Opus Sanctorum Angelorum
Encyclopedia
Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (English: "Work of the Holy Angels"), more commonly known as Opus Angelorum (English: "Work of the Angels"; German: "Engelwerk"), is a Roman Catholic association which promotes devotion to angels. "(It) is a public association of the Church in conformity with traditional doctrine and with the directives of the Holy See. It spreads devotion to the Holy Angels among the faithful, exhorts them to pray for priests, and promotes love for Christ in His Passion and union with it."
The association is active particularly in Austria
, where it originated, and in Germany
, but also in Portugal
, Brazil
, Mexico
, India
, the Philippines
, Italy
and the United States
.
, Austria, to seek the aid of the angels in support of the Church and the priesthood and for the salvation of souls.
The association drew inspiration from the accounts that Gabriele Bitterlich (1896-1978) gave of her private revelation
s. She claimed to have received visions of the angels, including their names and their functions.
to institute an enquiry.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
carried out the requested investigation and responded on 24 September 1983 with a letter, known by its incipit
, Litteris diei, which laid down:
This was followed up by a decree of 6 June 1992, which repeated the contents of the 1983 letter and, in view of incorrect interpretation and application of that letter, laid down the following rules:
The Delegate chosen was the Dominican priest, Father Benoit Duroux, who handed over to another Dominican priest, Father Daniel Ols, in March 2010.
In the year 2002, a female branch of the Canons Regular, which is known as the Sisters of the Holy Cross, was established in Innsbruck.
In the following year, 2003, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
granted definitive approval to the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Coimbra, a religious institute originally founded in 1131 and, after becoming defunct in the 19th century, refounded in 1977, receiving the formal approval of the Holy See
in 1979. To it, in accordance with canons 677 §2 and 303 of the Code of Canon Law, the care of Opus Angelorum movement is committed.
On 7 November 2008, the same Congregation approved the statutes of the Opus Angelorum as a public association of the faithful.
On 4 November 2010, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared: "Today, thanks to the obedience of its members, the Opus Angelorum can be considered to be living loyally and serenely in conformity with the doctrine of the Church and with canonical and liturgical law. Therefore, in its present state, the Opus Angelorum is a public association of the Church in conformity with traditional doctrine and with the directives of the Holy See."
The association is active particularly in Austria
Austria
Austria , 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...
, where it originated, and in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but also in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , 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...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Origin
The association was founded in 1949 by a group of priests and seminarians in InnsbruckInnsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria, to seek the aid of the angels in support of the Church and the priesthood and for the salvation of souls.
The association drew inspiration from the accounts that Gabriele Bitterlich (1896-1978) gave of her private revelation
Private revelation
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, a private revelation refers to visions and revelations from God to a specific Christian which have taken place since the completion of the New Testament...
s. She claimed to have received visions of the angels, including their names and their functions.
Controversy
Some of Mrs Bitterlich's followers were circulating sensational theories of "spiritual warfare" between angels and demons, based on her writings. In view of the controversy over these theories, Cardinal Joseph Höffner, Archbishop of Cologne, wrote on 1 December 1977, shortly before the death of Mrs Bitterlich, to ask the Holy SeeHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
to institute an enquiry.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
carried out the requested investigation and responded on 24 September 1983 with a letter, known by its incipit
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
, Litteris diei, which laid down:
- In fostering devotion to the Holy Angels, Opus Angelorum must respect the teaching of the Church and of the Holy Fathers and Doctors. In particular, it is not to spread a form of devotion to the Angels using the "names" derived from the alleged private revelation attributed to Mrs Gabriele Bitterlich, nor may it use those names in any prayers of the community.
- Opus Angelorum is not to demand or even propose to its members what is called the Promise of Secrecy, although with regard to the internal affairs of the Opus Angelorum, it is lawful to maintain the discretion that befits members of the Church's institutes.
- The Opus Angelorum and its members will strictly observe the norms of the liturgyLiturgyLiturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, especially regarding the EucharistEucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. This holds in particular for the so-called "Communion of expiation.
This was followed up by a decree of 6 June 1992, which repeated the contents of the 1983 letter and, in view of incorrect interpretation and application of that letter, laid down the following rules:
- The theories originating from the alleged revelations of Mrs Gabriele Bitterlich concerning the world of the angels and their personal names, groupings and functions cannot be taught or in any way, whether explicitly or implicitly, be used in the organization and structure of the Opus Angelorum, such as its worship, prayers, spiritual formation, public or private spirituality, ministry and apostolate. The same rule holds for any other Church-approved institute or association.
- The various forms of acts of consecration to the angels used in the Opus Angelorum are prohibited
- Also prohibited are the so-called distance administration of the sacraments and the insertion into the EucharistEucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
ic liturgyLiturgyLiturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
and the Liturgy of the HoursLiturgy of the hoursThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
of texts, prayers and rites directly or indirectly related to the aforesaid theories. - Exorcisms may be carried out only in line with the Church's norms and discipline on the matter, and with the use of formulas approved by the Church.
- A Delegate with special faculties, appointed by the Holy See, will in contact with the bishops oversee and promote the application of these norms. He will also clarify and determine the relations between the Opus Angelorum and the Order of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross.
The Delegate chosen was the Dominican priest, Father Benoit Duroux, who handed over to another Dominican priest, Father Daniel Ols, in March 2010.
Approval
On 31 May 2000, a revised form of the Act of Consecration to the Angels was approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.In the year 2002, a female branch of the Canons Regular, which is known as the Sisters of the Holy Cross, was established in Innsbruck.
In the following year, 2003, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...
granted definitive approval to the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Coimbra, a religious institute originally founded in 1131 and, after becoming defunct in the 19th century, refounded in 1977, receiving the formal approval of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in 1979. To it, in accordance with canons 677 §2 and 303 of the Code of Canon Law, the care of Opus Angelorum movement is committed.
On 7 November 2008, the same Congregation approved the statutes of the Opus Angelorum as a public association of the faithful.
On 4 November 2010, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared: "Today, thanks to the obedience of its members, the Opus Angelorum can be considered to be living loyally and serenely in conformity with the doctrine of the Church and with canonical and liturgical law. Therefore, in its present state, the Opus Angelorum is a public association of the Church in conformity with traditional doctrine and with the directives of the Holy See."