-Charles JourdanPhilippe Jean-Charles Jourdan is a Roman Catholic dignitary, Apostolic Administrator of Estonia and Titular Bishop of Pertusa....
, Apostolic Administrator of EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... - Klaus Küng, Bishop of Sankt Pölten, former Bishop of Feldkirch, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
- Juan Ignacio Larrea HolguínJuan Ignacio Larrea HolguínArchbishop Emeritus Juan Ignacio Larrea Holguín , was archbishop of Guayaquil for ten years, and the first member of the prelature of Opus Dei in Ecuador...
, Archbishop of Guayaquil, former Bishop of Quito, former Military Ordinary, former Auxiliary Bishop of Quito, Ecuador - Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano, Bishop of Ciudad del Este, ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
- Rafael Llano Cifuentes, Bishop of Nova Friburgo, Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, former auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de JaneiroArchdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de JaneiroThe Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was established as a territorial prelature on July 19, 1575. It was elevated to the status of a diocese on November 16, 1676. It was later elevated to a metropolitan see on April 27, 1892. On May 6, 2003, the territorial abbey of...
in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - Anthony Muheria, Bishop of Embu, KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
- Francisco Polti Santillan, Bishop of Santo Tome, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- Jaume Pujol Balcells, Archbishop of Tarragona, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- Ugo Eugenio Puccini Banfi, Bishop of Santa Marta, and former Auxiliary Bishop of Barranquilla, ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
- Luis Sánchez-Moreno LiraLuis Sánchez-Moreno LiraLuis Sánchez-Moreno Lira was the Peruvian Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Arequipa....
, Archbishop of Arequipa, former Prelate of Yauyos, Peru - Fernando Saenz LacalleFernando Sáenz Lacalle-External links:*...
, Archbishop of San Salvador, former Apostolic Administrator of the Military of San SalvadorSan SalvadorThe city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador... - Juan Antonio Ugarte Perez, Archbishop of Cuzco, former Auxiliary Bishop of Abancay, and former Auxiliary Bishop of Yauyos, Peru
- Adolfo Rodríguez Vidal Bishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
Basic references
- Pope John Paul II. Apostolic Constitution Ut Sit Establishing the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei and the Vatican Declaration on Opus Dei
- Pope John Paul II. Christifideles Omnes, Papal Decree on Escriva's Heroic Virtues
- Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, St. Josemaría: God's Instrument for Opus Dei - statement of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on St. Josemaría and Opus Dei's message of sanctity
- Escrivá, Josemaría. The Way, Furrow, The Forge, Christ is Passing By, Friends of God, Loyalty to the Church, Conversations with Msgr. Josemaría Escrivá, Scepter Publishers -- the founder's teachings and explanations about Opus Dei; the most basic reference
- Müller, Beat. Opus Dei Information Handbook -- a basic text given to journalists
- Shaw, Russel (1994). Ordinary Christians in the World --- from the Office of Communications, Prelature of Opus Dei in the US-- collection of contributions to a theological symposium; contributors include Ratzinger, del Portillo, Cottier, dalla Torre, Ocariz, Illanes, Aranda, Burggharf and an address by John Paul II ISBN 1-890177-04-0
- Berglar, Peter (1994). Opus Dei. Life and Work of its Founder. Scepter. -- in-depth historical study; available on-line -- in-depth juridical study -- a basic text; a French scholar's synthesis -- in-depth ecclesiological study
- Pakaluk, Michael (June 1978). "Opus Dei In Everyday Life". The Family. -- a typical day in the life of a member of Opus Dei
- Allen, John, Jr. (2005). Opus Dei: an Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church, Doubleday Religion. ISBN 0-385-51449-2 — book written after 300 hours of interviews by a journalist of National Catholic Reporter, a left leaning newspaper
- Allen, John, Jr. (2005). Opus Dei: An Introduction, Chapter I: A Quick Overview, Chapter 4: Contemplatives in the Middle of the World, Chapter 7: Opus Dei and Secrecy - 4 on-line excerpts from John Allen's Opus Dei
- Allen, John, Jr. (24 March 2005). "Decoding Opus Dei". An Interview with John Allen, by Edward Pentin. Newsweek. -- a short summary of his book
- Allen, John, Jr. (January 2006). "Unveiling Opus Dei". An Interview with John Allen, by John Romanowsky. Godspy.
External links
- Opus Dei Blogs - central hub of internet sources
- Priestly Society of the Holy Cross - Opus Dei website
- Priestly Society of the Holy Cross - St. Josemaria website