The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has sent a letter to bishops' conferences
around the world on the status of the association called Opus Angelorum.
It
is reproduced below:
More than thirty years ago, the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith began to examine the theories and practices of the association called
the Opus Angelorum (Engelwerk). At the present time, the Dicastery believes
that it would be helpful for the Bishops of your Episcopal Conference to be informed
regarding the developments which have taken place in these years, so that they may
exercise effective oversight in this area.
I. The initial examination was brought
to a conclusion with the publication of a letter on September 24, 1982, communicating
certain decisions approved by the Holy Father (AAS 76 [1984], 175-176); this letter
was followed by a Decree entitled Litteris diei of June 6, 1992 (AAS 84 [1992], 805-806).
In
essence, these two documents stated that, in promoting devotion to the Holy Angels,
the members of the Opus Angelorum were to follow the doctrine of the Church and the
teaching of the Church Fathers and Doctors. In particular, the members were not to
make use of the “names” of angels derived from the alleged private revelations attributed
to Mrs. Gabriele Bitterlich and they were not to teach, spread or make use of the
theories originating from these alleged revelations. Furthermore, they were reminded
of the duty to follow strictly all liturgical laws, in particular those relating to
the Holy Eucharist. The Decree of 1992 entrusted the implementation of these measures
to a Delegate named by the Holy See and possessing special faculties; he was also
given the task of regularizing the relationship between the Opus Angelorum and the
Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross.
In the years that followed, the
Delegate, Father Benoît Duroux, O.P., successfully completed the work entrusted to
him. Today, thanks to the obedience of its members, the Opus Angelorum can be considered
to be living loyally and serenely in conformity with the doctrine of the Church and
with canonical and liturgical law. On March 13, 2010, given the advanced age of Father
Duroux, Father Daniel Ols, O.P. was named Delegate, with the same powers as described
in the Decree of 1992.
The process of normalization can be seen in particular
in the following elements. On May 31, 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith approved the formula of a consecration to the Holy Angels for the Opus Angelorum.
Having received the positive opinion of this Dicastery, the Congregation for the Institutes
of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life approved the “Statutes of
the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum”, in which, among other things, the relationship between
the Opus Angelorum and the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross was defined.
According to the Statutes, the Opus Angelorum is a public association of the Catholic
Church with juridical personality according to the norm of canon 313 of the CIC; it
is joined to the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross according to the norm of
canon 677, § 2 of the CIC and placed under the direction of the Order in conformity
with canon 303 of the CIC. The Constitutions of the Sisters of the Holy Cross were
approved by the Bishop of Innsbruck. Finally, the Order of Canons Regular of the
Holy Cross, whose central government had been named by the Congregation for the Institutes
of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life on October 30, 1993, was able
at the beginning of 2009 to elect its own Superior General and the members of the
General Council.
Therefore, in its present state, the Opus Angelorum is a
public association of the Church in conformity with traditional doctrine and with
the directives of the Holy See. It spreads devotion to the Holy Angels among the
faithful, exhorts them to pray for priests, and promotes love for Christ in his Passion
and union with it. Therefore, there are no remaining obstacles of a doctrinal and
disciplinary kind which would prevent local Ordinaries from receiving this movement
into their Dioceses and promoting its development.
II. At the same time, however,
the Congregation wishes to draw the attention of Ordinaries to the fact that, in the
course of these years, a certain number of Opus Angelorum members, including some
priests who either left or were expelled from the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy
Cross, have not accepted the norms given by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith and seek to restore what, according to them, would be the “authentic Opus Angelorum”,
that is, a movement which professes and practices all those things which were forbidden
by the above-mentioned documents. The Congregation has learned that very discrete
propaganda in favour of this wayward movement, which is outside of any ecclesiastical
control, is taking place, aimed at presenting it as if it were in full communion with
the Catholic Church.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, therefore,
asks Ordinaries to be vigilant with regard to such activities, disruptive as they
are of ecclesial communion, and to forbid them if they are present within their Dioceses.
Trusting
that the members of your Conference of Bishops will take special care in putting into
practice the indications given above, and with kind regards and prayerful best wishes,
I remain
William Cardinal
Levada Prefect
X Luis F. Ladaria, S.I.
Titular Archbishop of Thibica
Secretary