Book lifts cowl on ‘misogynist’ Opus Dei

A mother of nine has lifted the lid on Opus Dei, the controversial Catholic organisation featured in Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, which portrayed it as a mysterious and cult-like -institution.

Véronique Duborgel re-counts in a new book, Inside the Hell of Opus Dei, the 13 years she spent as a member of the group, which she describes as rigid, insensitive, sectarian and misogynistic.

The 44-year-old kindergarten teacher describes techniques of psychological isolation similar to those sometimes used by sects, and claims that Opus Dei intrudes into the most intimate areas of members’ private lives, encourages them to inform on each other and drains their financial resources. […]

Members were encouraged to look upon each other as “a family”, but Mrs Duborgel said she was forbidden to share intimate confidences with her “sisters” – other female members of Opus Dei. Instead, she had to discuss personal matters with a spiritual director, “someone we had not chosen and whom we were obliged to report to.”

Members were instructed to appear joyful, even when sad or depressed. “It was a form of psychological isolation,” she said, adding that she had survived by concealing the existence of some friends she made through her children’s school. […]

She added that her spiritual director also asked her to spy on other women to find out if they used contraception – labelled a sin by the Catholic Church. She refused, but was denounced by fellow members for crossing her legs at Mass (”disrespectful and immodest”), for wearing trousers (”too provocative”) and for not wearing enough make-up.

On being upbraided because she had not re-dyed her hair, she objected that she had never done so, but was told the unfounded reprimand had been “good for her humility”.

“I realised then that Opus Dei was more about humiliation than humility,” she said.

When Mrs Duborgel confided to two Opus Dei priests that her then husband, a 48-year-old former university professor who now lives in a monastery, beat and insulted her, she was told: “It’s your cross, you must bear it.” […]

Mrs Duborgel was drawn into the organisation by her future husband, who kept his own membership secret until after she joined. She says the secrecy governing Opus Dei is illustrated by a Latin prayer, which members must recite daily on their knees. “I was told to learn it off by heart so if I was surprised by anyone there would be no written trace of the prayer,” she said. […]

The Da Vinci Code vividly portrays the practice of “corporal mortification” by Silas the Albino, the murderous, self-flagellating monk, but Mrs Duborgel said she was encouraged only to take cold showers and forego treats.

“Dan Brown’s novel is not very accurate about the organisation of Opus Dei, but where he got it exactly right is in his portrayal of a group who are prepared to do anything to maintain their power.”

The last straw came at an Opus Dei conference at which a senior member said women were the equals of dogs. “He was not joking,” she said. […]

This is a summary extract from the full article as it appeared on The Telegraph, Nov. 5, 2007
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