Opus Dei in Spain
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Opus Dei ("Work of God") was, according to some historians, one of the most most influential Catholic lay group during the Franco period together with the ACNP or the National Catholic Association of Propagandists, who was influential both in the early and late years of the Franco period. [link] Opus Dei denies any political aims, and some historians and journalists argue that it was (and remains) politically neutral. Others underline the conservative tone of all of its members.
Opus Dei, founded in 1928 in Spain
Opus Dei was founded in 1928 by an Aragonese Roman Catholic priest, Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer y Albas, and it was subsequently recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as its first secular religious institution, then later a personal prelature, a secular jurisdictional structure of the Catholic Church akin to a diocese. Although attention has been drawn primarily to its activities in Spain, it is an international body with members and associates throughout the world. Members make a commitment to dedicate their professional talents to the service of God and to seek to win converts through their missionary zeal. The organization in Spain and everywhere else has emphasized professional excellence, whether they are farmers or teachers, and it has expected its members who have talents for politics to serve in government positions, in accord, it says, with the Social Doctrine of the Church.
Participation in Franco's government
During the late 1950s and the 1960s, some 8 Opus Dei members out of the 116 ministers of Franco came to occupy the economic ministries, and they occupied other important cabinet posts as well. This was in keeping with the organization's aim of influencing the development of society indirectly. Aside from recruiting members from all social classes, Opus Dei recruited members from among the brightest students, which according to some observers encouraged a sense of elitism and clannishness. Because of what some critics see as clannishness and secrecy surrounding the organization, they termed it the "Holy Mafia."
Economic reforms in Franquist Spain
During the Franco period, several members who belonged to different persuasions, played pivotal roles in the modernization of the economy under Franco and in the subsequent liberalization of politics and government. At the same time, most of the members were theologically conservative, and their desire for modernization was far from radical. Several of its members believed that economic reforms would improve society to the extent that thoroughgoing political reforms would be unnecessary.
The technocrats who were members of Opus Dei and members of other groups were largely responsible for devising, introducing, and later administering the economic stabilization program that formed the basis of Spain's economic development. These technocrats encouraged competition as a means of achieving rapid economic growth, and they favored economic integration with Europe. Although these policies implied eventual political as well as economic liberalization, this was not Opus Dei's avowed goal, for the group officially does not have any political goal.
Controversy about Opus Dei's political influence
According to some observers, with the advent of democracy, Opus Dei lost much of its influence, and, they say, it was condemned by the more progressive forces in both the Catholic hierarchy and Spanish society for having propped up a repressive regime. On the other hand, journalists John L. Allen, Jr. and Vittorio Messori claim that Opus Dei as an institution was neither pro-Franco nor anti-Franco. It was "savagely attacked" says Allen by its enemies, starting with certain Jesuits immediately after the civil war. These Jesuits did not understand the novelty of its theological doctrine on the universal call to holiness, says Allen. And, according to Messori, its reputation was besmirched deliberately by some groups of the Falange for they wrongly viewed it as a political rival, since these Spaniards tended to have a Catholic one-party mentality in politics, and did not understand Escriva's new doctrine on the freedom and responsibility of each Catholic in temporal matters. They failed to see, says Messori, that there were many other members of Opus Dei who were against the Franco Regime, like Rafael Calvo Serrer and Antonio Fontan. This deliberate campaign of the Falange led to the black legend that Opus Dei is a type of political party, he says. Brian Crozier, an English historian, says that "Opus Dei is neither a political party nor a political pressure group as its enemies want people to believe." Messori says that Opus Dei's fidelity to the Catholic faith makes it capable of new ideas and its members contributors for the advancement of society.
Pope John Paul II, who viewed the orthodox Catholicism of the organization with favor, established it as personal prelature, a part of the socio-administrative organization of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei, according to political observers, remained influential in the area of education as well as in certain sectors of the financial community. On the other hand, Escriva claimed in interviews in the 1960s that the influence of Opus Dei was not socio-economic but ethical. He declared that Opus Dei goal is for rich and poor to work together in building a more just, more human and more progressive society. Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer was beatified by John Paul II, a choice which has been criticized by progressive sectors of the Church .
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This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
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