Asking the wrong guy

In light of the news of the new Archbishop Gomez, I decided to try to learn a little about Opus Dei as I know practically nothing about it (yes, I know they don’t have albino assassins. I know at LEAST that
much!) But I was actually surprised as some of the… it can only be described as pure hatred that some, particularly ‘progressive’
catholic groups (*cough* NCR *cough*) have for it, hatred that is shared by a good many sedevacantists and the like as well.

I’m still researching, but so far it makes no real sense to me. I can kinda see why they hate our Holy Father (God strengthen and protect
him!) and others such as Bishop Finn of KCMO, but Opus Dei? From what I’ve read so far, their numbers are small, they don’t SEEM to get into politics at all, and seem to be pushing about what Vatican II preached all of us to do. It makes as much sense to me as them devoting gigs upon gigs of web content, gallons of ink and forests of paper to attack… the Salvation Army. (a bad comparison, I know, but just go with me here.)

I know you’re a busy man and I do NOT expect a long essay reply, but could you perhaps, in you Dark Lordish wisdom, give me a couple of points as to why this small organization is seen as some kind of SOOPER DOUPER OMG! OMG! OMG!!1! threat/bastion of evil by both Sedes and liberals (hardly known to agree on much)? Did they have a Legionaires of Christ type of scandle that I haven’t read about yet or something?

Thanks in advance. I will continue my research.

I’m afraid I don’t know all that much since I’m not a member (I’m not much of a joiner, though I did lose all control and join the American Chesterton Society last summer).

I have several friends who are members and they like it. From what I gather, it’s aimed at helping laypeople sanctify their work in the world in union with Christ. I think the extremophiles hate it because it is too Traditional for the Progressive Dissenters (eww! Spanish Catholic priests who lived before the Council!) and yet not pissed off about Vatican II (which enrages rageaholic Reactionary Dissenters). That, at any rate, is my impression. Most of the people I know who are involved are solid, sensible Catholics who have obviously benefitted from their experience there. One guy I knew seemed to be oddly drawn to the cloak and dagger rep the organization sometimes seems to attract. He would speak in oddly muted and conspiratorial tones about quite ordinary evangelistic initiatives we were mutually involved in–as though we were Subverting the Dominant Paradigm in a Soviet bloc country. But that was just him. Most of the people I’ve known who had anything to do with it seem to me to be people on the way to sainthood. So, though I’m not a member, I’d give it, as an onlooker, two thumbs up. If it fits your spirituality, give it a whack.