Roman Catholic institution advocating holiness in everyday life. Founded in Madrid 1928, and still powerful in Spain, it has (1993) more than 1,000 priests and 75,000 lay members of both sexes in more than 80 countries.
Opus Dei has been the subject of controversy because of allegations about secret right-wing involvement in politics, finance, and education. It was founded by José Maria Escriva de Balaguer (1902–1975), who was beatified 1992.