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My Debt To Opus Dei by Dr Pravin Thevathasan


Over the years, whenever Opus Dei gets attacked, I have chosen to keep quiet. This is largely because the attacks usually come from what is known as the "progressive" wing of the Catholic Church and from secularists who just hate the Church. But I have noticed that some recent attacks are coming from more conservative elements. Why is this? There are probably many reasons but one of them might be this: an increasing number of Catholic conservatives are suspicious of what is coming out of Rome. I happen to be one of them. There was an expectation that Opus Dei will join with the criticisms. I could have told them right from the start that this is not their way of doing things.

Humanly speaking, I owe my conversion to the Catholic Church to Opus Dei. I was told by well meaning folk to steer clear of them while I was making inquiries. Clifford Longley had just written against them. The BBC had brought out a program against them. I myself was in a state of confusion. I wanted to be "Catholic" within the Anglican fold because I thought all religions are basically the same. A Dominican Catholic priest I approached told me that after Vatican II, Catholics no longer "poach" people from other denominations. The Dominicans are a lot better now. The only people who challenged me were members of Opus Dei. I think the first time I realized they were not in a cult/sect/church within the Church was when I looked carefully at a photo of the founder of Opus Dei. It struck me deeply that I was looking at the picture of a very holy man.

I was received into the Church at Netherhall House, a corporate undertaking of Opus Dei. I was able to choose my hymns: Newman, Faber, Alphonsus. An incredibly happy day. A week or so later, I was confirmed by the bishop to the sound of "walk in the light." A more challenging experience.

Was I put under pressure to join Opus Dei? No. I was gently asked to think about it. By then, I had come under the influence of the great Father Thwaites. The people I knew in Opus Dei respected my freedom too much to put me under any kind of undue pressure.

I now have some slight disagreements with them, but I would like to think of these as what happens in any normal family. I believe that the Traditional Latin Mass is integral to the Catholic restoration. I believe that even the Holy Father can be respectfully challenged when he says things at variance from Catholic Tradition.
But I continue to ask the founder of Opus Dei to help me in my daily life.


            
Copyright ©; Dr Pravin Thevathasan 2019

Version: 16th September 2019



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