Movie on Opus Dei founder sure to set Catholic tongues wagging

it will be interesting to see how Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco is depicted. Franco was something of a Fascist, but perhaps a "Catholic Fascist." He accepted aid from Hitler and Mussollini to gain power in Spain, and did respond with some aid to Germany during World War II, however, Franco was savvy enough to avoid becoming Hitler's vassal and kept Hitler at arms length. When the Nazis started to lose the war, Franco got friendly with the United States and managed to stay in power for almost 40 years. Say what you will about him, he kept Spain out of World War II and thus spared his people much pain and suffering.

I am looking forward to viewing "There will be Dragons" to see if Joffe includes an anti-religious theme as he did in "The Mission." Allen, like most viewers and most Jesuits, saw the movie as praising the Jesuits. True, the Jesuits were portrayed as the victims of Roman and commercial intrigue. But when the mission is attacked, one Jesuit trains the natives to fight back and the other leads them in a peaceful procession with the Blessed Sacrament. (Liberation theology vs. pacifism?) Both fail. Both lead the Indians to slaughter. In the most revealing scene at the end of the movie, as the Indians are fleeing into the jungle they leave behind a cross and take with them musical instruments. Art, not religion, provides salvation. If Joffe could fool the Jesuits, will he also fool Opus Dei?

Did you think it was a good movie?

“Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it. Our ordinary everyday life, devoid of human glamour, can be a path to holiness.” St. Josemaria Escriva

Opus Dei is an elitist membership organization. That is why it stays small, secretive and rich. We have these in different spheres of civilization and cultures. It is sad that the church, too, welcomes these types of groups.

Great Movie-had a chance to see it and I was thoroughly impressed at how well produced it was. The war scenes and the love affair are portrayed realistically- I appreciate movies as art and compared with most that hit the movie scene today- this one is well done.

+JMJ

I was caught by your last comment, "It's ironic- and perhaps... revealing- that it has taken a "wobbly agnostic", rather than a Catholic, to make movies with something positive to say about both." I am taking courses toward my masters in Bibilical Theology at the Augustine Institute. Recently we discussed just that point from GK Chesterton's, The EVERLASTING MAN. GK's point is that the person who is removed from Faith, has the objective perspective that allows them to appreciate the positive and beautiful elements of the Catholic Church.
I enjoyed "THe Mission" and will make "There Be Dragons" a must see, thanks to your article.

"...it has taken a “wobbly agnostic,” rather than a Catholic, to make movies with something positive to say about both"--fresh eyes see best.
The rest of us see through our perspective. That makes it so difficult to see the admizture of light and dark that most people and groups contain....

Given what you've told me about the creators of this propaganda piece, I couldn't "be dragoned" into a theater to endure this film, especially now that I know where the profits, if any, will be stashed away.

36 million by opus Dei investors. I guess you can serve God and mammon. Except for Francis of Assissi and a few others, the canonization of saints is a very bad idea as some rogues got in there who were put in by rogues. Opus Dei is well heeled and anti-gospel. But money can sell and buy anybody or anything.

A 36 million dollar Opus Dei propaganda film! Clearly Opus Dei's pockets are even deeper than we thought. Who out there remembers the Rev. Moon's movie Inchon?

"Money came from Opus Dei investors"

"The movie cost $36 million to make, and a good chunk of that money came from Opus Dei investors."

So what is John Allen talking about in the rest of the article? There will be nothing interesting to see in the movie. Op-Us DAY likes publicity, any Publicity. They helped fund The Da Vinci Code in Italy. There will be nothing but fawning here in this movie. It will be a veiled, but preachy video for self promotion of Op-Us Day not the Gospel. Self-serving, boring, disingenuous.

John Allen's book was published DoubleDay, which is in business with "OPerationUS Day".

Since part of the Spanish Civil War was triggered by the "Loyalists" deciding to massacre hundreds of Catholic priests, brothers and seminarians, it will be interesting to see how those survivors who formed the early part of Opus Dei portray that history.
TeaPot562

Why not just make a movie about Hitler?

As an admirer of the aims of Opus Dei I cannot wait to see this movie. I attend evenings of recollection and receive talks from priests who clearly make an effort to prepare their material and are well versed in the tenets of the catholic church. I cannot understand the derogatory comments I hear from other catholics alleging that Opus Dei is filled with right wing extremists ;a bit like being a member of the SS or KKK. It's nothing like that and besides I am just too stroppy to put up with that kind of business. I want my church to lead me towards God on a daily basis and be well informed about catholic doctrine ,the Pope is the rock and what he says goes. I feel betrayed by those clergy who haven't got the balls to tell it like Christ did and who don't give proper guidance to the flock! Life as a catholic was never going to be easy but we now have a hierarchy which thinks that it would be too much for catholics to have to attend Sunday and then be required to go again on the following Monday as happened last (2010) year on All Saints Day which fell on a Monday. What these guys don't seem to understand is that the Catholic church thrives on adversity. Look at Catholicism in Poland and Eastern Europe which played a major role in destruction of Communism and will lead in the same way in the far East where the communists in China,Vietnam etc are trying their hardest to keep the church under the party jackboot. We simply need to pray hard for the catholic 'heroes' who are beavering away in the service of the church unlike the wimps in the west who bleat all the time about the "spirit of Vatican II " but lack clear leadership and sure direction. Viva OPUS DEI !

I have seen the film twice.
I learned more about the Spanish Civil War than Escriva. Yes, it is positive but actually it doesn't say very much about Opus Dei. You will not have a clear idea about the man at all except that he seems much more sweet and interested in the world than his writings project. Love the cinematography though.

I will watch this movie with interest as I have a dear and perfectly normal doctor friend who is very active in that orgnaization. I am a newly baptized Catholic and was one of those " wobbly" agnostics for most of my life. Don't discount them. They do think about religious matters a lot, sometimes more so than the routinely religious!

Peace,

Sabine

I'll probably have a long wait before the movie gets to Japan, but I certainly want to see it. I have a Professor "friend" who is a devout member of Opus Dei. I see him most Sundays at Mass. But we disagree about just about everything in the realm of theology, clergy sex abuse, the absolute monarchy that the papacy has so long been, etc, etc. As a former Benedictine who spent two months at Monserrat where the Jesuits may be said to have been born and where Franco was roundly hated by all, I can't wait to see this film.

I'm a member of Opus Dei, and I'm not elitist, secretive, or rich. Josemaria, a rogue? Really, do you have any idea what that man endured, or how he lived his life? In the end, God will be the judge of these things, but my guess is that he is much more like Francis of Assisi than anyone here. And, so what if a part of the money for the film came from Opus Dei members? Most of it's members are laymen, with jobs. They make money, and are pretty generous about contributing it to all sorts of causes.

One thing the writer of this article suggests seems true: Most people have already made up their minds regarding St. Josemaria, Opus Dei, and this film. I'll wait to see the film before I make any judgements, assuming I see it at all.

I agree with Bill. Millions can buy anything, including the rogue canonization of some. Mother Angelica (the millionaire nun with a vow of poverty, living in a mansion lined with gold, alabaster, and marble) will be right up there, too. After all, she founded EWTN, right? (In violation of the rules of enclosure... but what's a little thing like a vow of obedience?)
Opus Dei, Regnum Christi. Six of one...

It would be very helpful to have John Allen's actual take on the film's rendering of the Escriva character which emerges from Joffe's film. (Or...is it Joffe's?) The fact that OD's fingerprints (and dollar signs) are all over this movie "prejudices" the piece from the get-go. The real story is about how this film got made and who will distribute it. I can hardly wait to see the marketing - another $36 mil I would bet. It's fair for a film to be made that shows its main character in a sympathetic light - unless the character's family and fan club paid for it. then American audiences begin to wince.

More important than whether it gets Catholic tongues wagging, is whether it gets everyone else's. That will determine whether the movie is a success. Looking forward to it.

I am currently a student at the university of navarra in Pamplona, Spain. A university founded by Saint Josemaria and well affiliated with Opus Dei. I have been around Opus Dei for several years where I have learned so much about my faith, religion, and God. I simply cannot understand where these horrible comments about Opus Dei come from. If you would take the time instead of being ignorant and actually try and see what Opus Dei is doing and its purpose in the world you would understand how truly wrong you are. Sanctifying everyday life and the fact that any person in any situation can be a saint is really the main message of Opus Dei.

If your wondering where all the money came from you have to understand that Opus Dei is an organization of lay people. Every member of Opus Dei is a working person, they have jobs in the world exactly like every other person. It is not like some kind of religious order that hordes money or something. There are a lot of different kinds of people that are members of Opus Dei and members obviously range from people that are well off, generous, and make a lot of money to others that are not as fortunate.

It is extremely agitating reading these comments and hearing people talk badly about Opus Dei because they honestly do not know what they are saying and the spite and anger against Opus Dei is because of this ignorance and the society we live in today.

Just a minor point but I remember very vivdly that in "The Mission" as the natives are fleeing into the jungle they retrieve the monstrance, with the Blessed Sacrament and musical instruments. This has always struck me, reminding me of the Catholics in Japan, who maintianed the faith, hidden, without the support of the priesthood for over 200 years. That puts a diffent "spin" on what Joffe, the wobbly aganostic, had to say about the Church. I've always felt he showed her in all her glory, warts included!

quoting James Hughes "... the Pope is the rock ..."

Please re-think what you are saying, James. Please read or better yet, PRAY THE PSLAMS -- and call upon God as your / our ROCK. In Catholic teaching, JESUS CHRIST is the ROCK. Please do not confuse the pope - any pope - with JESUS CHRIST or with the Psalmist's God. That is IDOLATRY.

Popes are leaders. Some are just better - more honest, more authentic, more capable - than others. They are supposed leaders; nothing more, nothing less.

Whoever has made them into 'more,' is guilty of idolatry. "I am the LORD, Your God; you shall not have strange gods before me."

Should "wobbly" be capitalized, as in IWW?

I've read that Joffe rejected the first version of the script as "too pious" and he asked producers for a more detached approach so that the screenplay was totally rewritten after his draft. In that second version, the movie is not about Opus Dei and Saint JoseMaria is not even the main character. I know people in Opus Dei and not all of them are happy with Joffe's take. They'd rather had a documentary, but... It's his and its producers movie.

By the way there are Wall Street millionaire people in Opus Dei and poor natives from Guatemala rain forest villages. If some of the first ones and their friends decide to invest in a movie or in buying an appliances manufacturer... It's their money, not Opus Dei's. They take the risks and the profits.

Some very strange waftings of cynicism blowing through here: because 36 million of "Opus Dei money" was spent (does that mean money spent by individuals, or by foundations?), we are to conclude that this movie=agit-prop for OD? What about all the other movies Hollywood makes, where other people with very prominent political/moral beliefs pony up tens of millions of dollars? Does each of those=agit-prop for those rich folks and all their myriad, murky corporate entities? I think we have to be darkly cynical to connect those dots without even seeing the movie.

Perhaps you'll say, though, that there is reason to be cynical about OD? I dunno, I'd say that, relative to the rampant corporatism and culture-of-deathism promoted by wealthy H-wood types who fund most films, OD's political and moral commitments seem pretty tame. That's certainly the conclusion one draws from reading Allen's book on OD. But perhaps your conspiracy theories have expanded to include Allen as well? All this is getting a bit rich for my taste...

There are enough dragons in the air without bringing the Opus Dei into it.
If there is no wrong why strike them.
At least they hold family values not to be excluded for expediency.
I know of a case where one came to the aid of a mother who was being led up the garden path by a religious order, who was exploiting one of their friars who was raking in the money as a 'healing priest' and a Medjugorje promoter.
Treated as an imbecile in his later day's.

I've watched the film. You will be touched, given that you set aside your prejudices

This film is neither focused on nor about Josemaria Escriva or Opus Dei. Josemaria is an important back ground character in the film story but the story is not some biography. The film theme is forgiveness. From what I gather there is the mixture of faith, a love triangle, and redemption.

I do not believe Jaffe was interested in doing a film explicity about Josemaria or Opus Dei. This notion is silly. I am sure Josemaria comes out positive in the film; that is almost a given and seems to be the reason people have already judged the film and its content before they see it.

At any rate the word out is that the film is very good and entertaining.

I have already seen the movie twice-once last July and more recently in January, and I thought in January that it had become quite a nice film by that point, as it had undergone some significant changes.

I didn't realize that a canonized saint was a controversial figure in the Church. That tells me much more about those who find him controversial than it does about him.

If someone knows anything about the financing of Opus Dei institutions, they would know that each one of them finances itself independently. They don't get any money from the Prelature, but live off the income of the numeraries (celibate members who live in a community) who live there, donations from supernumeraries (non-celibate members), associates (celibate members who live in their own homes), cooperators (non-members who support Opus Dei) and benefactors and grants from public funds.

As others above have pointed out, all Opus Dei members have jobs and their own incomes. If someone is a movie producer, they would raise the money for this movie in the same way as they do for any other movie. The money doesn't come "from Opus Dei" (how could it?).

Btw, 36 million is actually rather low budget for a major Hollywood production these days... (The Social Network cost 40 million!)

@Linda:
"In Catholic teaching, JESUS CHRIST is the ROCK."
Ever heard about Matthew 16,18???

Christ knew that we need leaders we can trust in - not in the person, but in the office. That's what the Papacy is all about.

I recently Googled an interesting article titled "My Life In Opus Dei: why I joined & why I left." It is the story of a priest who had been a member of Opus Dei for thirty-five years. He wrote the article with great sadness in his heart as he had met "truly wonderful, generous, intelligent men and women" in Opus Dei who are still his friends. He was asked to leave after many years of questioning why OD could not accept liturgical change from the use of the vernacular to Communion in the hand,etc.; why the obsession with prescribing human behavior. His final sentence: "Indeed, my critique was never of the people in Opus Dei; it was and still is of an obsessive institution that has lost its way."

We have an Opus Dei priest as pastor of our parish in Downers Grove, Il. (He was previously mentioned in Mr. Allen's book when he was an associate in Naperville). He comes across as very kindly and spiritual. Unfortunately, he has another side to him. Recently, he decided to fire the musical leader of our 5:00 p.m. Mass, a man who had given his time and talents for 26 years. Apparently, OD doesn't care for guitar and string music. Shortly afterward, he eliminated the position of the last nun on staff at St. Joe's. This is a woman who has dedicated probably fifty years of her life to teaching children and counseling their parents. In the last few years she acted as a spiritual advisor, a comforter, a mentor, and a myriad of other jobs to children, parents, teachers, and all who were in need. Sister is a mainstream Catholic, believing the teachings of the Gospel and the spirit of the law as Jesus saw it, should dictate our actions. Many teachers now feel intimidated wondering if they will feel the ax; will Fr. J attempt to bring in Opus Dei teachers? Our parish and diocese are feeling the long arm of Opus Dei. The Bishop of the Joliet diocese assigned the only seminarian to be ordained this year to be mentored under Fr. J. Two Polish seminarians who expressed a desire to join the Joiliet diocese are being mentored by our Opus Dei pastor. There are now six men living in the rectory! Our Lenten Missions have been given by Opus Dei priest friends of the pastor. Parents of First Communicants were told, "Our parish is encouraging the chidren to receive Communion in the mouth" even though the Diocese magazine, Hope, (September 2010), states that St. Cyril of Jerusalem says that the hand is to be used "as a throne upon which the King sits". I've been told, another friend of the Bishop is saying the overflow Mass in another suburb with his back to the congregation. Does Bishop Siegel also belong to Opus Dei?

I think it's time John Allen did a follow up to his book. How many parishes and dioceses are being taken over by Opus Dei? In the meantime, I intend to see the movie.

A Concerned Catholic who has gone to daily Mass most of her 72 years!

right or wrong....true of false?...I generally use my real name, but since
I have an Opus Dei Bishop I do not. He was involved in the past with a diocese
that excomunicated many hard working, devoted to the poor. Years
ago when I was studying in Rome( during the time of the Escriva cause for sainthood), my husband and I were visiting a canon lawyer friend. As we left
the offices and entered the elevator, a Dominican priest entered behind us. He
greeted us as "you must be Americans?"...Yes. He then went on, "you must know
who I am, you must have seen me on TV all over Europe, in the U.S. etc...."
He then added, "I am the one leading the process for sainthood for Escriva."
Just then, my husband kicked my leg(be quiet)...we smiled and left the
elevator. The question I wanted to ask the Dominican was "why did you refuse
to let Escriva's secretary of 6 or 7 yrs testify?" "Why was she ,whispered
around by some priests (and I heard the talk),labeled as mentally unstable, etc." Gee, if she worked for Escriva for yrs why did he keep her? So, was she
shut up? Paid off not to testify? Ah, the power of money? Did she just vanish?
None of the priests that I asked could answer? Some just smiled and rolled
their eyes. I do not judge Escriva. Thank Mystery I will be judged by my
Creator. I question some who hide the truth, who discount women's experiences
and think they can "power" roll with $$$ behind them. St. Escriva, I pray for
honesty in my Bishops and they be like our Lord, compassionate, not beating
the faithful catholic's who might have special graces to add to the Body of
Christ. Bishops are not all powerful, even if they are Opus Dei. I also
wonder if this film is a cover up front, to turn our attention away from another founder, the Legionaire founder. Why this film now? Lots of $$$
that could be used for the poor and forgotten so many catholic take care of each day? Blessings on you catholics who go quietly with our Lord to
help others.

Thanks for the article, Mr Allen!

It's funny how people force themselves to think Opus Dei is elitist, when Opus Dei's message -- that everyone can and should become saints through their ordinary work -- is directed to everyone.

The film, in fact, is a new viewpoint of the Spanish Civil War. Nowadays, immersed in the historical review of events, this brings something innovative.

I enjoyed the movie, though I had expected larger presence about Opus Dei in the film. From my point of view, the psichology of the characters is particularly interesting.

I want to focus on the elite and rich which seem to be plaguing Opus Dei. First, I feel I must remind that being of a higher social standing doesn't mean you cannot be saved. As a matter of fact, it is most probable that those with higher social standing will be in need of more spiritual guidance as they are exposed to various temptations.

We are all flawed and with sin. No one enters the Church as a saint. We all strive to be one through our own efforts--elite or not.

Second, I feel that the misconception of the spirit of poverty that the Church teaches has a second meaning to a lot of people which is to be close to dirt poor or living of bare essentials. From my understanding, poverty means to be detached from worldly items. One can be rich and still be part of the Church.

I hope this helps aid us all in better understanding the Church, its members and Opus Dei. =)

I have attached my email in case anyone would wish to engage in further friendly discussion.