Author John Allen On Opus Dei

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Summary

Not surprisingly, the majority of the interview dealt with questions relating to Opus Dei, which according to Allen shouldn’t necessarily be qualified as a “conservative” group.

John Allen speaks on Benedict and Opus Dei

by Spero News

Pope Benedict XVI is one of the “most prepared” popes in the last two or three centuries, but he’s “not sexy,” says veteran author and journalist John Allen in an interview in a Spanish newspaper.

“Culturally he (Benedict) is very prepared to be pope, perhaps the best so in the last two or three centuries. But from the journalistic point of view he’s not very ‘sexy’,” said Allen, according to the Spanish El Pais newspaper. “Without a doubt, John Paul II is the most ‘sexy’ of the modern popes. Whatever he said, it ended up on the front pages of the newspapers. Benedict XVI isn’t as charismatic.”

The interview was written on the occasion of Allen being in Madrid last Wednesday for the inauguration of his book on Opus Dei in Spanish, “Opus Dei: An objective look behind the myths and the reality of the most controversial force in the Catholic Church.”

Earlier in the week, Allen told journalists that "whe you look closely at Opus Dei, when you analyze the facts, this eclesiastical organization is a lot less interesting than what is normally thought with respect to the topics and accusations of being secretive." Allen also said that in his opinion, that after looking at the facts, Opus Dei "is a lot more normal" than one might have thought.

Not surprisingly, the majority of the El Pais interview dealt with questions relating to Opus Dei, which according to Allen shouldn’t necessarily be qualified as a “conservative” group. “Inside the Church there are forces (organizations) that are much more right-wing, such as the traditionalists...”

Question .. This book is supposed to be neutral with respect to Opus Dei in the height of attention that The Da Vinci Code is receiving. Did they (Opus Dei) select you to offset it?

John Allen .. I decided to write this book a long time before The Da Vinci Code came out, because Opus Dei has a black legend that goes back for decades.

Question .. All of this, one gathers from your book, was the work of the Jesuits.

Allen .. All of it, no. But they did create the black legend, because in the 1930s and 1940s there were some young people who were willing to enter the Jesuits, and in the end decided to enter Opus Dei.

Question .. The American press has said that your book is part of the biggest public relations operation by Opus Dei.

Allen .. I am in agreement with that. They (Opus Dei) have decided to be more open, and this was a fundamental decision.

Question .. Why do you think that Opus Dei wants to be more open now?

Allen .. Their purpose is to improve their image. After decades of negative experiences, I believe they have learned the important role that communication has.

Question .. Have they bought you an apartment of are they only paying with their prayers?

Allen .. I don’t think that I wrote a book in favor of Opus Dei. I think that I wrote an honest book. For that reason, nobody, except my publisher, should pay me.

The El Pais interview also touched on Allen’s perception of Saint Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei.

Question .. To found The Work (common name for Opus Dei), you write in your book that Escriva had a vision, and then later he had “other subsequent visions.” Isn’t that an awful lot of privileges for so many illuminations?

Allen .. The idea that a religious community is born via a vision isn’t that rare in the Catholic world. It is more rare, however, the idea of successive visions. But if one accepts the possibility, why should it be limited to just one? It’s just like the question of miracles.

Question .. Has Saint Josemaria ever favored you with a miracle?

Allen .. No, and not even with more book sales (laughs).

Elsewhere in the interview, Allen says that Opus Dei has a “sophisticated team” that is working for the canonization of Alvaro del Portillo, who took the reins of Opus Dei after the death of Escriva, and which, in Allen’s opinion, will also be put in place after the death of the current Opus Dei leader, Javier Echevarria. “I don’t have concrete information, but it wouldn’t surprise me that they (Opus Dei) after his death would follow this path.”

Allen was also asked if now that he has investigated Opus Dei, if he is interested in joining.

Allen .. No. And the surprising thing is that I told my wife that I would never write about The Work, because every time that I did I got conflicting messages. Later my publisher firmly proposed the idea, and now, here I am.

Question .. Maybe this is a miracle on the part of the saint (Josemaria)?

Allen .. Anything is possible (laughs).

With respect to the question of corporalmortification as practiced by Opus Dei, Allen’s response is actually quite close to the philosophy of the Catholic organization.

Question .. “Have you ever practiced flagellation (corporalmortification) like those in Opus Dei?

Allen .. No. But I did wear the cilice, to be able to say that I had the experience. I did it once, and for me, that was enough.

Question .. And, how was it?

Allen .. I would say that it was a little painful, but it’s worse when my wife makes me go to the gym.