www.osservatoriosullalegalita.org/
NEW del 12 maggio 2006
Gran Bretagna e laicità dello Stato: nuovo caso Buttiglione?
di Giulia Alliani
Nel recente rimpasto di governo, Tony Blair ha nominato ministro per le Comunita' e le Amministrazioni Locali, con delega per i Pari Diritti, la cattolica irlandese Ruth Kelly, gia' ministro dell'Istruzione.
Le associazioni per la difesa dei diritti gay sono insorte e criticano il primo Ministro per la leggerezza dimostrata nell'attribuire la delega proprio al dipartimento guidato dalla Kelly, che non e' solo un'ardente cattolica, ma pare appartenga anche all'Opus Dei, ed e' gia' stata definita "Minister for Sin" nel sito "pinknews.co.uk".
Non e' chiaro il pensiero della signora Kelly sugli omosessuali, dal momento che, in occasione di alcune interviste alla BBC, e su Sky, in cui le e' stato chiesto se considerava l'omosessualita' un peccato, pare abbia preferito svicolare. Evidentemente il caso Buttiglione docet: infatti, secondo il Telegraph, prudentemente, 'Miss Kelly said she was "not going to get into these questions"'.
Tuttavia, anche se la signora Kelly resta molto abbottonata sulle sue opinioni, c'e' poco da equivocare su quelle dell'Opus Dei, che certamente considera l'omosessualita' un peccato, e su quelle del Papa, che non e' di sicuro un paladino dei diritti gay. Non si puo' dire che finora, in Parlamento, Ruth Kelly si sia distinta nella difesa dei diritti degli omosessuali: al contrario, e' rimasta spesso assente proprio in occasione delle sedute in cui si discuteva di leggi pertinenti all'argomento. Nessuna meraviglia quindi se il sito gay "pinknews.co.uk" ha gia' pubblicato una decina di articoli che criticano la scelta di Blair.
Pinknews, per chiarire la situazione, ha anche rivolto alcune domande a Jack Valero, portavoce dell'Opus Dei, che ha spiegato: "L'Opus Dei e' un'organizzazione della Chiesa Cattolica per i Cattolici, che intende aiutare le persone a cercare la santita'. Ci sono individui che si sforzano di raggiungere la santita' nella loro vita quotidiana, nel lavoro, in famiglia, e nella vita di tutti i giorni, sotto lo sguardo di Dio. E, come il cattolicesimo, l'Opus Dei non e' molto favorevole all'omosessualita'. Se si e' cattolici non si dovrebbero avere rapporti sessuali al di fuori del matrimonio. Ci sono comportamenti che la Chiesa Cattolica considera sbagliati, e quindi noi lo diciamo. La Chiesa Cattolica direbbe che e' sbagliato che un uomo abbia rapporti sessuali con un altro uomo, ma cio' non significa discriminare l'uomo che dentro di se' prova quell'inclinazione. Non si dovrebbe discriminare nessuno in ragione di chi o che cos'e'. Ci si aspetta che i membri della nostra organizzazione, nella loro vita, si comportino coerentemente al credo cattolico, e siano in grado di elaborare da soli che cosa questo significhi".
Ed e' a questo punto che Pinknews si chiede come fara' la signora Kelly a promuovere l'eguaglianza dei diritti per i gay, mentre cerca, allo stesso tempo, di comportarsi in modo santamente cristiano nella sua vita di ogni giorno, e nel suo lavoro. Il signor Valero dice che sta in lei trovare il giusto equilibrio tra il suo credo e la politica. Finora la signora Kelly l'ha trovato evitando le sedute parlamentari in cui la discussione le avrebbe creato imbarazzo, ma nel suo nuovo ruolo, questo potrebbe risultarle difficile.
E allora aggiunge Valero "se dovesse sorgere un conflitto, probabilmente dira' che non puo' assolvere al suo incarico, mentre, se non lo dira', puo' darsi che invece sia in grado di svolgerlo". Ma Pinknews ci crede poco e sostiene che Ruth Kelly dovrebbe dire chiaramente che cosa pensa, e dimostrare nei fatti che e' in grado di difendere e proteggere la comunita' gay.
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BBC NEWS
24 gennaio 2005
The Dei today
By Stephen Tomkins
Author
Opus Dei, a mysterious arm of the Catholic Church, has come under the spotlight after the new education secretary in the UK government, Ruth Kelly, revealed she receives spiritual guidance from it. The best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code puts the sect at the heart of an international battle for control of the Holy Grail. So what is known about the group?
Society is fascinated by secretive religious organisations because they allow us to imagine the worst about what murky deeds happen behind their barred doors. The abusive activities of some cults have proved worse than anyone feared, but other times the reality is disappointingly banal.
One "cult" in ancient Rome was "widely known" to practice child-sacrifice, cannibalism and incestuous orgies during its initiates-only Love Feasts. That's the cult we know today as the Christian church. There can be smoke without a fire.
So what is the reality behind the rumours about Opus Dei, the Catholic movement that has been awarded its first British parish; that Education Secretary Ruth Kelly says she gets spiritual support from, and that was unflatteringly depicted in The Da Vinci Code?
It has been repeatedly accused of cult-style manipulation, encouraging physical self-harm and having historical links with General Franco's fascist rule in Spain. Critics call it misogynistic, fundamentalist, and opposed to modern society.
Ruth Kelly refuses to say whether she is a member of the group
Opus Dei denies the "cult" tag, saying it is a forward-thinking arm of the Catholic Church which is "flourishing in the modern world". If it were involved in cult-style practices, it says the Catholic Church would suppress it. It also denies any fascist links. It admits, however, that "mistakes" have been made in the past.
ORIGINS
Opus Dei was formed in 1928 in Madrid by the priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. Its name means "the work of God". The fundamental idea was to encourage Catholic lay people to see religion as something that should direct every minute of their lives, rather than being a matter of just turning up for Mass and confession. Members are expected to live holy lives, evangelise people they know, and observe daily religious devotions.
Even the Pope asks for advice about what to read
Opus Dei spokesman Jack Valero
In other words, Opus Dei demands a kind of monastic commitment, except that, in Escriva's words, disciples are "immersed in the blood-stream of society". "It does not take anyone out of his place," he said.
The spirituality of the movement is based on Escriva's book The Way, a collection of 999 meditations to help prayer. He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2002. The organisation is estimated to have between 80,000 and 90,000 members in 80 countries, and a reported 500 in the UK.
Opus Dei teaches that even the minutiae of life should be pleasing to God, from doing one's job well to being cheerful, from right beliefs to good manners. It puts a lot of emphasis on serving God through work. It encourages prayer, Bible-reading and Mass every day. Thus far, it is fairly orthodox Christian teaching.
FRATERNITY TALKS
Members have weekly "fraternity talks" with their superiors, discussing the successes, failures and targets of their spiritual lives - self-denial, "the apostolate" (trying to win others to Opus Dei), and sexual temptations. This is one area that opponents criticise, saying it can be manipulative and invasive, and makes unreasonable demands.
The Vatican - home of the Roman Catholic Church
Certainly "spiritual direction" is not unique to Opus Dei, but critics say there are obvious dangers in a closed environment.
Opus Dei says these fraternal chats work in the same way as any spiritual guidance given in any Catholic organisation. Members are free to pick and choose what to discuss and what advice, if any, to take.
Since 1982, an internal statute has stated that new members must be aged 18 or over.
CENSORSHIP
Another criticism from former members is that they have been forbidden from reading all kinds of books - even many on the reading list at their Catholic University.
Opus Dei says members ask for advice before reading a book, and they are free to reject it.
"Even the Pope asks for advice about what to read, as he explains in his latest book," says Jack Valero, Opus Dei's UK spokesman.
CELIBATE MEMBERS
Some members - "numeraries" - are celibate, and agree to donate whatever earnings they don't need for basics such as food and housing to the organisation. Many who have left report that they had to pay their entire income to Opus Dei.
Reports that numeraries must have their mail vetted by superiors are dismissed by the group, which says this was customary in the past but was stopped some years ago.
Official Opus Dei literature maintains, "In their political, financial or cultural activities, they act with freedom and personal responsibility, not attempting to involve the Church or Opus Dei in their decisions."
SELF HARM
The practice that is most hair-raising for outsiders is "corporal mortification". Numeraries are given a spiked garter to wear round the thigh for two hours a day, and a whip for their own back or bottom. These exercises, explains the Opus Dei constitution, are "for the purpose of chastising the body and reducing it to servitude". Members are also encouraged to take cold showers every day and spend several hours in silence.
Opus Dei claims this is merely an example of Christian "self denial" although critics believe it goes beyond that.
In fairness, much of this alleged domination and self-punishment - though not the subterfuge - have been standard aspects of monasticism for 1,700 years. Whether Opus Dei uses them in a healthy and ethical way, and whether monastic tradition justifies anything anyway, is the source of much of the current controversy about the group.
A Short History of Christianity by Stephen Tomkins will be published by Lion later this year.
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The Times
December 22, 2004
Scientists are alarmed by Ruth Kelly's strict beliefs
By Ruth Gledhill and Tony Halpin
LEADING scientists are concerned that the new Education Secretary’s conservative views on stem-cell research could affect vital science in Britain.
Ruth Kelly is a member of Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic organisation that follows a strict Vatican line on contraception, embryo research, cloning and abortion.
Ms Kelly, who has responsibility for a £1 billion research budget, opposed motions on embryo research in Parliament and is reported to have told Tony Blair that she could never support stem-cell research.
Robin Lovell-Badge, head of developmental genetics at the National Institute of Medical Research, told The Times Higher Education Supplement: “I have just been in the US and have seen how confused the situation is there. If someone as senior as Ruth Kelly is not going to favour stem-cell research we will end up with a similarly schizophrenic system in this country. It is very worrying.”
Nancy Rothwell, a Medical Research Council research professor and vice-president for research at Manchester University, said that it would worry her a great deal if ministers opposed stem-cell research.
“The views of ministers in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) do matter as they are responsible for training the next generation of scientists. You can’t have a higher education policy that is at odds with the Government’s science policy,” she said.
The DfES refused to comment on Ms Kelly’s affiliation with Opus Dei. A spokeswoman said: “I am not going to discuss Ruth Kelly’s faith.”
But sources within the organisation confirmed that she attended meetings of the Roman Catholic organisation Opus Dei at Oxford with her brother Ronan Kelly. Dr Kelly, a hospital doctor currently doing research into herbal medicine in Singapore, is a “supernumerary” in Opus Dei, which makes him one of 500 British members and 84,000 members worldwide.
Unlike the movement portrayed in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, Opus Dei does not have its own monks but members include priests, bishops and at least one cardinal archbishop.
It has been controversial in the past due to its conservatism, secrecy and the practice of “mortification” where some members do penance by wearing a cilice or spiked bracelet around the top of the thigh, or by whipping themselves with a cat o’nine tails.
But the organisation is attempting to become more open about itself and to emphasise the life of holiness that its members attempt to lead.
There are four forms of membership or association. Most British members are supernumeraries, who are married but who make “commitments” to the aims of the organisation, or numeraries, who are celibate. The third form of full membership is as an associate, a person who is celibate but who lives out in the community and not in an Opus Dei centre.
Supporters can also become “co-operators”, individuals who pray regularly for the organisation and endorse its principles but who do not sign up to the commitments. Co-operators need not even be Catholic.
Among their duties, supernumeraries are encouraged to go to Mass daily, read the Gospel and say the Rosary. When Ms Kelly worked for The Guardian, former colleagues claimed, she attended Mass daily. Members also support the organisation financially.
Ms Kelly regularly attends meetings and other Opus Dei events, the organisation’s spokesman Jack Valero confirmed.
A senior Catholic source said: “There is no doubt whatsoever that Ruth Kelly is a fully paid-up member . . . on contraception, abortion, euthanasia and other issues such as stem-cell research, Ruth is very straight down the line.”