Opus Dei pair go on trial
Two followers of the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei are going on trial in Paris accused of forcing a disciple to work for more than a decade with little or no pay.
Defence lawyers portray it as a case about labour law, and an Opus Dei spokeswoman says that the plaintiff chose of her own will to follow the group.
But the trial is expected to shine a spotlight on the secretive group's practices.
Dan Brown's best-seller The Da Vinci Code painted Opus Dei as a murderous, power-hungry sect, a portrayal that the group vigorously rejected.
Opus Dei's founder, Spanish priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, was made a saint by Pope John Paul II.
Today's trial comes after legal complaints filed by Catherine Tissier, who was 14 when she joined the Donson hotel school in eastern France, where the religious sacraments were led by Opus Dei.
Under the guidance of what she calls a "spiritual director," she gradually chose to follow Opus Dei's spiritual path and began working as a "numerary assistant".
"I was working from seven o'clock in the morning to ten o'clock in the evening every day, seven days a week. The three weeks of holidays we had were spent with Opus Dei where they thought us theology and pursued in-depth studies on the spirit of the (Opus Dei) founder," Ms Tissier said.
She said she never saw the money owed to her.
She was diagnosed with depression. A doctor, whom she said was an Opus Dei follower, put her on medication.
"I wasn't able to eat by myself, I couldn't even wash by myself, my head was hard to keep straight. Regardless of that, I still had the same workload in the Donson school," she said.
At age 29, she weighed just 39 kilos (86 lbs). During a weekend visit to her parents' home, they took her to see their family doctor, who said she shouldn't go back.
She first filed a lawsuit in 2001 accusing Opus Dei of "mental manipulation". Those charged were later dismissed.
Two Opus Dei followers and the association that employed her are going on trial on charges of "clandestine work" and "remuneration contrary to dignity".
"This isn't a crusade against Opus Dei, that's not what's at stake," her lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut said. His client wants compensation.
Thierry Laugier, lawyer for ACUTE, the association that employed Tissier at the hotel, said the case revolves solely around an alleged breach of labour law.
Beatrice de la Coste, spokeswoman for Opus Dei in France, said: "Catherine Tessier was an employee at the hotel school, she was of course in contact with Opus Dei and she chose that spiritual path."
Opus Dei had as of 2005 some 4,000 numerary assistants, all women, whose full-time, paid jobs are to care for the Opus centres, doing laundry, cleaning and cooking for the numeraries and priests who live there.
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Hector De Guara
Sep 24th 2011, 14:04
For all of you who can read Italian, but mostly for all of you who want to see with their eyes, I copy you this interesting link: <http://www.zenit.org/article-28019?l=italian> Please, comment on it.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Sep 22nd 2011, 21:09
Opus Dei is the most controversial force within the Catholic Church. Controversies about Opus Dei have centred around criticisms of its secretiveness, its recruiting methods, the strict rules governing members, its elitism and hatred for females, the right-leaning politics of most of its members, and the participation by some in authoritarian or extreme right-wing governments, especially the Franco Government of Spain until 1978. Within the Catholic Church, Opus Dei is also criticized for seeking independence and more influence
Mr David Borg
Sep 22nd 2011, 18:51
It is clear many of the comments are based on the brainwashing and prejudice the media has created about Opus Dei.
Many of the allegations on Opus Dei have been shown to be false. The Blessed Pope John Paul II has said:
"Opus Dei] has as its aim the sanctification of one’s life, while remaining within the world at one’s place of work and profession: to live the Gospel in the world, while living immersed in the world, but in order to transform it, and to redeem it with one’s personal love for Christ. This is truly a great ideal, which right from the beginning has anticipated the theology of the lay state of the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar period." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei#Controversy
Mr Paul Formosa
Sep 22nd 2011, 21:36
I don't think you are aware that wikipedia is updated by what people read and sometimes does not resemble the true facts.
Stop being close minded when the church does something wrong and accept the fact that these people did actually something very bad and need to prosecuted.
Ramon Casha
Sep 23rd 2011, 06:31
"Opus Dei has as its aim the sanctification of one’s life..."
Oh so THAT'S what they were doing to her!
joseph gaffarena
Sep 22nd 2011, 16:58
OPUS DEI, is a modern mafia
Chantelle Mifsud
Sep 22nd 2011, 22:15
verament joseph
Charles J. Buttigieg
Sep 22nd 2011, 16:54
Opus Dei is the fundamentalist arm of the Vatican. Blessed by some Popes and cursed by others. The society is known to have enormous wealth and upper crust priests, politicians and other high class of the Catholic society as its members. At least two of our PN MPs are active and do not deny their membership with the society.
There's a divided school of thought in the Vatican about Opus dei,some Cardinals refer to it as'The society of secrets'
DR EMMANUEL BEZZINA,MA,MAG.JUR.[EU Law],LL.D.,
Sep 22nd 2011, 15:59
OPUS DEI is equally very active in Malta. Let the people speak out as this masonic attitude is hitting at the core the supreme interests of the people. The power of the People and to the People will not spare the corruption and double standards of these OPUS DEI Organisation and its likes well filtered among us in Malta.
Mr Michael Mercieca
Sep 22nd 2011, 14:01
Get them young... it works most of the time!
Charles J. Buttigieg
Sep 22nd 2011, 13:56
They should all go on trial.
Nathalie Frendo
Sep 22nd 2011, 13:34
Strange how the church acepts slavery. As it were the bible might not speak against it. It seems to be a sin to commit adultery, to steal and kill but not to practice slavery. Strange kind of love some religions have to offer.
John Seguna
Sep 22nd 2011, 14:27
It is not the religions but how Humanity abuses Religions. It had always been like that. Double faced people who trick others for their own walfare. here there is no love. See the case of the Pharisees and Saducees in Jesus' time. Jesus told them clearly that although they obeyed the Law but never helped those in need they will never inherit the Kingdom of God. So do these people. It is not Churches or Religions; but it is HUmanity who abuses the Goodness of These. When reading the Gospels it is clear that every one is to love his neighbour as his own and our love have to resemble that of Our Lord who died for us.
Ms Emma Xerri
Sep 22nd 2011, 23:59
John, what came first the chicken or the egg?
Since it is humanity that invents religion, then it follows that it is humans, under the guise of religion, that abuse other humans, be in with slavery, sexual abuse, intolerance and persecutions.