Saturday, February 17, 2007
OPUS ANGELORUM AND THE PROBLEMS ON THE RIGHT
Richard Salbato, of Unity Publishing, has a new article about O.A. up at the Unity website. It's not encouraging. It reflects my own personal fears after investigating what material was available on the web about O.A. Since last fall an O.A. retreat was the cause of my leaving my parish, I have a personal stake in this. Here's a sample From the website:
- Attracted to the various retreats and days of recollection sponsored by the Opus Angelorum, the unsuspecting faithful are led more and more deeply into a spirituality which is quasi-Masonic in its degree-based structure--from the promise to the guardian angel at the lower end to the angelic consecration in the middle to the consecration of atonement at the upper level. The goal is to become an "alter angelus." Consecration requires a “spiritual marriage” with an angel that a name is assigned to probably from the list of names given to Bitterlich in her two months of revelations. No real need to quote some of these revelations as Rome investigated them and ruled on them. But consider that some of the nuns of Opus Angelorum advise people not to eat or even put garlic and onions together because garlic angels and onion angels fight with each other.
- The fast growth of Opus Angelorum over 20 years is due to great devotion to Adoration, very reverent priests at Mass, good Confessors, and both priests and nuns dress according to the old laws before Vatican II. The outward signs are good, just like Pius X Society, but the disobedience and secret rituals are the problems. It is hard for me to come to these conclusions since Father Wagner, retreat master out of Rome, is a personal friend of mine and a loving priest. But the facts are the facts. And although Father Wagner does not mention Bitterlich in his talks, I wonder what he does after he gets new members in the secret rituals and hidden teachings.
The number of families in the Parents' Association for Opus Angelorum Victims has risen to over 30. And although Rome issued a decree concerning the Opus Angelorum in June 1992, but the problems have not yet been solved, inasmuch as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith did not ban Opus Angelorum as the organization’s opponents had hoped. It only banned the writing and promotion of Bitterlich’s messages and its use in the order. This has not been obeyed at all as you will see below.
- One of the reasons I believe her apparitions are demonic is their similarity to Satanic Angels in other esoteric and accult literature. By making use of the occult practice of "mystical marriage with the angels" - an idea, by the way, which is traceable to the Jewish Gnostic Kabbala - Opus Angelorum was involved in a pertinacious way in violating the consciences of its members.
- In violation of the tradition of the Catholic Church all houses of priests and nuns are one and the same buildings. The nuns are the housekeepers and cooks of the priests, and their contact is too close, leaving many of the parents of members to imply that sexual activity is common. In violation of Catholic tradition final vows of the nuns (consecration) is secret and even the parents are not invited.
I have been in contact with Prof. Ingeborg Blumel who researched and wrote the articles on O.A. for "Culture Wars". She told me that the organization has split as a result of the decrees from Rome, some priests being willing to abide by the decrees and others refusing. Since she has lost touch with them, she was not able to tell me what name those who are still using the writings of the seer Bitterlich are known by. In any case, Opus Angelorum still uses the name and history of Gabriele Bitterlich openly on their website as of yesterday, and they are still secretive as my recent post on their retreats indicated.
Knowing what I do of the occult, and after reading what Richard Salbato has written, I would approach this organization with extreme caution.
