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Opus Dei - Quotes from Father McCloskey

Some people who have commented about my Opus Dei pages still do not believe that Escriva was fascist. Or they believe that maybe he was but this was another time and Opus Dei of today is not such a bad organisation. I recently discovered the following articles written by Father McCloskey, a priest of Opus Dei. His writings are the perfect proof that the ideology is still alive. I have read his web pages and quoted the hard core stuff here and commented a bit about it.

Here is a list of his online publications: McCloskey


Choosing a College:

In his article about choosing a college for your kid he writes:
Be sure to read the colleges' mission statement (if they have one). If you encounter words like standard, belief, maturity, conviction, commitment, marriage, family, evangelisation, culture, character, truth and knowledge, take a closer look. On the other hand, if you encounter words and phrases like values, openness, just society, search, diversity, and professional preparation, move on.

So "just society" and "openness" and "diversty" are bad things? Would you rather send your kids to a college that makes them "close-minded" and advocates an "unjust society"? It is obvious that the fascist ideology of McCloskey shines through here..

At the end of the article he suggests that parents should send their children to a secular university if they can not find a good "Catholic" one. Well it would be too bad if the children learn that openness and a just society are not in contradiction with Christian faith...


Coeducation Revisited for the 21st Century

In his article he writes:

For example, could one imagine that the European Parliament, representing the community of European nations, would propose that homosexual relationships be given legal sanction equivalent to marriage? Indeed it would be hard to find similar situations in history, unless it be the pre-Christian paganism of the Roman Empire (cf. St. Paul's Letter to the Romans l: ll-20) or the behaviour of the barbarian hordes of central Asia as they poured into a weak and decadent empire.

No Comment.

The problems of schools in 1980:

drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, and assault.

We all know that. but who is to blame for (besides the coeducation ;) ) that:

The secularist ideology of the Enlightenment, with its concepts of the inevitability of progress, the goodness of human nature in the primitive state, equality of condition as the goal of morality, etc., and its philosophical offspring in the works of Freud, Marx, Darwin, and Mill, has been influential in shaping the moral behaviour of society.


In my FAQ I have shown the fascist nature of Opus Dei. One hallmark of it is to despise "freedom" and "liberty". Read what he writes in:

Evangelisation in the United States: Past, Present, and Future

French philosopher Joseph DeMaistre once said that "Dogmas make nations" and the "dogma" of the U.S. has long been the absolute right of the individual to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (preamble to the Declaration of Independence, 1776). The saving message of Christ as mediated through his Church and its effect on our nation, culture, and society rarely enter the American mind.

As if those values (life, liberty, ..) would be in contradiction with the Christian faith. Of course they are not, but in his twisted mind (obviously brainwashed by Opus Dei) there is a contradiction. He writes:

The growth of the Church over the last two centuries has been impressive but in an environment somewhat antagonistic to its beliefs. On the one hand, the liberal democracy which forms the basis of our political system tends to be anti-hierarchical and based largely on the rationalist philosophy of the Enlightenment. It therefore tends to a subjective relativism as regards belief, which certainly militates against the unique claims of the Church. [..]

There has been a constant undercurrent of anti-Catholicism running through America's history, due to the dominance of the Protestant sects which have largely defined American religion until relatively recently. The two aspects of this Anti-Catholicism -- liberal democratic ideology and Protestantism -- have, ironically, kept the American Catholic populace from wholeheartedly embracing the American ethos

(Also note the "protestant sects". The lack of tolerance towards other religions is visible here)

The last twenty-five years of theological discourse and seminary training has been strongly influenced by European dissident theologians under the influence of Marx, Hegel, Freud, and Kant. Their theological offspring can be found in liberation theology, process theology, consequentialism in moral theology, and transcendental Thomism, respectively.* All of these great figures of modernity, have left a very definite imprint on several generations of American priests and university students with disastrous results for the faith and morals of American Catholics

No Comment.

The complete integration of the Church with the American system of government and culture, the juxtaposition of the Cross and the Flag, also resulted in an identification of some of the leading elements of the clergy and laity with a leftist statist political agenda which alienated a significant portion of the working class laity. This over-emphasis on social problems at the expense of spiritual ends threw large numbers of the faithful into confusion.

Please note: "over-emphasis on social problems". You might want to compare it with the words of Jesus: And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Matthew 25.45)


The Pope and Opus Dei

Here he writes:

Pope John Paul II played a crucial, if not preeminent, role in the downfall of Communism in Eastern Europe. He now views his final struggle as to rescue the formerly Christian West from a hedonistic materialism that threatens civilization as surely as Godless Marxism. The ideology of the Bolshevik Revolution having collapsed, the ideological excesses of the French Revolution must be the next to go.

Once more Fr. McCloskey has revealed his fascist ideology. The excesses of the French Revolution: Freedom, Equality, Fraternity.

There are some other interesting points he makes:

Contrary to many distorted interpretations the council was not principally about the role of the layperson in the Church but rather about the role of the lay Catholic in the world, an essential distinction and one with many profound consequences for both society and culture.

What he says here but does not want to say it all too open is: According to Opus Dei, lay people have almost _no_ rights within the Church. (Compare e.g. The Way/#61). All they have to do is being obedient to Opus Dei teachings without asking questions about them. Their role is only in the world, to bring in new members and money. So I believe their view of the Vatican II is incredible distorted.

Further he writes:

Bl. Josemaria's teachings are rooted in the concept of divine filiation, the reality that all men are children of God. Hence their rights and responsibilities before God, the Church, and society.

Sounds nice, warm and cozy at first glance. I very much doubt Mister Escriva understood that "all men are children of God" because if he did, he would not divide them into: Priests (who's prayers are more valuable in God's ears than those of other persons.. compare Way/#98) , Opus Dei members, Catholics and last but not least the devils who do not share his twisted political opinions? compare Way/#833).

The second point which should be noted in the quote above: to understand what he means when he speaks of "responsibilities before God, the Church, and society" it is necessary to know that he connects God and Church together. Fulfilling these responsibilities is best accomplished through becoming an Opus Dei member and listening to what your spiritual director commands you. After all it is called "Opus Dei" - "The Work of God" so they should know what God wants from you, no?

Bl. Josemaria also placed a strong emphasis on the worth of human freedom as a God-given gift, abhorring both totalitarian regimes in government and any and all efforts to coerce the conscience of individual people.

This also sounds warm and cozy, but this interpretation of Esciva's teachings has 2 errors in it:

  • First one has to say that Escriva constructed a totalitarian system himself: Look at all the strong emphasis he puts on leadership and obedience. Blind obedience, so that people would not be able to get any information that would enable them to form an independent judgement. (Compare the Way #339, keep in mind that the Opus Dei has an index of forbidden books, also:

    "The directors have the right and the duty to avoid that writings, letters, etc. come to the members of the opus, which could be of any danger to the recipients, where ever they may come from."(Glosas, see: Peter Hertel). well, how do they find out what is in the letters without opening them? this kind of censorship is not only against every moral principle and certainly not part of the teaching of Jesus, this is even against the law here in Austria. This kind of censorship is certainly part of totalitarian regimes.

    )

  • The second point is the "...coerce the conscience of individual people". While they may not apply physical coercion, psychological coercion is more than common practice.


Priests for the Third Millennium

He writes:

In some sectors priestly and religious vocations appear to be actively discouraged as the role of "lay ministry" is presented as the answer to the dearth of priests. This expedient amounts to a "clericalization of the laity", truly an insult to the goodness of the created and redeemed world, and to the radical nature of the sacrament of Baptism. The layperson's participation in the priesthood of Christ leads him normally not to liturgical participation at the altar, but rather to his preeminent task of sanctifying the temporal order in the world.

So much for the role of role of lay persons in the Church. No further comment needed.

[..] This is not the place to speak of the various secular philosophies and ideologies from Kant to Marx down to our own time that have so noxiously affected various currents of Catholic theological thought. However, their influence has been devastating on many Catholic university and seminary theology departments, which formed, at least theologically, the priests of our generation.

No Comment needed.

So what is a good priest to do? McCloskey lists 7 point. In number 2 ( "daily Eucharistic Celebration") we find: Frequent Sacramental confession and Spiritual Direction.

Sure one can not leave the priest without spiritual direction.. otherwise he might be influenced by reading diabolic ideas about social justice or openness.. who knows?


Next is a review of a book:

Review of "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order"

He writes:

I would add that as we are of the West and the West represents largely the continued existence of Greco-Roman civilization as "baptized" by Christianity down to our own time, the question is whether the moral resources of the West and hence its willingness to fight are so depleted that they will be overcome by the "non-Western many."

Please note the word fight here. Instead of presenting views on how different religions and cultures can co-exist and live together in peace this man wants to talk people into a fight.

[..] In the West, it is the worship of the one and triune God as revealed to us in Christ through the Church; in Islam it is Allah as revealed by his prophet Mohammed in the Koran; for the Chinese it is a millennial old culture of ancestor worship with other influences of the moral philosopher Confucius and the mystic Buddha. For Catholics especially the ever- increasing tension between these three civilizations is of crucial and intriguing importance.

A tension that would not be there if people like him would not create it.

[..] Until the Second Coming, the Church exists in the world, and one of its most important needs is the basic freedom to exercise its mission of sanctification and evangelization i.e. freedom of Catholic worship, education, and family morality as reflected in a nation's laws. These basic rights for Catholics are largely non-existent at the present time in the sphere of Sinic (China) influence and under Islam, and they are very much under attack in what is normally constituted as the West ( Europe and North America).

Islam has on several occasions in past centuries almost conquered the Christian West through a combination of aggressive and coercive proselytism and bloody jihads. John Paul II wants to make sure that it does not happen again. He wants to make sure that the "civilization of love and truth" that he desires and foresees is allowed to develop and flourish without external threat, be it from Islam, the decadent modern West, or China.

No Comment.


Right with the Church

He writes:

A snapshot of what is right with the Church as we end this millennium and begin another was the closing Mass on Sunday August 24th of the World Youth Days in Paris. This was the largest Mass in the long history of France. A million young people, double the number expected, gathered together, in the most stifling heat Paris has experienced in this century, to endure discomfort, lack of sleep, and thirst in order to praise God and worship him in the Eucharist

I am sure 99% of the young people there would not want to be associated with the fascist ideology of Escriva and McCloskey.


Spirituality in the Professions and Workplace

The article is rather long and deals mostly with the writings of the Pope on the portions of Vatican II on that matter. While the words of the Pope and the Vatican Council will be something most Christians will agree with, it seems he also understands them most of the time. Once in a while he has to twist his logic a bit to avoid obvious contradictions with Opus Dei doctrine. The point here is the role of lay people:

The Second Vatican Council makes clear that the laity "have the capacity to assume from the hierarchy certain ecclesiastical functions, which are to be performed for a spiritual purpose" (LG #33). This involvement is good and necessary. However, the idea, unfortunately, is indeed widespread in our country, due to a faulty interpretation of the Conciliar documents, that the laity manifests its involvement in the Church chiefly through participation in liturgical functions, parish councils, church positions, etc., rather than in family, work, political, social, and cultural life. In short, in some circles there is an emphasis on sharing "power" rather than service and a concept that somehow the laity become more integrated in the life of the Church the more clericalized their function. Apart from the danger of this clericalization for the identity of the laity itself, this train of thought leads inevitably to a shirking of responsibility for the state of the world by Catholic laymen; at the same time the enemies of God and the Church will not find any determined opposition to their machinations by committed Catholic laymen. However, totally committed Catholics are needed on the sports field, on Broadway, in the university, in the media, and indeed in all legitimate activities, as well as being involved in liturgical and parochial activities.

Well his explanation here is rather weak: if they are involved too much in the Church they will not be able to work in the world. bah. All he is doing here is searching for an excuse for why they do not want to "share power" - His language reveals a lot of his true motivations here: accumulating "power". The power to tell the dumb masses what is right and wrong. Take a look at the chapters about leadership and obedience in "The Way".


Winning New Converts

He writes

[..] With the passage of more centuries, Christian ideals lived out in the world by persons and families gradually transformed the West into a form of a Christian culture which we know as the Middle Ages. In our own time, following the gradual dissolution of that particular culture through, in part, such historical events as the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the titanic struggles of ideas and ideologies of the last two centuries (Darwinism, Marxism, Freudianism, and so on), we are called to do the same. [..]

While his extreme hostility towards Marxism will not be new to the reader who knows about Opus Dei's fascist ideology, we also find the intolerance towards other religions here: When he mentions "Reformation" here he writes against the Protestant Church.

The individual apostolate, flowing generously from its source in a truly Christian life, is the origin and condition of the whole lay apostolate, even of the organized type, it admits of no substitutes (my emphasis). Regardless of status, all lay persons (including those who have no opportunity or possibility for collaboration in associations) are called to this type of apostolate and obliged to engage in it. "

In other words: if you have any opportunity or possibility than Fr. McCloskey wants you to take part in lay organisations with a strong emphasis on apostolate. Can it be he means Opus Dei here?

Ok. Now for the dirty details:

But now on to more practical matters. How do we "make" converts? [..] It is said that the most effective way to raise money for a good cause is to simply ask for it. The same may be applied to our situation. The question " Have you ever thought of becoming a Catholic?" addressed to many people over the course of our life will certainly produce not only converts but also interesting and thought provoking conversations and new personal relationships. You may have to practice this line in front of a mirror a few times just as you did before asking out your first date.

Practice in front of the mirror? Maybe like an actor prepares for the acting he does? Well this suggestion also reveals a lot about his attitude towards manipulation of people. Opus Dei gives training lessons to it's members on how to approach new potential members..

It is essential that you get to know them well, particularly their religious background, if any, so, as is said in the vernacular, you "know where they are coming from. " Of use in this regard would be a thorough reading of Separated Brethren (Our Sunday Visitor), a survey of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and other denominations in the U.S. by William J. Whalen. By engaging in conversation on this point you will be inviting your friend, and committing yourself, to go deep below the surface of everyday trivialities into the heart of the matter. Why are we here? What is truth? Is there a right and wrong? Is there a God? An afterlife? Is Jesus Christ God? Did he found a Church during his lifetime? If so, which one? Do we need to belong to it to be saved? Of course, you need to be not only willing to discuss and answer these queries but prepared..

So this is what it is all about: Their understanding of the apostolate is not bringing the joyful message of Jesus (The Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, etc.. churches also have that) but to convert people away from their believes. I am a Catholic person myself but I feel deeply ashamed of this kind of arrogant thinking that the Catholic Church is the only Church that is in possession of the one and only Truth(tm). Moreover I feel deeply ashamed of all the evil ideology that is mixed with God's word and that this Organisation wants to press into the Catholic Church. I pray to God that they will not succeed with that.

One of McCloskey's new writings is an extremly dense account of his political ideology: 2030: looking backwards Is a piece of fictional writing where McCloskey envisions a future for the USA and the Catholic Church (or what Opus Dei thinks of what it is). I really recommend to read it this article as a whole. It has everything in it. It describes his personal utopia of a right wing christian thecratic regime and how to get there by a scessional war in the USA:

"The tens of thousands of martyrs and confessors for the Faith in North America were indeed the "seed of the Church" as they were in pre-Edict of Milan Christianity. The final short and relatively bloodless conflict produced our Regional States of North America. The outcome was by no means an ideal solution but it does allow Christians to live in states that recognize the natural law and divine Revelation, the right of free practice of religion, and laws on marriage, family, and life that reflect the primacy of our Faith."

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