Pope Leo XIV held a private meeting on Monday with an investigative journalist who has raised serious allegations regarding Opus Dei, a well-known Catholic organization with tens of thousands of members worldwide.
According to Reuters, the Holy Father met at the Vatican with British journalist Gareth Gore, author of a 2024 book examining the organization. The meeting reportedly allowed Pope Leo to hear the journalist’s concerns directly.
Following the audience, Gore said he asked the Pope to open a formal investigation into the group. According to Reuters, Gore stated he had requested that the pontiff launch a “formal inquiry” into Opus Dei based on claims described in his book.
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The Vatican press office confirmed that Pope Leo agreed to the meeting in order to hear the allegations personally. According to Reuters, the Vatican said the Pope wanted to “listen first-hand to Gore’s allegations.” While the Holy Father regularly receives many visitors in private audiences, it is considered unusual for a pope to hold a private meeting specifically with a journalist.
Opus Dei, whose name means “Work of God,” was founded in 1928 by Spanish priest St. Josemaría Escrivá. The organization teaches that ordinary work and daily life can be a path to holiness. According to Reuters, the group has roughly 85,000 members across about 70 countries.
Most members of Opus Dei are lay Catholics rather than clergy. They typically follow disciplined spiritual practices, and some members freely choose celibacy as part of their vocation while remaining active in secular professions.
Gore’s book reportedly includes claims that the organization exercises emotional control over members and has used influence to engage in financial misconduct. According to Reuters, the author alleges the group “practices emotional control over its members and uses its influence to perpetrate financial fraud.”
Opus Dei has strongly rejected those accusations. According to Reuters, the organization previously said the book was “littered with twisted facts.”
The group has long maintained a visible presence in the life of the Church and within Vatican institutions. According to Reuters, several Vatican employees have been members of Opus Dei, including “at least two former directors of the Vatican’s press office.”
The organization is also influential in parts of Latin America. According to Reuters, Opus Dei has a particularly strong presence in Peru, where Pope Leo XIV spent decades serving as a missionary before his election to the papacy.
At present, the Vatican has not announced any formal investigation into the organization. The meeting appears to have been an opportunity for the Pope to hear concerns directly while continuing to evaluate the situation.
As the Church continues to address allegations of wrongdoing wherever they arise, many Catholics will be watching closely to see whether further steps are taken.
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