วีดีโอ

Thx for transparency. As former num of 4 years, I hated learning about the cilis, not being allowed to see theater, ballet, movies, & a list of what I could and couldn’t read AFTER I had joined & written my letter to “the father” & got “accepted.”

I just want you and everyone here to know that God calls everyone to the heights of sanctity and intimacy with him and it is not a life of misery waiting for the next world it is a life of prayer and yes sacrifice for love of others from the sounds of your videos it doesn't sound like Opus Day really embodies the call of Vatican 2 to universal holiness The common means to holiness is by prayer and with God's grace one day infuse contemplation every single person whether you were working in McDonald's whether you're unemployed whether you're disabled whether you're divorced whether you're sick what are your mentally unwell everyone absolutely everyone is called to the heights of sanctity which means infused contemplation God the Father the son and the Holy Spirit are impatient to pour out this gift upon us we just need to make room in our hearts and it doesn't mean flogging ourselves it doesn't mean sleeping on a wooden board Yes some people are called to that most aren't! The primary means is this mental prayer the best book to read on this is Father Gabriel of St Mary magdalene's little catechism on mental prayer. Even if you can do just 5 minutes a day God will take your time and bear much fruit and much happiness. You don't need to be a priest and none a religious and numenary or anything else so long as you are baptized you were called to this and even if you are not baptized Jesus is calling you to this. That's all pray for one another and where we can make our little sacrifices this just means for example if you're in a fight with your wife or husband allow her to win. If your wife is at work and you are at home don't wait for her to come home to do the cleaning have the house cleaned for her. Visit your sick parents tell them you love them smile at a stranger in time God would remove more and more attachments but it will not be in a sorrowful way it will be a joyful way because he wants to give you more and more of his own life the life of his only begotten son. I am a big fan of caramelite spirituality I recommend all the Carmelites they are great I also especially recommend ICS publications podcast God bless you Jesus keep you Mary watch over you Amen

The numerary assistants aren't just women, they're little girls as young as 10 years old. So no, slavery isn't too strong of a word, at all.

Why do people still believe in the teachings of the Catholic church?

Agree

Very old saying, "The devil hates the religious organizations and convents, but he FEARS the parish." As Liguouri often said: The more simple and direct the faith, the better.

6:14 well, call me sacrilegious. Doesn't that make ALL of them special, and annointed by the self-appointed!

For me, the key idea in understanding Opus Dei is that it flourished as a movement in Franco's Spain. Indeed, many of its members served in Franco's regime, and, to my knowledge, there are no contemporary writings from any OD members courageous enough to publicly denounce Franco. Spain is, today, a nation coming to grips with the truths of its recent past and expunging false narratives and false heroes - like Francisco Franco. The mindset (or Zeitgeist, if you like) of that time in that country was not one of freedoms and openness, but of authoritarianism, secrecy, and control. Opus Dei leaders are conditioned to always control the narrative of how they are seen or perceived. I think your anecdote is illustrative of this mindset: censorship, fake freedom and control. In that sense, OD's worldview is in sharp contrast with the existing value of most Western Liberal democracies, indeed the United States above all.

One of the most damaging outcomes of Opus Dei indoctrination is that it separates you from God. It replaces the person of Jesus with that of Escriva, whom you are taught to worship as God. Opus Dei centers its life on Escriva and literally talks more about Escriva than Jesus. You end up not knowing the true face of Jesus and loving him because of who he is. The genuine saint should like the Baptist point to Jesus, not substitute him. In this respect, Opus was like a bad dream. Read the gospels and get to know and love Jesus. He who is. Not him who isn't - which is an idolatrous substitute.

There is no discernment in Opus Dei - at least in the sense that the member is taught how to discern. Six years as a numerary, and the word "discern" was never mentioned. I was also never told to follow my conscience. NEVER. Obey the directors, sure, we were told that everyday, or at least it seemed that way. The directors are supposed to be your conscience, is what it all amounts to. So, no personal discernment, vocation or otherwise. After I left, I was told that there is indeed discernment in Opus Dei - it's exercised by the directors. That doesn't work. We deal with the spirits all the time, and the finite capacity of the directors cannot encompass it. Impossible. Besides, we cannot and should not surrender our conscience to someone else, and to insist upon it is morally reprehensible and theologically insupportable. I'd say that the judgment of conscience is the end result of the process of discernment. Among others, it's for this reason why personal discernment is necessary to a healthy spiritual life.

In deepest conscience I don't believe that Opus Dei comes from God, ready made and perfect like Athena sprung from Zeus' head. Yes, parts of it show God's unadulterated spirit. They come from God. The rest is the product of human idiosyncrasy and even sinfulness, the person, directives, and example of Saint Escriva included.

Opus Dei uses hypnotism and other scientifically demonstrated techniques for cognitive programming or brainwashing. Not just the methods you have described, e.g., gradual Skinnerian reinforcement a la Robert Jay Lifton

Really enjoy listening to you so that I'm surprised at myself I want to know why. Possible reasons: I agree with you in the area of 96% to 99% You communicate with integrity - you radiate deep sincerity and a desire to know and speak the truth "No tengas miedo a la verdad" Unmistakably intelligent, and winningly logical and grounded Attractive face - warm, smiling, sincere, expressive, visibly happy, occasionally amused, grave or serious whenever necessary Resonant, vibrant male baritone

Agree. The 25 year old rule appears to be "new." I left Opus Dei nearly 40 years ago. The rule did not exist at the time. However, I did not know any Numeraries who joined after that age.

Correct Opus Dei is inhuman.

Correct

You are correct. In Opus Dei, you are free to be miserable or instead free to leave, be miserable, and go to hell. I will categorically say that I am happier outside Opus Dei than inside. Opus Dei inside was a more miserable life than Opus Dei outside. Above all, the greatest happiness for me is that I experience genuine freedom in understanding and practicing my Roman Catholic faith and thereby knowing and loving Jesus, the Son of God. I am not miserably trapped in the false and unfree Opus Dei version of the Roman Catholic faith, where the members literally talk more about following Escriva than about following Jesus.

I would be more plainspoken. No. Don't join Opus Dei. You can pray, love God, and love others in other ways that are psychologically and spiritually healthy. I know Opus Dei members, Numeraries and Supernumeraries. Several lasted as members until they died. They basically died as cookie cutter personalities. They came to terms with it. If you can accept that as your lifetime fate, I would say, okay. Join. But all throughout, do not violate your conscience. In the end, it's all you have between you and God.

Looks that way

Josemaria Escriva is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, but in many critical aspects he is not a model of holiness. As a corollary, the so-called charism of Opus Dei does not come from God in key and important respects but is rather a deeply flawed human construction that originates - where else? - and in some features is in fact sinful. Opus Dei and millions of Roman Catholics misunderstand the precise meaning of canonization. They misconstrue it.

In the 1980s a priest told me he saw the figures for the Archdiocese of Manila, and it was over 50%. At that time we were taught that if you left Opus Dei, you were going to hell. I don't believe many members believe that anymore, so I'm sure that figure has gone up. Around 1990 I asked a Trappist monk at Saint Joseph's Abbey, MA what percentage left. He said over 90%. A Philippine Jesuit told me that one year 32 started out and years later 7 made it to the priesthood. He thought it was one of their best years. 78% attrition rate.

I joined Opus Dei in 1979. The first video I watched of Escriva, I felt revulsion. He was irascible and screaming. I realized later on that I had developed a deep revulsion for Opus Dei, and because Escriva embodied Opus Dei, my feelings about Opus Dei projected on to him.

Spot on

I wouldn't say it's "the key," but it's one of the keys. In order to understand Opus Dei, you need to drill down to the theology on which it is erected. No easy thing to do because the organization is Orwellian. Last thing - lying is a telltale sign of the devil's work.

Agree 110%

Sounds like Mother Theresa.

jose escriva was a fascist

Now I understand!!! I have read somewhere a comment that Josemaria made after meetings Sr. Lucia in the 1940s. When asked how did he found her as a person he asnwered, quote "she is just a silly little woman"!!!! That immediately told me a lot about him, but I wasn't sure. Thank you so much for the videos. They are fantastic. The content matches perfectly what I see in my parish, which isn't OD in the slightest, but heavily infiltrated by them. They are all secret about being part of the organisation and Our Lady have said in her messages to one of her special souls in the 70s that secret societies don't come from God. Period. Thank you again. God bless you.

If it looks like a duck (cult) and quacks like a duck (cult), I'd say its a pretty sure bet it's a duck (cult)

The good news is pentecostalism is taking over south America 😊

I am seeing it in action in my local diocese. Thank you for confirming my observations

I have an uncle who is quite proud of being "thrown out" of Opus Dei in the 80s. His wife and some of his kids continued. But it was more like Opus Dei light. I had heard of it prior to that because I had a teacher who went to school in Spain with many members of Opus Dei-so I always thought it was a little weird...I later realized that there is a vast difference between numeraries and supernumeraries and supernumerary light

Excellent series and I'm sorry to see them end but go on with your life you must. OD has been part of my family's life since the 50s and I have many stories. One that I can share is that if you want to give a numerary a tight sphincter, just mention the Parochial Cooperators of Christ the King, a parallel organization of lay consecration founded by a charismatic young Spanish priest in the 1920s with the purpose of bringing Christ into the home, workplace, classroom, etc. However, since the founder, Francois Paul de Vallet, was a Jesuit the Spanish episcopacy had to decide whether to back a homegrown diocesan priest or a nasty, nefarious Jesuit. They threw their support behind Escriva. The miraculous founding of OD was nothing more than dirty Spanish ecclesiastical politics. The Parochial Cooperators are nearly acid washed from the internet so research them quickly. As for you, I hope you're healing and flourishing and all is well with your family and your new life.

Great insights, just like all your other podcasts. If you go to any OD house you’ll find little ceramic Hispanic ducks. This is because they reflect Josemaria’s disdain of the women members, numeraries and numerary assistants as nothing more than cackling ducks. There you have it. Misogyny 101.

Going to Midtown in Chicago for a morning meditation roughly at 8 am, I was amazed by the fact that along with the others I was drifting into a deep sleep. The priest was sitting on a raised platform reading by the light of a small lamp, the overhead lights being turned off. I saw a photo of Josemaria doing the same thing, reading from the light of a single lamp and then read how this is a form of intentional hypnosis. So, no, you’re not crazy and this is definitely not funny. It’s intentional hypnosis and mind control. Great videos. Your work is incredibly illuminating and much appreciated.

I agree with your take.

Well, what's being planted in their subconscious minds each morning? If it's scripture or orthodox Catholic ideas, that's a good thing right?

Does somebody know if JD Vance is in opus dei?

In Venezuela a journalist from “el nacional” asked him where the money to fund his centers was coming from. He went ballistic 🤣!!!

I left the Work as a numerary decades ago. I realize I have never really unpacked it all. It’s a bad memory and I did my best not to think about it. I’m greatly blessed with an awesome wife, many kids and now many grandchildren. And a fulfilling career. A great life. I kind of shudder thinking what my life would have been if I hadn’t packed my bag and snuck out of Riverside when no one was looking! Thank you for these videos. Transparency and honesty are a blessing - something completely foreign to what I experienced in OD.

Oh piss gay

In my country (Poland) there should be now around 100 people thinking about joining Opus Dei. How many around the World..

Opus Dei is not changable so its better it doesnt exist. If not, there will be still people with broken lifes, mental problems etc....

Thank You for this.. I waste my life in Opus Dei, now I dont know who I am and where to go, and where to look for help.. Could you pray for me guys?

Links about the truth of opus dei 📚: www.opus-info.org/index.php/El_Opus_Dei:_%C2%BFun_farise%C3%ADsmo,_un_saduce%C3%ADsmo,_un_herodianismo%3F And: "Opus dei trajan hourse of liberalism" mysteriuminiquitatis-2thessalonians2.blogspot.com/2023/12/opus-dei-trojan-horse-of-liberalism-in_13.html

I agree on what you are stating here. One thing I started to question is why JoseMaria was refer almost as a god.

Thank you for your insight. I was a supernumeray for more than 40 years. A few times I wanted to quit. Finally in 2020 The Lord made me quit completely from the Catholic Church. I am glad and happy with my relationship with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

We must tax the church

its a cult within a cult

🙏🙏🙏🌟🌟🌟Thank you for this. Narcissists are hopeless at deep connection, but excel at fame.