
The Secrets of Opus Dei: Faith, Power and Manipulation
For nearly a century, Opus Dei has drawn both devotion and suspicion inside the Roman Catholic Church. Founded by Josemaria Escriva in Spain in 1928, the organization built a reputation as a secretive network of lay members and priests wielding influence far beyond ordinary parish life, from corporate boardrooms to the Vatican itself. The film gathers former members, journalists, and religious scholars to examine practices that have fueled decades of controversy, including corporal mortification, strict recruitment of young adults, and the financial and political reach of an institution that answers directly to the Pope. Interviews trace how Opus Dei's public image, reinforced by its own media operations, has clashed with accounts from people who left the group describing pressure and control. Archival footage and location shots move between Rome and Spain as the film weighs the organization's stated mission of sanctifying everyday work against allegations that it operates more like a closed, hierarchical power structure than a lay Catholic association.