Review by Booklist Review
In 2017, Spanish financial institution Banco Popular collapsed. Numerous shareholders began suing the bankrupt bank, while the dissolution of one of the bank's largest shareholders raised even more questions. Financial journalist Gore's inquiries led him to Javier Valls-Taberner, brother of Luis Valls-Taberner, former head of Banco Popular and a devoted member of the shadowy organization called Opus Dei. Luis was one of thousands of men and women who adhered to the dogma espoused by Josemaria Escriva, the Catholic priest who established Opus Dei in 1928. Shrouded in mystery from its humble origins in Spain, the organization established political and financial connections that enabled its global proliferation. Despite its shield of anonymity having now disappeared, its influence is still significant. Gore explores the corruption of faith, money, and politics in this eye-opening exposé. He doggedly follows the money trail that bound Banco Popular to Opus Dei and reveals a web of influence peddling and criminal behavior that persists today.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Abuse, enslavement, and financial schemes are the stock in trade of the shadowy Catholic sect Opus Dei, according to this chilling debut exposé. Journalist Gore stumbled onto the institution's web of influence during the 2017 collapse of Banco Popular, when he discovered that the Spanish bank's biggest shareholder, mysteriously named the Syndicate, could be traced to Opus Dei. Combing through the Syndicate's sprawling network of foundations and nonprofits led Gore to uncover Opus Dei's connections to offshore money-laundering schemes and a global web of vocational schools implicated in human trafficking of children. Delving into archives and conducting interviews with former members, Gore alleges that a mission to "serve God by striving for perfection even in the most everyday tasks" has masked abuse since Opus Dei's 1928 founding by Josemaría Escrivá, whose recruitment methods rapidly turned cultlike, incorporating "listening devices" and "prescription drugs." While Gore reports that today abuse permeates the entire hierarchy of the organization, he most harrowingly recounts the plight of its lowest rung: underage girls assigned to household work in Opus Dei residencies, where many later reported being held captive; others minors connected to Opus Dei have reported instances of sexual abuse. Gore's most alarming line of inquiry is into Opus Dei's political influence in Washington, D.C., via the Catholic Information Center and the Federalist Society. Readers will be disturbed. (Oct.)This review has been updated.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Investigation of a failed Spanish bank reveals unsavory ties to a secretive religious organization determined to "take back control" of a world tainted by secularism. The 2017 collapse of the Banco Popular took the world--and financial journalist Gore--by surprise. The many shareholder interviews he conducted after moving to Madrid eventually led him to one of two brothers who had served as bank chairmen. From Javier Valls-Taberne, Gore learned that Opus Dei, an influential conservative Catholic sect, had controlled his older brother and dismissed Javier while bilking Banco Popular of millions, which the sect used to promote itself and its "works" around the globe. Gore's investigations revealed that beneath the mask of extreme ascetic piety Opus Dei presented--to individuals, communities, and even John Paul II, the pope who elevated the group to a personal prelature--were power-hungry men who worked to create schools and other organizations all over the world meant to "educate" rising generations in extreme religious conservatism. Digging deeper, Gore learned that Opus Dei had ties to American conservative elites that had funded the Jan. 6, 2021, "March to Save America" through "dark money vehicles" and helped bring downRoe v. Wade. Other unethical practices included recruiting young girls from poor countries, then using religion to force them into serving without pay all-male Opus Dei elites. Moving with the suspenseful twists and turns of a political thriller, this well-documented book reveals the hidden agendas and intrigue that belie institutional structures in a post-truth world. Unsettling, informative reading. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
