Jack Valero's keys to understanding Opus Dei's controversies

Jack Valero, director of Opus Dei's Communications Office in Great Britain, has participated in the podcast Catholic Unscripted to talk about the situation of Opus Dei. The conversation is based on the book published by Gareth Gore, Opus“ and during the episode they deal with topics such as the influence of the Work in the Vatican, human trafficking and the coercion of minors.

“Opus Dei does not have a program to improve society.”

Regarding the alleged political connections that many attribute to the Work, Jack Valero declares that the objective of Opus Dei is “to improve people”.

Based on the freedom of which St. Josemaría spoke so much, Opus Dei allows its members to have their political opinions and there are no extreme right-wing pressure groups that seek to control governments, as some claim.

“Gareth Gore knows a lot of data, but understands very little.”

The corrections to the book “Opus Dei” published by the Opus Dei Communications Office are not a personal attack on the author, but clarifications to the incorrect information provided.

These errors, Jack Valero explains, are not limited only to biographical data of members of the Work, but the author also did not understand that a person could give himself to God for spiritual reasons, but thought that there must always be some other material motivation.

“The Pope is trying to figure out everything that's going on.”

Gareth Gore's audience with the Pope, in the eyes of Jack Valero, is not a way of endorsing the book “Opus”, but a sign that the Holy Father wants to hear both criticism and favorable opinions of Opus Dei.

“Aspiring members of Opus Dei cannot enter until they are 18 years old.”

Jack Valero also denies Gareth Gore's statement about minors being pursued to join Opus Dei. The director of the Communications Office explains that those who consider that they have a vocation within the Work, if they are minors, should go with their parents to speak with the director of the center.

“We categorically deny that the case of the auxiliary numeraries in Argentina was a case of human trafficking or exploitation.”

Valero also refers to the famous case of the former auxiliary numeraries in Argentina, who claim that they were exploited and that there is human trafficking in Opus Dei centers.

The director of the Work's Communications Office in Great Britain explains that there may have been irregularities in the payments, but that this is in no way equivalent to the crimes of which the Prelature is accused.

“Celibacy, just like starting to have sexual relations, is a decision of one's own.”

Jack Valero also speaks about the prejudices surrounding apostolic celibacy in the Work. He clearly explains that if we accept that adolescents begin to have sexual relations when they are minors, we must also accept the position of those who abstain, since both positions are decisions about their own sexuality.

Praising one perspective and condemning the other does not make much sense, since if there is maturity to begin sexual relations, we must also accept that there is maturity to decide for celibacy.

“Our program is to help people achieve holiness.”

The Work wants to remind everyone that “God cares deeply about each one of us,” says Jack Valero. As Catholics, Opus Dei members want to change the world, not through political agendas, but through the good they do in their ordinary lives.

“We have no power in the Vatican.”

In response to accusations that Opus Dei controls the Vatican, Valero states that this is clearly not the case. “We could not stop Gareth Gore and his visit to the Pope, despite the fact that as an interlocutor he presents a picture that is not complete and is inaccurate,” he declares.

“We also don't want to have any kind of influence on the Vatican,» says the director, “because our goal is to reach out to everyone and tell them that they can achieve happiness and holiness in ordinary life because God loves them and will help them to be good people where they are.”.

“Opus Dei is not interested in the positions of power of its members.”

Again, Jack Valero emphasizes that the fact that there are members of Opus Dei who hold high positions does not imply that this is the objective of the Work. Opus Dei's interest lies only in whether its members “are going to get to Heaven and whether they are going to be good people”.

“Opus Dei has no official position on stay-at-home mothers.”

The podcast's interlocutors mention that there are countries in which many mothers who are part of Opus Dei become housewives. Valero explains that this is not because the Work has an “official position” on the subject, but because in each country there are trends that depend on society, not necessarily on religious perspectives.

In fact, although he cannot give exact numbers, the director of the Communications Office points out that many mothers who are part of Opus Dei have jobs outside the home.

“We members of Opus Dei are free”.”

Valero insists that many of Gareth Gole's statements about Opus Dei stem from his lack of understanding of freedom. Gole is convinced that upon joining the Work one has to adhere to an agenda but, as the Communications Director points out, this agenda does not exist and everyone is free.

“Opus Dei just tells you to follow your conscience, be close to God, pray a lot and try to help a lot of people with your life,” Jack says.

“We are ready to participate in whatever the Pope asks of us.”

Jack Valero affirms that Opus Dei wants to collaborate in everything the Pope asks for in order to clarify the controversies of the Work, as well as in everything related to the new statutes that are still in process.

“We want to serve the Church in the way the Church wants to be served,” he says, quoting St. Josemaría. Opus Dei does not have a project for the Church, but is part of it.