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CONTROVERSIAL ROMAN CATHOLIC organisation Opus Dei said has named Fernando Ocariz as its new chief following the death of its 84-year-old leader.
Pope Francis officially named Ocariz, 72, as the organisation’s fourth leader, an Opus Dei statement said.
He replaces bishop Javier Echevarria, who died of a lung infection last month.
Present in many European countries and in Latin America, Opus Dei is recognised by the Catholic Church and counts 92,600 members who practise a strict faith. More than half of its members are women.
It was founded in 1928 by a young priest who was convinced that holiness could be found in daily life, notably through work.
Critics accuse of the group of being secretive and it has often aroused interest over its supposed influence, with politicians and financiers said to be among its members.
Ocariz was born in Paris to a Spanish family who had fled their country’s civil war.
A science graduate who later trained as a priest, he had served as Opus Dei’s number two since 2014 and was elected chief last night at a meeting of 156 priests and male laymen.
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If you don’t like them don’t join them.
I wasn’t given that option with the parent cult. They changed their rules for leaving because it affected their tax break status. A priest or bishops gets to decide if you really really want to leave or not… And they’re hardly going to go against the tax regime and let you!
Well if they did not impact on people’s lives through lobbying etc then your statement may hold some weight, but at the minute these organisations are allowed to impact on non members and sorry, but I don’t appreciate that.
Same applies to US domestic and foreign policy and I don’t appreciate that but hey…
Sean – wow, is the US military controlling the Irish education system?
The government ‘controls’ the education system Paul. Last I checked the minister for education has never been ordained.
Sean – how naive of you. What percentage of state funded schools are under catholic patronage?
Nannah Nannah Nannah Nannah Nannah Nannah
Nannah Nannah Batman, I mean Leader!!!!
That Dan Browne fella is a complete idiot. Lazy research bad writing. Opus Dei is very open about their ethos.
Aoife – in your opinion, but many of the journalists who have investigated them over the years disagree with you.
The book is fiction in fairness…
@Paul Fahey:
“……..but many of the journalists who have investigated them over the years disagree with you.”
And as we all know, there’s no one more dedicated to truth and balance than journalists!!
Sue – oh, and how balanced is the Catholic Church and Opus Dei? He who is without sin…….. and that sure is not the Catholic Church.
@Paul Fahey:
“Let he who is without sin…….. ”
If you remember the rest of that quote, then you won’t be throwing stones at anyone!
The Catholic Church was founded specifically for sinners.
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
He’d have a busy time with the Catholic Church in its current incarnation so. Not quite what this Jesus character had in mind I’m sure – going by what I’ve read.
Paul
You obsess way too much about the Catholic Church. For a guy who doesn’t care about them you have much to say about them.
If it’s not your cup of tea why don’t you ignore it. What is it with atheists that they love talking about religion?
Honestly.
Tom – ah there you are, chief defender of child rapist priests and a man who likes to call Irish women murderers.
I still wait for the evidence that I have ever defended a child rapist priest.
Never let the truth get in the way of your argument Paul eh?
Fool!!!!!
Tom – it has been provided to you on many occasions by many posters and you continually ask for it. You also call Irish wine en murderers when you state they are killing their babies.
The evidence has been provided many times by many posters, just not now or any other time I ask for it.
Man, you’re unreal.
It’s a major charge to accuse somebody of defending child abuse. Is it really too much to ask for you to provide the link to any thread where I have ever ever said such a thing.
If it was possible through the journal I would commit here and now to sending you €1000 if you could provide an evidence that I ever said such a thing.
Now, I’m calling you out with your lies.
As for calling women who have abortions, murderers, I never said that either.
I am very very clear what I said because unlike you I think first.
What I said was that as humans if we willingly take human life unless in self defence, we are guilty of murder.
You extrapolated to say I’m accusing every woman who has an abortion as a murderer.
Again, never said that. There are cases where people can feel under immense duress and have an abortion.
I’m not going to label that murder.
Do me a favour. If you’re going to make serious accusations then please provide the evidence.
It will also serve to give you credibility.
Paul
I think you also know very well that I I posted here defending child abuse, the post would be taken down and I would be kicked off the journal.
Do you wish to retract this comment Paul or will I report it to the journal as libelous?
Do you still stand by your accusation?
Paul has gone to ground.
No surprise there.
Da Vinci code nonsense, another way of attacking the church. Worst secret society ever, we all. Know about it.
Let me guess, it’s the tooth fairy, right?
Astonishing result from Opus Dei. No one could have expected that piece of news :-)
SHould be declared an illegal organisation
Why?
Cilices all round!
As Christy Moore one sang… “So I tied barbed wire around my underpants and flagellated myself on the floor.”…..
Just like the pope himself anothet cult leader
Book in it for Dan Brown?
Few Fianna Failers cut their cloth supported by this sect. Their stretch is far reaching.
Opus Dei many of the features of a cult. There are worse groups but I think that it is a sinister and authoritarian body with reactionary views.
Jesus and his Apostles seemed to be all under 40, and then there is the Catholic Church with men who have closed themselves off from society their whole lives when eveen Jesus was out with the people, spending time with sinners like drunks and prositutes with people of those class.
And we have men in frocks?
So you think somebody with an alcohol problem is a sinner?
That’s nice of you.
@Tom Burke: I said drunks and prositutes meaning those together, not seperately, Jesus turned water into wine????????
Trust someone to take a wrong meaning out of it but yet I should have made it clearer. A sin is doing harm to oneself or to someone else as well as committing a sin of the 10 Commandments… Happy Tom?
Alois
I didn’t take the wrong meaning.
I took the correct meaning as you dictated it.
Also, nowhere in the commandments is it a sin to have an alcohol problem.
@Tom Burke: Everyone uses the same words, some uses them in slightly different ways to others. Who knows a sin could be any action that is bad for you and for others?
have your say