Allegations of Being Highly Controlling
Critics accuse the organization of maintaining an extremely high degree of control over its members. Ex-members claim that the Opus Dei directors read letters of the members. According to a 2006 report by BBC Mundo Jose Carlos Martin de la Hoz, priest of the prelature in Spain, said that this practice exists, but clarified that it is a manifestation of opening and confidence of the faithfuls of the Opus Dei. In 2001, an Opus Dei spokesman said that the practice of reading the mail of numeraries was abandoned years ago.
About 20% of Opus Dei are celibate. They live in special residential centers where they lead extremely structured lives— critics say this practice isolates its members from the rest of society and allows Opus Dei to have nearly total control over its members' environments. Critics note that numeraries in Opus Dei generally submit all their incoming and outgoing mail to their superiors to read. They also point to a "Forbidden Books List" that details which books members are not allowed to read without the express permission of their superiors. For some books, a numerary's direct supervisor can provide permission, but for other books, permission can only be given by the Prelate in Rome. According to some critics, Opus Dei pressures numeraries to cut off social contact with non-members, including their own families. Numeraries in Opus Dei generally hand over their entire salaries to the organization, and critics say this has the effect of making numeraries extremely dependent upon the organization.
Opus Dei denies exerting any undue control over its members, and supporters say that Opus Dei places an extraordinary emphasis on the personal freedom of its members. They quote Escrivá who said "Respect for its members' freedom is an essential condition for Opus Dei's very existence."
Supporters defend Opus Dei's list of inappropriate books by pointing out that the Vatican itself maintained a similar list until the 1960s. Supporters similarly quote Escrivá, who said that indiscriminate reading of books is like taking all the nice-looking pills in a drugstore. To explain the celibate lifestyle of numeraries and their relationships with their families, supporters quote Jesus's comment that "He who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me."
Read more about this topic: Controversies About Opus Dei
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