Opus by Gareth Gore: Shining a light on the ‘dark money’ behind a shadowy Catholic organisation

Few religious institutions excite the public imagination quite as much as Opus Dei, the deeply secretive, conservative Catholic organisation founded in Spain almost a century ago. Where some thriller writers are concerned, had it not existed, it may have been necessary to invent it.

Members’ names remain unknown, even to one another, unless self-disclosed or listed as officials of Opus Dei. Its practices include self-flagellation and the wearing of a chain cilice on the upper thigh to induce pain (as a reminder of Christ’s suffering).

What’s not to like if you are a writer in search of a villain! Who could blame Dan Brown for making his albino assassin monk Silas of The Da Vinci Code an Opus Dei member? Even if there are no monks in Opus Dei, albino or otherwise.

For its part, Opus Dei presents itself as a predominantly lay organisation, with some clergy, which emphasises the pursuit of personal holiness in lived, day-to-day life. Nothing to see there, then. Maybe not. Then, maybe?