Pope Blesses Statue of Opus Dei Founder

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBSLIJPLDE.html

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday blessed a statue of the founder of the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei, saying he hoped it will serve as inspiration for those who passed by to "do one's daily work in the spirit of Christ."

The 20-foot-tall white Carrara marble statue, placed in a niche of the outside wall of St. Peter's Basilica, depicts Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer with his hands open in a welcoming gesture and two cherubs at his feet holding a sculpted Bible. Balaguer founded Opus Dei in Spain in 1928.

"May all those who stop to contemplate the statue be encouraged to live their daily work in the spirit of Christ and in ardent love for the work of redemption," said Benedict, who stopped to bless the statue at the end of his general audience before returning to Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence in the Alban hills outside Rome. snip

Its mission - to give lay people a dynamic role in spreading the word of God - was backed by the late Pope John Paul II, who championed the movement as a means of confronting the secularization of society and reinforcing his conservative doctrine. But Opus Dei - Latin for "God's work" - is also accused of secretive, cult-like practices.

[noahmijo]

1. Oh Christ this pope is almost as embarassing as Bush

All the Italians in Rome you had to pick this fucking Nazi. Makes me ashamed that I used to be a Catholic.

[Bridget Burke]

2. Pope John Paul II was just as fond of Opus Dei.

He just had a more charming personality.

[redqueen]

8. Kinda like Clinton and Bush with corporatism, eh?

:7

[NNN0LHI]

3. Doesn't Santorum and Scalia belong to this cult? n/t

[Bridget Burke]

6. Why don't you find out & let us know?

And "cult" is an imprecise word.

[NNN0LHI]

12. I am still checking. It appears they do but I want to check another source

I will post back when I am sure.

And what is your definition of cult? Because this Opus Dei outfit appears to match all the definitions for cult that I can find very precisely.

Don

[gratuitous]

4. Sure glad I left the Catholics

I fit in much better with the Church of the Brethren. So this appalling story doesn't bother me nearly as much as it probably should.

[Clark2008]

7. Most Catholics don't condone Opus Dei

Because Opus Dei members work in contrary to Catholic beliefs. It's a sect, not a cult, and its members perform very odd secret rituals that the average Catholic (such as myself) would find appalling.

[redqueen]

9. I wonder how it's been so successful, then...

:shrug:

[Clark2008]

10. Because they pressure members and future members

They DO use cult-like tactics to recruit and maintain membership. However, it's a legitimate sect (that probably is moving into more cult-like behavior as they recruit more and powerful members).

Basically, they're a fascist organization, in short. Fits perfectly with BushCo. and the new pope, eh?

[gratuitous]

11. I'm sure they don't

But what can the average Catholic do about disagreements with canon law or papal imprimaturs? I greatly prefer a more presbyterian (little "p", please note) form of denominational structure, where the folks in the pews have a say in setting the agenda and deciding polity.

[progressivebydesign]

5. Opus Dei doing the work of Christ? Hardly. n/t