Is there some problem with Opus Dei that led Pope Francis to take so many steps to contradict what its founder thought a key to its continued usefulness to the Church?
Ihave many questions about the pope’s latest canonical offensive against Opus Dei. The first of them is what was wrong with the status quo? I would think a man as interested in new ideas and experiment in pastoral work would not feel it necessary to fix what was not broken. Was there some problem with Opus Dei? Something that led him to take so many steps to contradict what its founder thought a key to its continued usefulness to the Church? I really doubt it.
First, the pope did not ordain as bishop the new prelate of Opus Dei in 2016. This was something both St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI had granted to the prelature. It was obviously a sign of things to come.
Secondly, in the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, the prelature was moved in the elaborate pastoral organigram of the Vatican to depend on the Dicastery for Clergy instead of that of the Congregation for Bishops. Then comes the motu proprio issued August 8 of this year which established that the prelate of Opus Dei would definitely not be ordained a bishop. He was allowed, as a consolation prize, “the use of the title of Supernumerary Apostolic Protonotary with the title of Reverend Monsignor and therefore may use the insignia corresponding to this title.” Most people know how highly the pope regards monsignors.