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Opus Dei: Priestly Society of the Holy Cross/Temp

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Opus Dei: Priestly Society of the Holy Cross is an association of clergy intrinsically united to Opus Dei which promotes brotherhood among priests and their personal sanctification: a life of unity with all his brother priests and of obedience to his bishop. It is made up first of all of the clergy of the prelature who are automatically members. Secondly, it is made up of diocesan priests, deacons, and bishops. Some Opus Dei members also serve as bishops in various dioceses throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, South America, and Africa. The prelate of Opus Dei is the president of the society.

These diocesan clergy of the Priestly Society are not incardinated into the presbyterate of the prelature. They depend solely on their bishop and just receives spiritual help from the Society to fulfill their priestly duties well.

Contents

History and Reasons for its Foundation

The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross was established by St. Josemaria on 14 February 1943. He was always concerned that his message of sanctification of ordinary work be transmitted also to the secular clergy. He even said that he was willing to leave Opus Dei as Abraham left his son Isaac to be able to help the clergy. Thus, on that day, according to him, he received an illumination from God on how to continue serving both the laity and the diocesan clergy.

During Mass at the center of the Women of Opus Dei, he was shown the seal of Opus Dei and of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross: a cross embracing the world. He was also shown the juridical solution to put the two together. The priests will be part of a society united to Opus Dei but the diocesan priests will continue to be priests of their dioceses, and thus there will be no conflict with the bishops.

The first priests of the Priestly Society were the numerary members of Opus Dei, who as such are automatically members of the Society. The first three priests ordained as members of the Society are Alvaro del Portillo, Jose Luis Muzquiz and Jose Hernandez de Garnica.

Aside from the above explanation for its founding, Fr. John McCloskey explains the general need for this type of association, which St. Josemaria also saw:

As many priests can testify, loneliness can be the most difficult Cross to embrace. However, there are remedies for loneliness, and priests are free to seek for that help upon which their happiness largely relies. Diocesan priests can certainly establish their own support groups for prayer, socializing, exercise, and relaxation. But normally that is not enough. In #29 of the DLMP, the document, echoing the Second Vatican Council (Prebyterorum ordinis, #8) and the Code of Canon Law (C 550, n. 2), highly praises "those associations which support priestly fraternity, sanctity in the exercise of their ministry, and communion with the Bishop and with the entire Church." [link]

Erection by Pope John Paul II

According to the Apostolic Constitution Ut sit by Pope John Paul II: "From its beginnings, this (Opus Dei) has in fact striven, not only to illuminate with new lights the mission of the laity in the Church and in society, but also to put it into practice; it has also endeavored to put into practice the teaching of the universal call to sanctity, and to promote at all levels of society the sanctification of ordinary work, and by means of ordinary work. Furthermore, through the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, it has helped diocesan priests to live this teaching, in the exercise of their sacred ministry."

Through this document, John Paul II, aside from erecting the Opus Dei as a personal prelature, also erected the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross "as a clerical Association intrinsically united to the Prelature."

Admission to the Society

To be admitted to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, a diocesan priests “needs the inner conviction of having received a call from God to seek sanctity according to the spirit of Opus Dei. This involves a number of conditions: love for his diocese and unity with all the members of the diocesan clergy; obedience to and veneration for his own bishop; piety, the study of the sacred sciences, zeal for souls and a spirit of sacrifice; the effort to promote vocations; and the desire to fulfill his priestly ministry with the greatest possible perfection.” [link]

Formation

The priests are given the same formation as the laymen of Opus Dei. St. Josemaria always said that he has "the same cooking pot" for his children: classes on doctrine, ascetical formation, spiritual direction, recollections, retreats, etc.

Membership

There are around 2000 priests, bishops and deacons around the world who are members of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.

Here are some of the prominent members of the Society:

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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