Opus Dei is an institution of the Catholic Church that, by an alleged divine inspiration, was founded in Spain in 1928 by Catholic priest Josemaría Escrivá. Its stated mission is to help its lay and clerical members to seek Christian perfection in their everyday occupations and within their societies. Opus Dei has long attracted significant controversy regarding its political activities and its alleged cult-like practices. However, a growing number of people, find the spiritual support and philanthropic initiatives intriguing. One example of an article about the theology of the secularity of the lay faithful has been published in 2005 by the eminent canonist Professor Jorge Miras. Another example is a book published in 1972 by Blessed Alvaro del Portillo. Fr Paul Hayward, of London UK and the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, has also published in 2013 a more recent consideration of some of these unfolding matters.
Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás was a Spanish Catholic priest who founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the principle of everyday holiness. He was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, who declared Josemaría should be "counted among the great witnesses of Christianity."
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin praelatus, the past participle of praeferre, which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'prefer'; hence, a prelate is one set over others.
The Orthodox Church of Finland or Finnish Orthodox Church is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
A Personal prelature is a canonical structure of the Catholic Church which comprises clergy and laity under the jurisdiction of a prelate who undertake specific pastoral activities. Along with dioceses and military ordinariates, personal prelatures, were originally under the administration of the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, but since 4 August 2022, personal prelatures have been placed in the Dicastery for the Clergy. Unlike dioceses, which cover territories, personal prelatures—like military ordinariates—minister to persons as regards some objectives regardless of where they live. The first personal prelature is Opus Dei.
Álvaro del Portillo y Diez de Sollano was a Spanish Catholic bishop and engineer who served as the prelate of Opus Dei between 1982 and 1994.
Javier Echevarría Rodríguez was a Spanish Catholic bishop who served as the head of Opus Dei from 1994 until his death. He held doctorates in both civil and canon law.
Opus Dei: A Historical Timeline shows the historical development of Opus Dei.
The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross is an association of Catholic diocesan priests which is integrally united to the Prelature of Opus Dei.
Opus Dei is a personal prelature within the Roman Church that has been the subject of numerous controversies. Throughout its history, Opus Dei has been criticized by many, including by numerary members who knew the founder and had roles in Opus Dei's internal government. The reports by former members in the US, England, Spain, Latin America, France, Germany, and other countries are published. Journalists have described it as "the most controversial force in the Catholic Church" and its founder Josemaría Escrivá as a "polarizing" figure.
The Catholic Church in Finland is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
The Diocese of Helsinki is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church based in Helsinki, which comprises the whole of Finland. The diocese is divided into eight parishes. As of 2018, there are 15,000 registered and 10,000 unregistered Catholics living in Finland. There are more than 6,000 Catholic families in the country; 50 percent are Finnish and 50 percent are of international origin.
Teemu Jyrki Juhani Sippo, S.C.I. is a Finnish retired Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Helsinki from 2009 to 2019. He was the first Finnish-born Catholic bishop since Arvid Kurck (1464–1522).
Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano was an Argentine prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, from 2004 to 2014.
Francisco Javier López Díaz is a Spanish theologian and a priest of the Catholic Church incardinated in the personal prelature of Opus Dei. He currently teaches at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
Joseph Maria Bonnemain is a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the bishop of Chur since 2021.
José Cobo Cano is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been serving as the archbishop of Madrid since his installation on 8 July 2023. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of that archdiocese. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 30 September 2023.
Enrique Sánchez Martínez, is a Mexican clergyman, he is the IV elected Catholic bishop of Mexicali since September 11, 2023.
