(ZENIT News / Buenos Aires, 07.07.2025).- In response to information published by a Spanish digital media outlet (Eldiarioes), which mentions an accusation made against some members of the Opus Dei, including the former Regional Vicar in Argentina (2010-2014), now Auxiliary Vicar of the Prelature, Monsignor Mariano Fazio, the Work’s Communications Office reports that in relation to the judicial investigation into the personal situation of a woman while she was part of the Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church, «we reiterate that we categorically deny the accusation of human trafficking and labor exploitation made by her against the Prelature.»
The press release expresses perplexity because «It is surprising that the claim initially began in the media as a complaint about inconsistencies in pension and labour contributions. Then, it mutated into a civil economic claim for damages, and finally, in August 2024, it transformed into an accusation by a person who claims to have been a victim of «human trafficking.» Carried out to build this complaint, was a complete decontextualization of the vocation freely chosen by the numerary auxiliaries of the Opus Dei.»
It adds that «Hence, we believe it is necessary and important that the people mentioned in this complaint be able to exercise their right to defense, and that they be allowed to present their version of the events for the first time, in order to definitively clarify this situation. This is especially important because those pushing the accusation have systematically attempted to present a narrative of automatic guilt in the media, disregarding due process and attacking the presumption of innocence of the accused.»
Background Information
The woman making the accusation refers to a stage in her life when she freely chose to embark on her spiritual journey in the Catholic Church, through the vocation of an auxiliary numerary of the Opus Dei. The auxiliary numeraries are women of Opus Dei who, like all other members, aspire to love God and others and demonstrate this through their work and daily lives. The work chosen by the auxiliary numeraries is the care of the people living in the centers, within a family atmosphere proper to the spirit of the Opus Dei. This specific way of living out their vocation is chosen by numerous women around the world.
This life choice requires those who make it to exercise freedom, since the process of joining the Work implies that they express their desire explicitly on multiple occasions, some of which must be explicit: every person who joins the Opus Dei must reaffirm their desire to join at least eight times, over a period of at least six and a half years. However, there is no barrier to disengaging oneself.
On the other hand, it is claimed that the complaint describes a precarious and destitute living situation, which is also false. In addition to receiving, like any citizen, a salary for their work and having private social security, as in all Opus Dei centers, efforts are made to ensure that the numerary auxiliaies’ homes provide a welcoming environment with facilities for rest, recreation, reading, and study. They also have additional resources beyond their salaries available for travel to visit their families or to help their families financially in case of need. They are offered the opportunity to participate in personal development programs, studies, training courses, and international experiences, just to mention a few circumstances.
The press release specifies that «The Prelature has always respected the voices of those who have raised complaints, and since the beginning of this conflict, its main interest has been to listen and establish a channel of dialogue that allows for an understanding of the experience. Therefore, although it is painful to reach a judicial instance of this nature, we believe that after more than four years of similar accusations made only in the media, an investigation is necessary to clarify the situation definitively. At the same time, we reaffirm our commitment to fully collaborate with the Justice system to clarify the facts and resolve the situation in a fair and transparent manner.»
You can access life stories of numerary assistants here, explaining what their vocational choice entails. Here’s the story of Mariana, Luli, and Kele, numerary auxiliaries in Argentina.
You can also access the letter written by hundreds of numerary auxiliaries asking for respect for their choice of life.
Several numerary auxiliaries have expressed their desire to make known the houses and rooms they live in.
