Opus - by Gareth Gore (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A thrilling exposé recounting how members of Opus Dei--a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect--pushed its radical agenda within the Church and around the globe, using billions of dollars siphoned from one of the world's largest banks. For over half a century, Banco Popular was one of the most profitable banks in the world--until one day, in 2017, when the Spanish bank suddenly collapsed overnight. When investigative journalist Gareth Gore was dispatched to report on the story, he expected to find yet another case of unbridled capitalist ambition gone wrong. Instead, he uncovered decades of deception that hid one of the most brazen cases of corporate pillaging in history, perpetrated by a group of men sworn to celibacy and self-flagellation who had secretly controlled Popular and abused their positions there to help spread Opus Dei to every corner of the world. Drawing on unparalleled access to bank records, insider accounts, and exclusive interviews with whistle-blowers from within Opus Dei, Gore reveals how money from the bank was used to lure unsuspecting recruits--some of them only children--into a life of servitude. He also tracks the ascent of Opus Dei within the United States, exposing its role in bankrolling many right-wing causes, including the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. In an era of disinformation and deep fakes, here is a real-life conspiracy which hid in plain sight for more than sixty years. Gore tells a shocking story of money and power that spans decades and continents. Documenting Opus Dei's secret history for the first time, this thrilling work of investigative storytelling raises important questions about the dark forces that shape our society."--

Book Synopsis

A thrilling exposé recounting how members of Opus Dei--a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect--pushed its radical agenda within the Church and around the globe, using billions of dollars siphoned from one of the world's largest banks.

For over half a century, Banco Popular was one of the most profitable banks in the world--until one day, in 2017, when the Spanish bank suddenly collapsed overnight. When investigative journalist Gareth Gore was dispatched to report on the story, he expected to find yet another case of unbridled capitalist ambition gone wrong. Instead, he uncovered decades of deception that hid one of the most brazen cases of corporate pillaging in history, perpetrated by a group of men sworn to celibacy and self-flagellation who had secretly controlled Popular and abused their positions there to help spread Opus Dei to every corner of the world.

Drawing on unparalleled access to bank records, insider accounts, and exclusive interviews with whistle-blowers from within Opus Dei, Gore reveals how money from the bank was used to lure unsuspecting recruits--some of them only children--into a life of servitude. He also tracks the ascent of Opus Dei within the United States, exposing its role in bankrolling many right-wing causes, including the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

In an era of disinformation and deep fakes, here is a real-life conspiracy which hid in plain sight for more than sixty years. Gore tells a shocking story of money and power that spans decades and continents. Documenting Opus Dei's secret history for the first time, this thrilling work of investigative storytelling raises important questions about the dark forces that shape our society.

Review Quotes

"Gareth Gore's investigation into Opus Dei reveals a powerful and shadowy organisation whose reach extends into politics, religion and finance....Vividly told and excellently researched."--Financial Times

"A new, deeply researched book ."--New York Magazine

"Gareth Gore's new book, Opus is quite frankly shocking. It's also a much-needed exposé of what looks very much like a cult within the Catholic Church....it's clear from Gore's own detailed notes and the extensive hours he spent interviewing both members and former members that financial and political scandal has dogged the movement since its very beginning....In 14 chapters, Gore lays out the details that he found, telling the extraordinary story of a small Spanish sect that, with the help of the Franco regime, quickly learned how to excel in financial and political corruption." --U.S. Catholic

"Under Gore's skillful research readers will learn about a 100-year-old organization that was designed to impose its view of religion and the world on everyone. Never has 'follow the money' been so important. Gore lays out, in meticulous detail, how Opus Dei, whose members are known as 'numeraries' and 'supernumeraries, ' recruit young men who are wealthy, come from wealthy families, or are destined to become wealthy....The wealthy Americans that Gore references in this book, and their relationship to Opus Dei, provides readers with a wealth-based roadmap that exposes the serious threat this organization poses to the country." --New York Journal of Books

"In identifying Opus Dei's part in the Christian Nationalist movement, Gore has done a public service." --Religion News Service

"Opus, written by the financial journalist Gareth Gore, is a solidly researched work and will undoubtedly survive the public-relations, and even legal, blitz that Opus Dei will surely mount against it." --The Baffler

"Moving with the suspenseful twists and turns of a political thriller, this well-documented book reveals the hidden agendas and intrigue that belie institutional structures in a post-truth world. Unsettling, informative reading." --Kirkus Reviews

"[A] chilling debut exposé. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About the Author

Gareth Gore is a financial journalist and editor with close to two decades of experience, who had reported from over twenty-five countries and covered some of the biggest financial stories. His writing has been published by Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and International Financing Review. He is the host of The Syndicate, which tells the behind-the-scenes stories of the biggest financial deals in history.