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The Real Da Vinci Code
Opus Dei
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Opus Dei are referred to in The Da Vinci Code as an archaic and strict religious order. In Dan Brown's story they are the power-driven nemesis of The Priory of Sion; both groups fighting for ownership of the ultimate secret of the Holy Grail.
Founded in Spain in 1928, Opus Dei (meaning 'the work of God') do still exist and have grown into an international institution. Officially, they are a part of the Catholic Church and according to their website were first approved by the Bishop of Madrid in 1941 and then by the Vatican City in 1947.
Opus Dei adhere to the more extreme teachings of the Catholic Church. To the most committed members, this includes a vow of celibacy, a life of penance and the practice of corporal mortification – all of which brings devotees in line with the suffering of Christ and the remission of sin. There have been suggestions that members routinely inflict pain on themselves, but the truth is hard to discover. Opus Dei insist that they place emphasis on less severe sacrifices.
Although Opus Dei do exist as a fundamentalist sect, the truth of their involvement with the Grail is doubtful. Their image as a group of cold, almost ascetic, monks, makes the perfect foil for Dan Brown's Grail hunter, Sophie Neveu, grand-daughter to Sion Grand Master, Jacques Saunière. And so the link is probably fiction. But it certainly makes sense that any sect or branch of Christianity would do their best to suppress evidence as potentially damaging as a bloodline of Mary and Jesus.
And so the truth is hard to come by, especially once it is shrouded in the
marvelous mystery of Grail legend. The Holy Grail | The Priory of Sion | The Knights Templar | Mary and Jesus | Leonardo da Vinci | Opus Dei | Find out more
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