Opus Dei, the Catholic personal prelature, formally submitted its proposed revised statutes to the Holy See on June 11.
Newsroom, June 12, 2025, Gaudium Press – Opus Dei, the Catholic personal prelature, formally submitted its proposed revised statutes to the Holy See on June 11, aligning with the Vatican’s 2022 motu proprio Ad Charisma Tuendum, according to Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, the prelate of Opus Dei. The submission marks the culmination of a three-year process to adapt the organization’s governing framework, prompted by directives from the late Pope Francis.
In a letter addressed to Opus Dei members, Ocáriz detailed the journey: “We had planned to complete this study at the general congress, but, as you know, due to the Holy See being vacant, it was deemed appropriate not to do so.” The vacancy followed the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, just days before the scheduled general congress. The congress, held in late April, prioritized electing a new general council and central advisory board—positions renewed every eight years—while deferring the finalization of the statutes.
Ocáriz noted that congress participants endorsed the continuation of the revision process under the newly elected leadership. “The congress participants gave their positive opinion so that, with the new [general] council and [central] advisory [board], we could conclude the revision of the statutes and submit them to the Holy See for approval, which we did today,” he wrote. He urged members to intensify prayers during this final stage, entrusting the process to the Most Holy Trinity and St. Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei’s founder, whose 50th death anniversary coincides this month.
The Holy See will now review the proposed statutes, though no timeline for a decision has been disclosed. The revision aligns with Ad Charisma Tuendum, issued by Pope Francis in 2022, which shifted Opus Dei’s oversight from the Dicastery for Bishops to the Dicastery for the Clergy and discontinued the practice of elevating its prelate to bishop. The motu proprio mandated that Opus Dei revise its statutes to reflect this new structure, a task initially slated for completion at the general congress.
On May 14, 2025, Pope Leo XIV, elected just six days earlier, met with Ocáriz to discuss the revision process. According to Opus Dei’s Rome communications office, “the Holy Father, among other things, inquired about the current study of the prelature’s statutes” and “listened with great interest” to Ocáriz’s explanations. The Vatican’s daily agenda confirmed the meeting but provided no further details, consistent with its standard practice for papal engagements.
The submission of the revised statutes represents a significant step for Opus Dei as it navigates its evolving role within the Catholic Church. The outcome of the Holy See’s review will shape the prelature’s governance and mission moving forward.
Raju Hasmukh with files from:
– Letter from Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz to Opus Dei members, June 11, 2025.
– Opus Dei Communications Office, Rome, statement on Pope Leo XIV meeting, May 14, 2025.
– Vatican Press Office, Pope Leo XIV’s daily agenda, May 14, 2025.
– Motu proprio Ad Charisma Tuendum, Holy See, July 14, 2022.
– CNA 2025
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