Opus Dei vs. Jesuits: An Outsider's Take on the Battle for Catholicism's Soul

In this insightful conversation, Simone and the host dive deep into the misunderstood world of Opus Dei, breaking down the myths and misconceptions popularized by media, such as “The Da Vinci Code.” They discuss the origins, beliefs, and practices of Opus Dei, contrasting them with those of the Jesuits. The conversation reveals Opus Dei's focus on personal sanctity through daily work and responsibilities, and its appeal to lay Catholics. In stark contrast, the Jesuits' history of social justice, intellectual pursuits, and perceived left-leaning tendencies are examined. The discussion also touches on the dramatic historical power struggles within the Catholic Church, highlighting moments when Jesuits' influence rivaled that of the Pope. Moreover, how these factions may reflect broader societal dynamics between progressives and conservatives is analyzed. The episode concludes with musings on the future of these groups and a humorous personal exchange about family life.

Malcolm Collins: [00:00:00] Hello Simone. I'm excited to be talking to you today. Today we are gonna be talking about the Opus Day. You know, the villain from the Da Vinci Code. That is the exposure

Simone Collins: like 99% of people have,

Malcolm Collins: and most people know that they, they, they practice mortification or some of them do, where they like hurt themselves or like where like chains that cut into them when they wa even like famous ones.

There's like a famous female author who's Opus Day who wears like a chain. And you may think that these guys are. Crazy. But what you will learn as we go into the opus day is they might be the only sane Catholics there are. You, they are definitely in the Catholic, and we'll see how much we have an opportunity to get in the Opus Day verse Jesuit mindset.

They are definitely the good guy side. And the Jesuits are definitely the bad guy side.

Simone Collins: You go so hard on Catholics. .

Malcolm Collins: And I think you, Simone, specifically, are gonna love the Opus Day as you learn more about them. Yeah. Even more than you think you do right now.

Simone Collins: Really?

Malcolm Collins: So the Opus Day was established in 1928, so very, [00:01:00] very young. Wow.

Simone Collins: I would've guessed like. Late 16 hundreds early S hundred. That's crazy.

Malcolm Collins: Yeah. When Saint Joseph Maria Escoria, I, I'm gonna pronounce that wrong, we'll just call him Escoria had a spiritual insight that ordinary Christians could become saints by living their face fully in their daily routines. Wow. Especially through their work. He envisioned a past to holiness that didn't require withdrawing from the world into a monastery or covet.

Convent, but instead embrace secular life as a means of sanctification. The vision was formerly recognized by the Catholic Church in 1982 when Pope John Paul II designated Opus Day as a personal re giving its special status to carry out its mission globally, so it didn't become like official until 1982.

Wow.

Simone Collins: Sounds a little bit like Maana Buddhism or. This premise is you don't have to become like a [00:02:00] reclusive monk in order to make religious progress. It's interesting.

Malcolm Collins: Yeah, but I, I actually view it quite different. I'd actually say it's very similar to techno puritanism as techno puritanism relates to work, which is the idea that you should treat your work and your duty in life with religious fervor that you should be as dedicated.

To your job. If your job and you, and you should have a job that attempts to improve the world by your philosophical framework and you should treat that. With the extremeness and with the fervor that a monk or hermit who has shut themselves off from society oh, treats their own seclusion.

Simone Collins: Ah. So, whereas Maha Buddhism kind of allows for normalism, it's like, no, no, no.

In everyday life you can do it, but also you're gonna be a completely weirdo. By the way No, no, no, no. This is, this is

Malcolm Collins: like, you need to be max about your job. Okay. You need to be max about the most intense, an open state belief. You have a, a duty to be happy to other [00:03:00] people so that you don't bring other people down, you know?

I love that. To, to, and we, we do this too, that you have responsibility for your mood. You have a responsibility for how you affect other people. Yeah. And all of this responsibility is an intent, religious responsibility. Hmm. Hmm. So sanctification of work members are encouraged to perform their daily tasks, whether professional, domestic or otherwise, with excellence as a way to serve God and others.

So like you are supposed to be a mother as extremely as like a a hundred percent. 107% as like somebody would be a a in a monastery or something like that. Ah, and you're not supposed to be very different from other Catholic factions. You as a mother, if you're doing it a hundred percent, are not less than the none in the covenant,

Simone Collins: right?

Because, or a convent. You're making the same amount of sacrifices and engaging in the same amount of discipline. I like that, like basically apply the religious fervor and discipline that you would see in a convent. [00:04:00] Or in monastery to your everyday life, and why shouldn't you? That's so much better.

Malcolm Collins: Yeah. Prayer and spiritual direction. A structured spiritual life known as a plan of life includes practices like mass at the rosary, mental prayer and spiritual reading. Spiritual direction from a priest or trained layperson helps members grow in their faith. So basically you're supposed to sit down with somebody and plan out your life very much like we would suggest we something as in our tradition.

Wow. . Okay. How are they different from other Catholics? Opus Day members are fully Catholic and do not differ from other Catholics in terms of, well, as of what,

Simone Collins: 1984.

Malcolm Collins: Oh, no, no. This is modern. However, approach to living out their faith sets them apart.

They have an emphasis on the laity. While many Catholic groups focus on religious life EG monks and nuns, obu de prioritizes the lay people sanctifying the world from within. So, while other religious orders within Catholicism are like, go the most extreme, separate yourself from the world, everything like [00:05:00] that, even the monks and nuns of the opus day.

Or supposed to focus on the lay person and it's service to helping lay people be at their like same level of holiness and, and saintliness. That's the goal of these individuals not to have some sort of a separate life integration with daily life. Their spirituality is deeply rooted in ordinary activities, contrasted with traditions that might emphasize monastic retreat or extraordinary penance.

Devotion to church teaching. They have a particular devotion to the Pope and the magisterium, the church's teaching authority, which. Which reinforces their unity was the broader Catholic community. They believe they have to have a daily massing communion. So they have to go to mass as frequently as possible.

Preferably daily. Wow. That's a lot. If you have a job rosary and mental prayer, reciting the rosary and spending time in personal prayer each day. So they're really focused on like their routines and it's a lot what people's Yeah. Look [00:06:00] weird. Spiritual reading, confession, regular reading a scripture or spiritual books and frequent confession.

But anyway, when I say look weird, you would know that to us this is