El minuto heroico: Yo también dejé el Opus Dei

I also left Opus Dei in the second decade of this century.

The docuseries says exactly what I lived through, what we all lived through, in its first few episodes. It's 100% real. So real that it hurts. So real that it makes you want to stop the playback, open the window, and scream: Why do they do things so wrong in that institution???

J. K. Rowling's latest book, The Running Grave, addresses precisely the actions and consequences of religious cult groups. Setting aside the plot elements related to a detective novel, the methods of recruitment, the processes of persuasion, indoctrination, guilt-tripping, idealization of the leader, member categories, exhausting pace of life, money management, etc., couldn't help but remind me over and over again of what I experienced inside Opus Dei. Terrible.

This series is not a Rowling novel (written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith), but a documentary about my life and the lives of thousands and thousands of us who also left Opus Dei under threats of eternal damnation. Moreover, in my case, when I said I was leaving for good, they tried to convince me that I was mentally unstable (something my psychologist and psychiatrist firmly denied) and that I needed to take pills. Thank God I had the sense to say, "The problem is yours, not mine."

Additionally, the docuseries is very well made, with a great pace. Thank you for remembering the thousands of victims of this institution that does not deserve to take God's name in vain.

I have also left Opus Dei, although I am not a woman, but a man. I was interested in the documentary, because, although in many ways the lives of men and women coincide, women have had a much harder life, especially the assistant numeraries. And I really liked it. I find it very interesting and in line with the reality that I knew.

I am going to make three verifiable points -just look them up on the Internet- to understand what kind of organization Opus Dei is: (1) Nowhere in the Statutes of Opus Dei does it say that celibate members have to give all their money to Opus Dei.

(2) In the code of canon law it says that the principal duties of organic cooperators must be in the Statutes. And giving all your money is a very principal duty.

(3) All celibates of Opus Dei have given all their salary to Opus Dei, because they have been told that it was obligatory.

With these three points you can understand what these women say in the documentary. They have entered an organization where there are many good people who have entered because they have been told that what is done there comes directly from God, and they have been able to give their whole life to Him, whether or not they have left the organization. They have also been made to believe that those in charge of the organization have a direct line to God and that submission to their directives is to directly fulfill the will of God. The only way to fix this is for those in charge to seriously acknowledge their mistakes. And this documentary makes visible the consequences that these mistakes have had for the protagonists.

The testimonies portrayed in The Heroic Minute are 100% accurate. As a survivor of Opus Dei abuses myself and knowing some of the other survivors featured in the series, I can personally testify to the truth of their experiences. The series courageously shines a light on the hidden abuses and coercive control within Opus Dei, a truth that has remained buried for far too long.

It's disheartening, though predictable, to see the Opus Dei marketing machine mobilizing early with negative reviews. It is highly likely that many of these reviewers haven't even seen the program but are simply following orders from Opus Dei directors to undermine the series and its brave producers.

The truth must come out. Church authorities must act now to prevent Opus Dei from targeting minors for exploitation and spiritual abuse. This kind of harm cannot be allowed to continue in silence.

Well done to all involved in The Heroic Minute for their immense bravery in sharing their stories and standing up to such a powerful institution. Your courage will inspire countless others.

The only people hating on this film are in or involved with Opus Dei. They have their bias. Meanwhile, people who escaped Opus Dei know all too well how true these stories are. Let the public beware: Opus Dei is a dangerous high demand religion that has destroyed the lives of thousands of ex members with little to no oversight by the Catholic Church. They want your children to make a vocational commitment as early as 14.5 years old and they LIE when they try to tell you people cannot join until they are adults. They are using half truths and your ignorance of their statutes and canon law to make you try to believe them. If you value your life and the lives of your loved ones you will Stay Away from Opus Dei.

I was also recruited as a young teenager to Opus Dei, and spent 12 years in the organization. This documentary series is absolutely accurate, so accurate that it could have been about my own life. I remember having to study chemistry on the bus commuting to and from the university. I also remember not having cash to buy something to eat during the day. I remember having to clean the men's houses and thinking to myself- why wouldn't they be able to do this themselves? Watching the documentary has re-opened my eyes to the extent of the psychological abuses. Thank you for shining a light on the realities of Opus Dei.