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A Deeper Look at Opus
Dei, Christofascism, Misogyny & SCOTUS5/2/2024 |
Since “Opus Dei” has played such a prominent role in Leonard Leo’s life and in the current Supreme Court that he has fashioned, it seems fitting to take a closer look at the organization. |
Christofascism is always steeped in misogyny. So was the fascist founder of Opus Dei, Josemaría Escrivá, who was rushed into canonization shortly after he died. Maria del Carmen Tapia wrote a tell-all book about Escrivá which became a best-seller in Spain, |
An investigation into the controversial Opus Dei sect, now extending its influence across the world. Journeyman
Pictures |
Italy, Portugal and Germany. The Boston Globe called it a picture of an obsessively secretive, manipulative, and sexist organization with a virtual cultlike veneration of its founder. Tapia played significant roles in her 18 years with Opus Dei including working as
Escrivá’s secretary for seven years. She wrote about what she saw. “There’s a constant sexual obsession within Opus Dei” she writes. |
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| Beating of one’s body was encouraged as a spiritual practice and Tapia confessed that “I
treated my body with brutality.” At one meeting where Tapia was present, Escrivá raged and shouted to fellow priests, Take the one [woman], lift up her skirt, take down her panties, and whack her on the behind until she talks. MAKE HER TALK! He shouted at Tapia, You’re a wicked woman, sleazy, scum That’s what
you are! She endured many interrogations and “advisers” were stationed inside and outside her |
room who followed her even to the bathroom. She wrote, I began to shake almost constantly as a result of my terror. I was afraid they would take me to a mental institution as I knew they had done to other members. In her final meeting with Escrivá, he shouted at her, You are a seductress
with all your immorality and indecency!.…You’re wicked! Indecent!….Hear me well! WHORE! SOW! Escrivá hated Vatican II and liberation theology and actually was heard to praise Hitler. But two papacies, those of JPII and Benedict XVI, appointed numerous members of his sect as bishops and cardinals in South and North
America. |
Many US bishops today are members or admirers of the sect and, because Opus Dei cozies up with the powerful, the sect holds outsize power in the American church. With so many dioceses reeling financially from the priestly pedophile crisis, Opus Dei with its vast financial resources is
enticing to many bishops. |
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Much of the antipathy to Pope Francis, who dares to write about ecology, the poor and the dangers of excessive capitalism, comes from this fascist wing of the church so well represented at SCOTUS. |
Adapted from Matthew Fox, “Opus Dei,” in Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved, pp. 106-124. See also Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and
Society
Banner Image: About 10,000 people attended a rally in Dublin in memory of Savita Halappanavar, who died following a miscarriage after being refused an abortion at University Hospital Galway in 2012. Her death catalyzed a revolution in Irish reproductive health laws. Photo by William Murphy on Flickr. |
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Queries for Contemplation |
How disturbing is it to you to hear of the ideology behind the sect that has appointed six members of the current Supreme Court? But how necessary is it that we know these facts and move beyond our collective naïvete? |
The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved
The Pope’s War offers a provocative look at three decades of corruption in the
Catholic Church, focusing on Josef Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The final section in the book focuses on birthing a truly catholic Christianity.
“This book should be read by everybody, not only for its ferocious courage, but also for its vision for what needs to be saved from the destructive forces that threaten authentic Christianity.” ~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.
“In the gripping The Pope’s War, Matthew Fox takes an unwavering look at the layers of corruption in the Catholic Church, holding moral truth against power.” — Jason Berry, author of Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II |
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Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil
that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly
masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics |
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In the Beginning There Was Joy: A Cosmic Celebration for Kids of All Ages
The first book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series tells the story of the big bang and how humans fit into the awesome, fantastical,
cosmic picture! With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet. "This delicious book for children of all ages celebrates joy as the essential truth of
reality." - Andrew Harvey, Author of The Hope and Radical Regeneration
"I absolutely LOVED reading this beautiful, creative, stirring story—a charming, whimsical, powerful, parable." - Robert Holden, Author of Happiness NOW!
and Higher Purpose
Receive a 20% discount when you buy this and one other book from Matthew Fox’s store! Use Promo Code 20% at checkout. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
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Join Matthew Fox in a new, live, 7-week video course hosted by the Shift Network, : What Meister Eckhart & Other World Mystics Can Teach Us About Navigating Collective Turmoil. Tuesdays, May 7 – June 25, 5:00pm - 6:30pm PT. Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book with scientist Rupert Sheldrake, Natural Grace: Dialogues on Creation, Darkness and the Soul in Spirituality and Science in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, May 16, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register HERE. |
Join keynote speakers Matthew Fox and Brian Swimme at the 2024 Creation Spirituality Communities Gathering on “Reimagining Our Story, Hope for Humanity,” live at Cape Cod, MA and by livestream. Friday, May 31 – Sunday, June 2. Learn more and register HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Ilia Delio and theologian Matthew Fox pick up on their conversation about the viability of contemporary religious institutions in an evolutionary world. They discuss death and resurrection—the enduring challenge of modern approaches to the subject and what we can learn from mystics, past generations and ancient peoples alike. To listen, click HERE. |
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