Opus Dei and the Knights of Columbus: Anatomy of a Takeover

 

In the business world,  a “takeover bid” is defined as an attempt by a competing person or entity to gain control of a company by buying up most of its stock. Militarily speaking, it is a hostile act of assuming power and control over a country, political party, movement, or corporation by deception, stealth, fraud, and if needed – force.

For the last thirty-plus years, the Knights of Columbus, one of the world’s most powerful, and wealthiest Catholic business and fraternal corporations has become a hapless target of infiltration, assimilation, and control by the international quasi-religious money/power entity known as Opus Dei.

This study of the bloodless coup d’état by Opus Dei, hereafter referred to as Opus (since it is not of God), against the Knights of Columbus is based on public records and documents,  news articles, and IRS 990 returns of the Knights and other key organizations involved in the organization. 

The study is by no means a definitive work because  much of the needed financial data and minutes of board meetings, etc., can only be obtained by legal proceedings, including the pre-trial litigation process of “discovery,” and the testimony of the Supreme Knights, past and present, taken under oath, as well as those of the Knights’ other national officers, board of directors, advisors, and consultants. Financial records would also have to be subpoenaed from banks and other financial institutions.

This study is further complicated by the fact that lay membership of Opus, specifically the names of its numeraries, supernumeraries, and cooperators (with the exceptions of select public Opus  figures) is kept secret both in practice and by statute.    

However, while Opus’ capture of the Knights of Columbus and its assets is well advanced, it is not yet a done deal. 

This series of nine installments is written with two objectives in mind: 

First, it is intended to provide the reader with a step-by-step description of how Opus goes about infiltrating and colonizing very wealthy and influential organizations and media outlets, relieving them of millions of dollars of their business and charitable donations, which are then systematically funneled into the coffers of Opus “apostolates” to further the ambitions and programs of “The Work.” 

Second, it is written with the hope that the long-suffering, hard-working rank and file members of the Knights, who represent the salt-of-the earth and who constitute the basic unit of the Knights, will discover within themselves the will and the means to resist both the internal and the external forces of Opus upon their fraternity, including the top leadership members of the corporation who have become, willingly or unwilling, shills and water-boys for the powerful Prelature. 

One of the Knights’ mottos is “We are men who get things done.” I hope that will be the case at this critical juncture of the history of the Knights of Columbus.  (more...)

Opus Dei and the Knights of Columbus: Anatomy of a Takeover