Opus Dei has denounced the “manipulation of judicial proceedings to create a media and public opinion case” in the lawsuit advanced by former assistant numeraries in Argentina
Newsroom (30/07/2025, Gaudium Press ) Opus Dei has accused plaintiffs in a high-profile Argentine lawsuit of manipulating judicial proceedings to orchestrate a media-driven campaign aimed at tarnishing the organization’s reputation. The case, which now seeks to implicate senior Opus Dei authorities in allegations of human trafficking, has escalated tensions between the Catholic prelature and former assistant numeraries who claim they were subjected to exploitative conditions.
The lawsuit, formally filed in 2024, alleges that Opus Dei recruited women as minors and subjected them to a regime akin to “semi-slavery” in its residences. Initially a labor complaint, the case evolved into a claim for damages and, by June 2023, prompted a judicial investigation into accusations of human trafficking and labor exploitation. The Argentine prosecutor’s office has called for an investigation into the last four regional vicars of Opus Dei in Argentina, including Monsignor Mariano Fazio, the current auxiliary vicar and the organization’s second-in-command. The plaintiffs’ lawyer has further urged prosecutors to summon Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, the prelate of Opus Dei, for questioning.
Opus Dei has dismissed the allegations as baseless, emphasizing that no formal charges have been filed and that the presiding judge has yet to rule on the prosecutor’s requests or identify individuals to be summoned. In a statement, the prelature clarified that the investigation stems from the personal circumstances of a single woman during her time in the apostolate. It accused the plaintiff’s lawyer of leveraging media attention to pressure the judiciary, describing the call to summon Ocáriz as part of a “deceptive and sustained media strategy” lacking factual or legal grounding.
“The case represents an attempt to manipulate judicial processes by introducing a criminal charge of human trafficking that bears no connection to the complainants’ own accounts or the reality of Opus Dei,” the statement read. The prelature further criticized efforts to summon senior figures like Ocáriz and Fazio, alleging these moves are designed to “artificially extend” the investigation’s scope to amplify public scrutiny and exert undue influence on the justice system.
Opus Dei also decried what it called a “complete decontextualization” of the assistant numerary vocation, which it described as freely chosen. The organization expressed regret that judicial mechanisms are being exploited to sustain a “prefabricated narrative” and urged respect for the presumption of innocence.
The prelature reiterated its rejection of the allegations and pledged full cooperation with judicial authorities, expressing confidence that “the truth will prevail.” As the case continues to unfold, it remains a flashpoint in debates over the organization’s practices and the boundaries of legal accountability.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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