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Article by Dr Pravin Thevathasan
Thank
God for Opus Dei
Paul Collins is an ex-Catholic priest known for his unorthodox beliefs. He apparently does not believe in binding revelation, and that is a problem for anyone claiming to be Catholic. The spirit blows where it wills, says he, but not apparently inside of Opus Dei. He has written a rather nasty piece entitled "Opus Dei; A Catholic sect." ( 3 February, Pearls And Irritations) Collins gets facts wrong. He refers to Justice Neil Gorsuch as a "conservative Catholic." He is not. Collins is seemingly worried that Opus Dei members do not walk around with badges attached to their lapels saying "I belong to Opus Dei." He has missed the point completely. What Opus Dei offers its members and others is entirely spiritual. What they do in their personal lives is up to them. If an Opus Dei member sells you bad fruit, take it up with him. Don't send a letter of complaint to Opus Dei. Collins mentions the "notorious Opus Dei member" FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen who is in prison for spying for the Soviet Union. Hanssen led a double life in every sense of the word. He portrayed himself as a family man who went to daily Mass. In fact he was a frequent visitor of strip clubs who indulged in deviant sexual activities. Opus Dei gets accused of prying into the personal lives of its members. The Hanssen case demonstrates that this is precisely what Opus Dei does not do. Collins accuses Opus Dei of "compartmentalised faith." But those who desire to sanctify their daily lives are doing the opposite. In 2002, Collins published a book in praise of Tissa Balasuriya, Hans Kung, Charles Curran, and Jeannine Gramick. But Collins is worried that Opus Dei is "profoundly unCatholic"! The piece by Collins shows that he lacks any understanding of Opus Dei. Sadder still, he appears to lack any understanding of Catholicism.
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