In Rome and at the central headquarters of Opus Dei, no one denies it anymore: the new statutes, whose approval by the Holy See is considered imminent, will mean the definitive break from the original structure conceived by Saint Josemaría. The sources consulted within the Curia and the Work itself agree that the text is finalized and that its promulgation is a matter of weeks.
A division into three parts
The new statutes, drafted after the entry into force of the motu proprio Ad charisma tuendum (2022) and adapted to the new wording of the Code of Canon Law, will divide Opus Dei into three distinct juridical realities:
- A clerical prelature, which will group only the numerary priests incardinated in it, in accordance with the new canonical framework.
- The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, reformulated to integrate diocesan priests who wish to associate spiritually with the foundational charism.
- A public association of the faithful, which will bring together the laity—numeraries, associates, supernumeraries, and cooperators—who until now were linked to the prelature.
In practice, this implies that Opus Dei will cease to exist as a single juridical and spiritual unit. The name may continue to be used for convenience, but it will no longer designate a single organic body, but rather three autonomous entities with their own personality and government.
The prelate loses authority over the laity
The most sensitive point of the new text is the one that withdraws from the prelate all authority over the laity. His jurisdiction will be limited to the clergy incardinated in the prelature, which leaves out the bulk of the Work’s members, who will come to depend on a different association. That association will have its own government and statutes, without hierarchical relation to the prelate.
In this way, the system of obedience and spiritual direction that defined Opus for nearly a century is legally deactivated. The prelate will no longer be able to give norms or directives to the laity, nor will he have effective authority over the apostolic activities they carry out. The famous expression of Saint Josemaría—»a unity of spirit and government»—will cease to have real content.
What is said in Rome
In the Vatican, the reform is presented as a necessary adaptation to the current doctrine on personal prelatures and a coherent application of Ad charisma tuendum. But between the lines of the text, another intention is perceived: to reduce the institutional power of Opus Dei and limit its influence in the universal Church, a desire of the Jesuits since the 1960s.
A Roman Curia official, consulted by InfoVaticana, summarizes the dominant view as follows: «It is not about punishing, but about putting things back in proportion. Opus had grown to behave like a Church within the Church. It was inevitable that Rome would set things straight.»
Another observer close to the process expresses it even more directly: «The Pope does not want to abolish the Work, but he does want to prevent it from acting again as a parallel state. The juridical solution that has been found—dividing, distinguishing, and decentralizing—is elegant and definitive.»
Internal bewilderment
Within Opus Dei itself, silence reigns. The official directive is not to comment until the decree is published, but in the Opus houses, concern is palpable. Veteran numeraries—consecrated members—acknowledge privately that the reform «changes the very essence of the institution» and that, although the name persists, Opus Dei as we knew it will disappear.
Some try to console themselves by speaking of a «providential opportunity» and «ecclesial maturity,» but others admit that it is a structural blow: «They have taken away our backbone and now we will have to learn to walk with crutches.»
Foreseeable consequences
The fragmentation will bring effects that are difficult to predict:
- The prelature, reduced to the numerary clergy, will have scant practical relevance and minimal weight in the dioceses.
- The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross will continue to exist, but without the symbolic strength of yesteryear.
- The new association of the faithful will lack hierarchical authority and will depend on the local bishops, thus breaking the historical autonomy of Opus Dei.
Overall, the movement that for decades wanted to be the emblem of the organized and militant laity in the Church will become three disconnected pieces, with the risk of competing with each other or gradually diluting.
The reform of Opus Dei’s statutes, announced as imminent, is not a simple canonical update. It is a deep surgical operation, carried out from within the Holy See, that redefines forever the relationship between the Work and the rest of the Church. The prelate will be reduced to a symbolic role; the laity, emancipated but orphaned; and Rome, satisfied with having closed one of the most tense chapters of the previous pontificate.
Opus Dei, as such, will never again be what it was.