Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church

with author Gareth Gore

Opus Dei has been known as a ‘personal prelature’ within the structure of the Catholic Church and the Vatican. Though independently operating, with its own leadership and governance, it is also directly subject to the authority of the Pope. Pope Francis, in fact, has changed the oversight of Opus Dei. According to the Catholic News Agency, this August 2024, the Pope changed canon law on Opus Dei and any personal prelature. It is no secret that Opus Dei does not like many of the Pope’s policies to reform corruption and move the Church to the 21^st century. Change is taking place, and I believe the material described factually in this book has played a significant role in bringing light to the harmful practices of this very powerful organization. 

Cults follow patterns in recruiting methods, who they attempt to bring in, and how members are indoctrinated using Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional controls (BITE Model of Authoritarian Control). They also tend to obfuscate finances through front groups with benign messaging that commonly hide more nefarious business practices lurking beneath. Opus Dei, the conservative arm inside the Catholic Church, has been accused of that and more by both dedicated members within the church and outsiders alike.  

Gareth Gore, journalist, and editor, helped viewers unpack the financial side and more in the shadowy topic known as Opus Dei on this episode of the Influence Continuum. He has over two decades of experience writing and has been published in Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and International Financing Review. He is also the host of The Syndicate, which tells behind-the-scenes stories of the biggest financial deals in history. His new book is published by Simon & Schuster and is titled Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.