By the grace of God, shortly after arriving in Rome, I had the privilege of beginning to collaborate with Saint Josemaría in his mission as General President of Opus Dei. I had the opportunity to closely witness work meetings, decision-making processes, interactions with those responsible for governance in the various countries where Opus Dei was just beginning its apostolic work, as well as other tasks directly related to his leadership. Everything I write in these lines is something I personally saw come to fruition between 1957 and 1975—years in which Opus Dei’s work became firmly established across all continents.
Conscious of being the Founder and head of a Work of God, he organized the governing structure on the global, regional, and local levels to ensure fidelity to the spirit he sought to impart to future generations: the universal call to holiness for every man and woman, lived with the awareness of being children of God in Christ; and the sanctification of work, a task carried out every day.
Concretely, these were the central points of his vision for the governance of Opus Dei: (1) that it always be an act of service: service to all souls, service to the Church; (2) that it be collegial, never the work of a single individual; (3) that it respect the freedom of all; (4) and that it be carried out with a deep supernatural sense.
He clearly outlined these principles in the interview recorded in Conversations with Monsignor Escrivá (no. 35a):
“The General Council is independent for each section — the men's and the women's — and resides in Rome. A corresponding organisation exists in each country, presided over by the Counsellor of Opus Dei in that nation. But do not imagine a powerful organisation, spread out like a vast network to the farthest corners of the world. Rather, imagine an 'unorganised organisation' in which the principal work of the Directors is to see to it that all the members receive the genuine spirit of the Gospels (a spirit of charity, of harmony, of understanding, all of which are absolutely foreign to extremism) by means of a solid and appropriate theological and apostolic formation. Beyond this, each member acts with complete personal freedom. He forms his conscience autonomously. And he tries to seek Christian perfection and to Christianise his environment, by sanctifying his own work, whether it be intellectual or manual, in all the circumstances of his life and in his own home.”
He went on: “Furthermore, direction in the Work is always collegial. We detest tyranny, especially in the exclusively spiritual government of Opus Dei. We love pluralism. The contrary would lead to ineffectiveness, to neither getting things done nor letting other people do them, to never improving.”
He wrote to his children that governance in the Work, at all levels, must always be collegial. “The Servant of God always consulted those who had the duty and the right to give their opinion on a matter. On more than one occasion, he returned files that, by mistake, we had sent to his office with only two Directors’ signatures, rather than the three required, telling us not to put before him the temptation of being a tyrant” (Articles of the Postulator, Rome, 1979, 693).
And he emphasized that “there is no room for tyrants in Opus Dei, and the tyrannical attitude comes from a heart filled with self. Therefore, curb within your heart any tendency toward untempered and excessive command. Examine how you exercise your duty to serve, and ensure that you do not introduce into your spirit the inconsiderate desire to treat matters of governance or formation as if you were their owner” (Articles of the Postulator, 692).
In particular, speaking to those in senior positions in the collegial government, he indicated that they should be the last to speak in matters of government, to avoid pressuring or limiting others’ freedom.
He was always very gentle when giving directions. And when teaching us to give directions, if the occasion arose and it was our responsibility, he said: “In the Work, the only way your brothers will obey is by kindness. We will achieve nothing by force” (Articles of the Postulator, 693).
He asked for things kindly; he would apologize if he had to remind us about something we had delayed handing over. If he had to ask for several things in a row, he would apologize. On January 31, 1969, he gave me a task and asked if I could carry it out. I told him I would be happy to do it: “I ask you,” he remarked, “because out of obedience, I have to be able to rely on you.”
The service of government can only be carried out with genuine supernatural vision, by considering matters with a clear understanding of the concrete situation, the difficulties of the environment, and the people involved: “Governing is, first and foremost, about using the supernatural means; but in addition to that, governing also involves using all human means, supernaturalized” (Articles of the Postulator, 691).
He established, as a guiding principle for the governance of Opus Dei, that the General Council should limit itself to directing the fundamental lines of the Work’s apostolate worldwide, leaving a broad margin of initiative to the directors of each country. He affirmed that “regional governments enjoy nearly total autonomy (...). Give suggestions or advice, but never impose anything in areas in which the Regional Commission ought to freely decide” (Articles of the Postulator, 696).
Likewise, “he reminded the Directors that they must write clearly, so that their messages are easily understood and do not leave room for multiple interpretations (...). He also reminded them that decisions must be made in the presence of God, with a deep sense of responsibility for the spiritual growth of the members of the Work” (Articles of the Postulator, 707).
“Through his example, words, and writings, he educated his children in leadership positions within Opus Dei so that they would not seek positions of power, but rather aspire to serve; and that they would consider their work as a ministry for souls, where the most important thing was that they themselves be holy and prayerful – because no one can give what they do not have – since the purpose of governance in Opus Dei is simply to help others become saints” (Articles of the Postulator, 698).
In response to a question from Enrico Zuppi and Antonino Fugardi of L’Osservatore della Domenicaabout how Opus Dei is organized, he said, among other things(Conversations with Msgr. Escrivá. no. 63): “On occasion, to the surprise of some people, I have gone so far as to say that Opus Dei in this sense, is an 'unorganised organisation'. The majority of the members, practically all in fact, live in the same place as they would have lived had they not been members of Opus Dei: in their home, with their family, in the place where they work.”
“And so all live their own lives, with the relationships and obligations this entails, and they turn to the Work for spiritual help. This does call for a certain amount of structure, but always a very small amount. Everything is done to limit it to what is strictly indispensable.”
“In each country there is a regional government, always collegial in character, headed by a Counsellor; and there is a central government in Rome made up of people of very different nationalities. Opus Dei has two Sections, one for men and one for women, which are absolutely independent (...) united only in the person of the President General.”
“I hope I have explained what I mean by 'unorganised organisation': we give priority to spirit over organisation and so the life of the members is not strait-jacketed by directives, plans and meetings. Each member goes his own way. What unites him to the others is a shared spirit and a shared desire for holiness and apostolate which accompany him as he strives to sanctify his own everyday life.”
Ernesto Juliá, writer and priest of the Opus Dei Prelature.