Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church [B2026]

2024 HCDJ with occasional pencil underlining and margin notes. A thrilling exposé recounting how members of Opus Dei-a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect-pushed its radical agenda within the Church and around the globe, using billions of dollars siphoned from one of the world's largest banks. For over half a century, Banco Popular was one of the most profitable banks in the world-until one day, in 2017, when the Spanish bank suddenly collapsed overnight. When investigative journalist Gareth Gore was dispatched to report on the story, he expected to find yet another case of unbridled capitalist ambition gone wrong. Instead, he uncovered decades of deception that hid one of the most brazen cases of corporate pillaging in history, perpetrated by a group of men sworn to celibacy and self-flagellation who had secretly controlled Popular and abused their positions there to help spread Opus Dei to every corner of the world. Drawing on unparalleled access to bank records, insider accounts, and exclusive interviews with whistle-blowers from within Opus Dei, Gore reveals how money from the bank was used to lure unsuspecting recruits-some of them only children-into a life of servitude. He also tracks the ascent of Opus Dei within the United States, exposing its role in bankrolling many right-wing causes, including the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. In an era of disinformation and deep fakes, here is a real-life conspiracy which hid in plain sight for more than sixty years. Gore tells a shocking story of money and power that spans decades and continents. Documenting Opus Dei's secret history for the first time, this thrilling work of investigative storytelling raises important questions about the dark forces that shape our society.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Great book, investigative reporting so engaging it reads like a thriller. Essential reading for anybody trying to understand the modern right."; "It describes the financial underpinnings of Christian Nationalism in the USA. The writing could have been better but it was definitely worth my time."; "This is an excellent read on who Opus Dei is, what they do, and how they are trying to manipulate democratic governments, to be THEIR VERSION of a Catholic utopia. For everyone who loves democracy - let's be active enough in our own government to chase these people OUT of their unscrupulous hold on our democratic republic."