Dimensions
130 x 199 x 18mm
Following publication of 'The Da Vinci Code', the 2002 novel by Dan Brown, a worldwide audience is now aware of the existence of the mysterious cult of Opus Dei. However, very little is actually known about this secret Catholic organisation. In successive chapters, the book investigates the conspiracy theories behind the movement from its inception in 1928 to the present day. Including Opus Dei's movements in Spain where the movement's founder, Escriva, allied his group with Franco's regime - leading to several Opus Dei members occupying key positions in his government; and in Nazi Germany and in particular how at the close of World War II, many leading Nazis escaped through the Knights Of Malta and the Vatican 'rat run' to the Americas. Chapter Three explores Opus Dei's various political involvement in several South American countries - the most important and famous being the movement's involvement in Augusto Pinochet's Chilean Junta. Their links with the Vatican are equally alarming. John Paul II gave the movement a unique status in the church making it a 'personal prelature' strengthening its area of influence in the appointment of a future Pope. In America, close links were forged between Opus Dei and the CIA - both of which were founded around the same time. Ronald Reagan's appointment of several high profile Opus Dei members is discussed, as is the arrest of double agent Robert Hanson in the 1980s and the Waco Siege. Continuing the 'US' theme, the following chapter assesses Opus Dei's suspected involvement in the death of Roberto Calvi (including the links with the Mafia and the usd1.3 billion missing from the Vatican banks). Spreading the net wider still, Chapter Seven looks at Opus Dei's influence across the former Eastern Bloc in countries like Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Kazakhstan. The final chapter looks at the present day state of Opus Dei, especially in light of 'The Da Vinci Code'. To conclude there is a further brief look at how Opus Dei is still working behind the scenes in many governments today...
