Opus Dei

The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin for "Work of God"), is a Roman Catholic institution, composed of a prelate, secular priests, and lay people, whose aim is "to contribute to the evangelizing mission of the Church" by spreading the message that everyone is called to become a saint and an apostle. The Opus Dei Prelature "encourages Christians of all social classes to live consistently with their faith in the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives." http://www.opusdei.org/art.php?w=32&s=307

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Pope John Paul II established Opus Dei as a personal prelature in 1982, making it a part of the hierarchical structure of the Roman Catholic Church under the Congregation for Bishops. Based in Rome, the Opus Dei prelature has about 85,500 members in 80 countries. Opus Dei was founded on October 2, 1928 by the Spanish priest Josemar?a Escriv? who was canonized in 2002. Opus Dei, he said, offers spiritual training for ordinary citizens who want to use their daily work and activities as occasions for spiritual growth and for improving society.

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While Popes and many Catholic leaders strongly support what they see as Opus Dei's innovative teachings on holiness for ordinary people, it is accused of being cult-like and ultraconservative. While many Catholic scholars state that the prelature has a revolutionary emphasis on the free initiative of citizens in sanctifying society, its critics allege right-wing connections. Described by some observers as one of the most controversial organizations in the Catholic Church, some Catholic leaders and scholars call it a sign of contradiction.

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Latin: Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. It gained great importance as the formal language of the Roman Empire. All Romance languages are descended from Latin, and many words based on Latin are found in other modern languages such as English. The ...

Roman Catholic: REDIRECT Catholic Church...

Apostle: Alternate meanings: See Apostle (Mormonism), The Apostle (1997 movie)...

Opus Dei related Images and Photos (experimental)

Opus	La Resa Dei Conti	Agnus Dei circa 1635-40	Il Giardino Dei Gatti
San Giorgio Dei Greci Venice	Maria dei Medici Queen of France	Mr. Holland's Opus	The Salone Dei Cinquecento c.1495
Opus n Bill in A Wish for Wings That Work DVD (Full Frame)	The Scala Dei Giganti Commissioned in 1485	Opus n Bill in A Wish for Wings That Work Holiday 2010 DVD (Full Frame)	Autographed Manuscript of Valse Opus 70 No.1 in G Flat Major