Opus Dei Archbishop to Takeover Los Angeles Area

A strong supporter of Opus Dei just got a promotion:

Cardinal Mahony’s successor is a risky choice

Los Angeles Times – April 6, 2010 by Tim Rutten

The Vatican’s appointment of Archbishop Jose Gomez, a staunch member of the strange and secretive Opus Dei, could bring wrenching changes for area Roman Catholics.

Tuesday’s announcement that the Vatican has appointed Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio as coadjutor and successor to Cardinal Roger M. Mahony is a significant event both for America’s largest Roman Catholic diocese and for California. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten7-2010apr07,0,156407.column?track=rss

This is an interesting choice. While a Latino bishop was expected, one with such ties to Opus Dei was less expected. This may energize many Roman Catholics in the Southland.

Of course, not all consider that Opus Dei is a problem:

Opus Dei seeks to make everyday life holier

Los Angeles Times – April 6, 2010 By Carla Hall

…Members attend daily Mass and set aside prayer time. Not all engage in corporal mortification, and those who do say it’s nothing like in ‘The Da Vinci Code.’

There are no monks. And only 2% of the organization’s nearly 90,000 members worldwide are priests, one of whom was Jose Gomez, the newly named successor as archbishop to Cardinal Roger Mahony. Gomez is the only priest to come up through Opus Dei who has been made a U.S. bishop.Yet, even ignoring the distortions of “The Da Vinci Code,” critics have pointed to the group’s historic connection to right-leaning governments and its secretiveness. Brian Finnerty, spokesman for Opus Dei in the U.S., said the group takes no political positions. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-opus-dei7-2010apr07,0,7321603.story

Despite the claim by Brian Finnerty, the fact that Gomez is a strong supporter of Opus Dei means that he may take political positions different than many will expect.

But I do not believe, like The Da Vinci Code portrays, that Opus Dei is heavily involved with assassinations, etc.

An article of only indirect possible interest may be:

The Da Vinci Code: Some Good, Most Bad Does The Da Vinci Code properly discuss Christianity? What does it have right and what does it have wrong about early Christianity and other gospel accounts?