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BEYOND THE THRESHOLD -- A LIFE IN OPUS DEI |
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APPENDIX C: LETTERS TO HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II Maria del Carmen Tapia Santa Barbara, August 2, 1991 His Most
Illustrious Eminence Matter of Conscience Your Eminence: I enclose material labeled "Secret and matter of conscience" with the urgent request to put it directly and personally in the hands of our Blessed Father, His Holiness John Paul II. Given the importance of its contents, Eminence, I request in the name of God that you not entrust this material to any intermediary but rather that your Eminence be the one to present it to the Holy Father directly and personally. Abusing your charity, I would request for the peace of my conscience that you also send me a short note at the address below, notifying me of the date on which the document was directly presented to his Holiness. With gratitude and respect, I request your blessing, (signed) Maria del Carmen Tapia Maria del Carmen Tapia Santa Barbara, August 2, 1991 His Holiness John
Paul II Blessed Father: After serious deliberation, I have decided to write in order to open my soul to you and manifest before God and the Church what is for me a serious duty of conscience: that the life of Monsignor Jose-Maria Escriva de Balaguer, which I witnessed for many years, was not admirable and much less was it worthy of imitation. His process of beatification would seriously harm the Church and souls, since it would also imply that the manner in which he lived the teaching of Opus Dei, founded by him, was exemplary. I know Opus Dei well because I was a Numerary for almost twenty years (1948-1966), during six of which I lived in Rome (1952-1956 and 1965-66). I was Monsignor Escriva's personal secretary and a Major Superior in the Opus Dei Women's Branch Central Government. Monsignor Escriva in person received my final vows in Opus Dei. Furthermore, I was the first director of the press that Opus Dei has in its central house in Rome and also was specially charged, when Monsignor Escriva went to the women's house, with taking notes for posterity, on whatever I might hear him say. In 1956 I was sent to Venezuela as Director of the Women's Branch in that country, where I obtained Venezuelan citizenship, which I retain. I left Venezuela in 1965, when Monsignor Escriva summoned me to Rome, where I remained until my departure from Opus Dei in 1966. Now I see Opus Dei superiors rush through the steps of this beatification, exhausting all their human, social, political, and financial resources, because they judge that if they do not succeed during your Pontificate, Blessed Father, perhaps centuries will go by before they obtain the beatification. After having won the juridical change of status from Secular Institute to Personal Prelature, Opus Dei's single goal and objective is to make its founder a saint. I wished to testify in Monsignor Escriva process at the appropriate time and was not allowed to do so. Moreover, it was expressly indicated to me in Madrid, in October, 1981, by way of the priest Don Joaquin Aznar Cleofas, whom I visited, because he was an "advocatus diaboli," that I would not be permitted to do so. Given the extreme importance and repercussions of the possible outcome, and understanding that my testimony may be crucial, I am ready, Blessed Father, to be directly interrogated by your Holiness in the manner in which you may choose, going to Rome on day and time that are chosen. Opus Dei's way of acting, its great influence, and its maneuvers within the Roman Curia have been well known by everyone for a long time. But unfortunately during Monsignor Escriva's whole process of beatification, this has been especially the case in the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, where his Eminence Cardinal Pietro Palazzini was in charge. Therefore, I would beseech you, Blessed Father, if your Holiness cannot personally hear me in such an important case for the health of the Church and of souls, that you would accede to designate a judge for the hearing, who has your strict, personal trust and who has not the slightest relation with Opus Dei. If Opus Dei perceives my desire to testify before your Holiness, I would not discount the possibility, Blessed Father, that they might interfere with my testimony, whether by somehow impeding my physical presence in the Vatican or else by a subtle or not so subtle personal attack that would sow doubts about my moral integrity; it would not be the first time that they recur to this procedure, as several of the documents which I have in my power show. For this reason, I have felt obliged to store the originals of the documents that I possess in different, secure places under legal protection. All this material would in the last analysis become public even in the event that something should happen to me. For a long time I have wished to be able to speak directly to you and, like a daughter to her father, open my heart which suffers because of the likelihood of this event, and also to be able to respond to any question of yours, but unhappily, I have not been able to reach your Holiness, despite my previous trips to Rome. It is my fervent desire, Holy Father, that at this time, for the good of the universal Church and of all souls, this beatification process, which Opus Dei so precipitously wishes to accelerate and shorten be prolonged for as long as necessary. In this way, scandal would be avoided, ample time would be given to investigate the case thoroughly. Along with the already familiar testimony of those persons who were unilaterally presented by members or Superiors of Opus Dei, testimony could be taken from those others who knew Monsignor Escriva intimately, spent more than fifteen, twenty, or thirty years in Opus Dei, and would have wanted to declare, but were not called nor permitted to do so, because they had ceased to belong to Opus Dei. Opus Dei Superiors fear this testimony because true facts would come to light, which they do not like, which cast a different light on the picture they try to project of Monsignor Escriva's life. Therefore, they do whatever is in their hand so that those persons whose point of view does not coincide with what they want to make prevail are considered to be unsuitable or untrustworthy witnesses. Blessed Father, I attach to this letter a series of sketches of events at which I was present, lived through, and heard, during my years inside Opus Dei. Although these events are not all I know, they can offer your Holiness a different perspective of Monsignor Escriva's real life. I could add other events, still more serious, and individually documented, about my personal experience with Monsignor Escriva, which I am prepared to set forth in your Holiness' presence. Also, I attach a draft, in its current state, of a work which I prepared commenting on the document presented by Opus Dei to the Holy See with the petition for the change from Secular Institute to Personal Prelature. I can assure you, Holy Father, that my comments on each point reflect the truth. I know a number of persons who still fear reprisals by Opus Dei, and who with troubled conscience remain silent. These persons would only speak at the request of your Holiness. And their testimony, which would be important and which could specially weigh on your Holiness' final judgment, would not become available in any other way. For example, I can place at your Holiness' disposition the name of a female Opus Dei Numerary of thirty years standing, who requested to withdraw from Opus Dei only two years ago, and who has assured me that unless she speaks with your Holiness, she would never speak with anyone for fear of possible Opus Dei reprisals. I believe in the Holy Spirit and trusting in his intercession, I hope that your Holiness may hear my plea. With all humility, your daughter in our Lord requests your blessing, (signed) Maria del Carmen Tapia Attachments: 11 pages of descriptions and a 53 page draft in blue cover. Maria del Carmen Tapia Santa Barbara, September 24, 1991 His Illustrious
Eminence MATTER OF CONSCIENCE Eminence: With renewed confidence I attach this new material as "Secret and matter of conscience" with the request just as before to put it directly and personally in the hands of our Holy Father his Holiness John Paul II. At this point it is obvious that I must insist on the importance of the enclosed material and that, abusing your goodness, it be you who give it directly and personally to the Holy Father. I would thank you from the bottom of my soul, if you would have a brief note sent assuring me that both the material sent for the Holy Father by way of your Eminence with the date of August 2, 1991, and the present material have been personally given to his Holiness. I know with certainty from the postal service used that the material reached your Eminence. However, I have not yet received confirmation from your Eminence that the material has been handed over to the Holy Father. Awaiting your reply, with all gratitude and respect, I request your blessing, (signed) Maria del Carmen Tapia P.S. I would like to repeat, Eminence, that I am prepared to travel to Rome at his Holiness' first call. Maria del Carmen Tapia Santa Barbara, September 24, 1991 To his Holiness
John Paul II Blessed Father: While I await your Holiness' summons to testify with regard to the cause of beatification of Monsignor Jose-Maria Escriva de Balaguer and, as a continuation of my letter of August 2, 1991 (which according to the postal service was received in the Secretariate of State on August 9, 1991), I would like to include as addenda the following account of events which I consider to be very important: 1. Monsignor Escriva's own actions in my own process of withdrawal from Opus Dei. 2. As a consequence of the above, photocopies of the letter sent to my father by direct and specific order of Monsignor Escriva, as also the letters sent by my father to Monsignor Escriva. 3. Photocopies of letters sent by order of Monsignor Escriva to different university and diplomatic authorities denying the philosophical and theological studies that I completed in Opus Dei. One must understand that such letters can only be written in Opus Dei by direct and specific order of the President General, at that time Monsignor Escriva. In essence, what they were trying to deny was not only the studies that I completed, but that I had belonged to the institution. Indeed, his Eminence, Cardinal Tavera, may he rest in peace, tried to help me on this point and was never able to understand the lack of charity and justice in Monsignor Escriva's actions. It is obvious, Blessed Father, that I am ready to expand upon these events in speaking before your Holiness or, as I said in my previous letter and repeat now, before a judge who enjoys your strict, personal confidence and who has no connection whatever with Opus Dei. Similarly, I am ready to repeat everything under oath. I know that a number of persons who were in Opus Dei for many years have just written you again, since the correspondence sent previously seems never to have reached your Holiness' hands. The matter as a whole is so serious, Blessed Father, that more than ever I trust fully in the Holy Sprit to illuminate your Holiness, and to move you precisely in the direction of justice as Pope, to listen to those of your children who have made our heartfelt requests as children of the Church and for the good of souls. Requesting humbly that you bless her, your daughter in our Lord, (signed) Maria del Carmen Tapia Attachments: 1. Monsignor Jose-Maria Escriva's own actions in my own process of withdrawal from Opus Dei (18 pages). 2. Correspondence between Monsignor Escriva and my father (three letters). 3. Correspondence between the Dean of Foreign Students of the University of California, Dr. K.M. Mathew, and Monsignor Jose-Maria Escriva (three letters). 4. Correspondence between the Dean of Foreign Students of the University of California, Dr. K.M. Mathew, and the Counselor of Venezuela, Roberto Salvat, via the Apostolic Nuncio in Venezuela, Monsignor Del Judice (three letters) 5. Letter of the Administrative Assistant of the Dean of Foreign Students, Mrs. Muriel E. Engle, to Sofia Pilo, Regional Secretary of Venezuela. 6. Letter of Attorney Dr. Carlos Hernandez Bitter to Roberto Salvat, Counselor of Venezuela. 7. Correspondence between the Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies of the University of California, Professor G.J. Larson, and Mr. William K. Braun, Cultural Attache of the Embassy of the United States in Rome (four letters). 8. Correspondence between Maria del Carmen Tapia and his Eminence Cardinal Arturo Tavera (two letters). 9. Declaration of Dr. Faustino Castro, attorney and priest. 10. Correspondence between the Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies of the University of California, Professor G.J. Larson, and Monsignor Jose-Maria Escriva (two letters). 11. Certificate of Studies by Rev. Father [name whitened out] Numerary priest of Opus Dei.
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