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The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin "The Work of God"), is a Roman Catholic organization founded on October 2, 1928, by Josemaría Escrivá, a Spanish priest who was later canonized by Pope John Paul II.

Introduction
Opus Dei has approximately 85,000 members in sixty countries, with central offices in Rome. In 1982 it was erected as a Personal Prelature by Pope John Paul II, who also canonized its founder on October 6, 2002.

The aim of Opus Dei is "to contribute to [the] evangelizing mission of the Church" by spreading the universal call to holiness and apostolate"; it "encourages Christians of all social classes to live consistently with their faith, in the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives, especially through the sanctification of their work." This message is coherent with the vision of the Second Vatican Council, which stated that "by reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in the affairs of the world and directing them according to God's will."

Critics have described Opus Dei as a secretive, authoritarian organization or even a cult and have highlighted its links to right-wing and fascistic organizations worldwide. It is also controversial for its practices of mortification of the flesh.

Mission: a great catechesis
The mission of Opus Dei, in the words of the founder, "is to give a Christian formation to its members and to other people who wish to receive it." Escrivá summarized the organization's role as "a great catechesis."

In his constitutional document Ut sit establishing Opus Dei as a personal prelature, Pope John Paul II said that Opus Dei was founded through Escrivá in 1928 "by divine inspiration." The prelature was given a double purpose: (1) to form and assist its members to respond to their vocation and personal commitment to practice a demanding Christian life, and (2) to spread God's specific message that all Christians are called to holiness and apostolate in the middle of the world by virtue of their baptism (Fuenmayor et al 1996, Rodriguez et al 1994)

Spirit and message: finding God in work and daily life
The teachings of Opus Dei are essentially the doctrines of Roman Catholic Christianity transmitted and imbibed by ordinary working people. These teachings form a lay spirituality, and help build the spirit or culture which is practiced in the Work. Here are the main features of Escrivá's spiritual teachings, the basis of Opus Dei's spirit and the core of the message it was told to spread. (Holiness and the World1997; Berglar 1994)

Divine filiation: sharers of Christ's life
This is the foundation of the lives of Christians: they are children of God. By baptism, they are "made sharers in the life of Christ," the Son of God. They then have a deep trust in God their Father who loves and sanctifies them, a sense of fraternity with all people made in His image, and a passion for the world which came from God's hands. St. Josemaria taught that God "is a loving Father. He loves each one of us more than all the mothers in the world can love their children...We've got to be filled, to be imbued with the idea that our Father and very much our Father, is God who is both near us and in heaven."

Ordinary life: something divine
Christians are called to find God in work and daily life and stay close to Him, following Jesus, who worked as a carpenter and lived as a son of a Jewish family in a small village for 30 years. "There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it." )

Sanctifying work: he did all things well
Whatever work they do is to be done with a spirit of excellence as an effective service for the needs of society. Their work then becomes a fitting offering to God. In his work of service, it is known that Jesus Christ "did all things well." (Mk 7:37) By allowing God to transform them into "other Christs," Christians can become saints and apostles right there where they work and live.

Love of freedom: because he wanted to
God the Son became man, taking on human freedom. He sanctified mankind through love: by freely giving himself, "obeying" his Father's will throughout his ordinary life, "until death on the cross." (Phil 2,8) "He gave himself, because he wanted to." (Is 53,7) Through his freedom, each man controls and shapes his life, being responsible for cooperating or not with God's loving plan of holiness. Recognizing such great dignity, Christians should delicately respect the freedom of others, be open to a pluralism of opinions, and give themselves, with full freedom, to God and neighbor.

Prayer and sacrifice: great holiness in little things
Love, the essence of sanctity and apostolate, is nurtured by constant child-like prayer which is supported by norms of piety involving the Eucharist, the Bible, and the Virgin Mary. Mortification, "prayer of the senses," is especially done by striving to practice all the human virtues, like being kind, hardworking, sincere and cheerful despite difficulties and failures. "Do everything for Love. Thus there will be no little things: everything will be big...'Great' holiness consists in carrying out the 'little duties' of each moment." ) These actions are co-offered in the Holy Mass, the same redeeming sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Sanctifying grace flows down especially through communion and confession.

Charity and apostolate: giving the best to people
Christians give the highest importance to the virtue of charity: being understanding and caring for each person. "A new commandment I give you: That you love one another as I have loved you." (Jn 13:34) Included in charity is service towards the needy in society and the practice of human courtesy, refinement, warmth and affection. Love, which should be orderly, starts by performing one's duties well and is first directed towards Christ's Vicar on earth. And it overflows when one generously gives the best to people, bringing them closer to their Father God, source of peace and joy.

Unity of life: God and man
This term, which Escrivá frequently used, describes the happy result in each person who practices these teachings: no double life--prayer divorced from daily work. Instead a life in the world consistent with the beauty of the Christian faith -- the life of "Christ himself," God and man. "Any honorable work can be prayer and all prayerful work is apostolate. In this way the soul develops a unity of life, which is both simple and strong."

For another exposition of these main teachings, see the Opus Dei website. See also Holiness and the World: Studies in the Teachings of Blessed Josemariá, 1997), specially the article of moral theologian Prof. William May ).

Essential characteristics
Opus Dei's spirituality commits lay people to sanctify themselves in the same place where they were before they met Opus Dei. Even more, their place in the world is the means for their sanctification. (Rodriguez et al 1994) "Our cell is the street," Escriva used to say. The spiritual family of people who receive the vocation to spread God's specific message will have to receive pastoral care within an organization and collaborate with its apostolic work. (Fuenmayor et al 1996; Berglar 1994, p. 301-326)

This organizational and legal structure has to be consistent with the essential characteristics of Opus Dei as established "by divine inspiration": (1) international in scope, (2) under one head, (3) for both clergy and laity who work as one (no class distinctions between the two), (4) for men and women, (5) focused on formation, (6) the secularity of its faithful, (7) having priests of its own for the pastoral care of the members, and lastly but very importantly (8) a part of the Church's own formal, hierarchical structure which can incorporate people with the special vocation, establishing with this that Opus Dei, as a portion of the Church itself, is a work of God and not a mere product of voluntary association. (Fuenmayor et al 1996, p. 34-41)

Personal prelature: fitting juridical suit for its life
Given the novelty of this living organization within the Church and the specific structures current in Church law at the time of its foundation, it took many years of twists and turns (1928-1982) before Opus Dei was granted the legal framework that would fit its foundational grace. Thus, on November 28, 1982, Catholic Church established Opus Dei as personal prelature, a framework envisioned in Vatican II, saying that it is  "perfectly suited to Opus Dei." See also. This is what Escriva called the "right suit" or clothing that should fit life and not the other way around.

Like dioceses: laity-clergy-prelate
Like dioceses and military ordinariates, personal prelatures are under the governance of the Congregation for Bishops, for they take charge of lay people with its own secular clergy and prelate, unlike the religious orders which are under the Congregation for the Religious, because they take charge of nuns, monks, friars, religious priests, and lay orders which follow religious practices.

Like military ordinariates: for persons not territories
Like the military ordinariates, personal prelatures take care of persons with some particular objectives, wherever these persons might be, unlike the diocese which are in charge of territories of Catholic faithful.

Under the diocesan bishops: harmony of purpose
As Catholic faithful whose vocation is to sanctify their ordinary situation both civil and ecclesial, the lay members of Opus Dei "continue to be faithful of the dioceses...and are, therefore, under the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop in what the law lays down for all the ordinary faithful," in the words of the Apostolic Constitution Ut Sit. The authority of the Opus Dei prelate over them is restricted to all their spiritual and apostolic commitments in pursuit of the mission of the prelature. The mission of holiness is not only in harmony with the diocese's structure, but will benefit its spiritual life--the purpose of the Catholic Church.

Support of the Popes and other Church leaders
Throughout Opus Dei's adventurous history, the Church authorities have been supportive of its work of formation and its mission to spread the universal call to holiness, aware that the Catholic Church's "first purpose is to be the sacrament of the inner union of men with God" and that her "structure is totally ordered to the holiness of Christ's members." (Catechism of the Catholic Church 775, 773)

Blessed John XXIII lauded Opus Dei and said on 5 March 1960 that it opens up "unsuspected horizons of apostolate." Paul VI said that the Work is "an expression of the perennial youth of the Church." (Handwritten letter to Msgr. Josemaria Escrivá de Balaguer, October 1, 1964)

John Paul I said just before the start of his brief papacy that Escrivá's teachings are "radical; he goes as far as talking about "materializing" --in a good sense-- the quest for holiness. For him, it is the material work itself which must be turned into prayer and sanctity."

John Paul II was a strong supporter of Opus Dei and said that "Opus Dei anticipated the theology of the laity of the Second Vatican Council." He established Opus Dei as a Personal Prelature in 1982 and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 1990, and canonized its founder in 2002. During the canonization, there were 42 cardinals and 470 bishops from around the world, general superiors of many orders and religious congregations, and representatives of various Catholic groups. One-third of the world's bishops (an unprecedented number) petitioned for the canonization of Escriva. (Messori 1997)

Doctrine: catching people by the head
Opus Dei gives a lot of importance to doctrinal formation, the transmission of revealed truth, because, as Escriva taught: "Men, like fish, are caught by head." And this doctrine has to be faithful, united as an unbroken branch to the teaching of the Church for it to bear fruit. The Vatican's Code of Particular Law for Opus Dei, or what is known as its Statutes, states: "the instruction of the members is presented in a way that is in complete conformity with the Magisterium of the Church." (See Fuenmayor 1994; Messori 1997, p. 157)

Formation, training, then 'off you go'
Same cooking pot. Since all the members have received only one vocation, "being contemplatives in the middle of the world," they receive essentially the same doctrinal, theological formation, spiritual and ascetical formation (Escriva referred to having the "same cooking pot" for his children) whether they are men or women, young or old, university graduates or not, well-to-do or needy, laymen or priests. Their theological and philosophical formation include courses on the History of the Church, Christology, Sacraments, Liturgy, Metaphysics, and Anthropology. Numerary members receive a more intense formation due to their formational duties.

No dogmas in temporal matters. Spiritual and ascetical training develops the member's life of piety and fosters their struggle to practice the human virtues. (See Romano 1995; Le Tourneau 2002) All their formation is geared towards teaching them to walk along the broad, expansive road of Catholicism, with maximum pluralism ("There are no dogmas in temporal matters" says Escriva), but always being consistent with their faith: "Nonsectarianism. Neutrality. Those old myths that always try to seem new. Have you ever bothered to think how absurd it is to leave one's Catholicism aside on entering a university, or a professional association, or a scholarly meeting, or Congress, as if you were checking your hat at the door?"

Personal responsibility: off you go. After providing this formation to its members, Escriva says: "Off you go." Opus Dei "has done its job...it has nothing else to do...Here begins the free and responsible personal actions of each member."

Innovative doctrine. Allegations of ultra-conservatism
A number of historians of theology and Church officials have said that Opus Dei has an innovative and revolutionary theological doctrine and anthropology, teachings which will have a decisive influence in the future of the Church and the world. (Berglar 1994, p. 189) These have provided ordinary people, the great bulk of the world-wide Church, a "truly lay spirituality" which can take them to heights of sanctity, and not just a religious spirituality applied to lay people. Its teaching on the universal call to sanctity, a doctrine which was half-forgotten for most of Christian history, has become a leitmotif of contemporary Christianity. (Illanes 1982) Cardinals and Vatican observers have called Escrivá a "precursor of Vatican II," an Ecumenical Council which made this teaching one of its centerpieces. (Berglar 1994, Orlandis 1993, Rodriguez et al 1994; see also article written by Cardinal Luciani aka John Paul I: )

Controversial: sign of contradiction. In the work of spreading this message marked by novelty, Opus Dei faced challenges, misunderstandings and controversies, leading some observers of religious phenomena to see Opus Dei as a "sign of contradiction." (See; O'Connor 1991, p. 1993)

Opus Dei has been criticized, by both secular and non-Catholic religious groups, for promoting an overly orthodox vision of the Roman Catholic faith, or what is called as ultraconservatism.

Secularist misapplication. Messori says that if by conservatism they refer to Opus Dei's fidelity to Church doctrine, then that is true: it is precisely Opus Dei's fidelity to the Church's origins --Escriva compared Opus Dei to the life of the early Christians who were ordinary folk-- that makes it original, new. (Messori 1997) Some analysts of the contemporary world also say that conservative is mainly and originally a political category which is misapplied by modern secularist ideologies to religious, moral and intellectual matters. These should be categorized as either faithful or heretical, good or evil, true or false. (Messori 1997, Weigel 1999)

Feminist criticism. Critics in Ireland, including some ex-Opus Dei members, accused the organisation of 'sexist exploitation' of women, whom they claimed were restricted in Opus Dei run hostels to doing manual work such as cooking and cleaning and denied any role in leadership.

Women, leadership, service. In response, supporters say that men and women are equal in Opus Dei, with half the leadership positions being held by women. In response to the opposition of the feminists to domestic and homemaking work, John Paul II stressed Vatican II's teaching that "man does not find fulfillment except in the sincere gift of self," saying that this refers to both man and woman: to serve is the reign. Equality is not uniformity nor an inferior imitation; it does imply the full development of her "feminine genius" and personality. And this includes, in the words of Escriva, the "noble profession" of "creating a warm and formative atmosphere" in the home, where she also achieves "personal perfection," "aware of the beauty of this contribution," "a social contribution, which can most easily be the most effective." (See Messori 1997, Berglar 1994)

Radical demands
It is difficult to understand Opus Dei and its practices if one resists, according to German historian Peter Berglar, "a simple, direct, uncompromising approach to Christianity," (1994, p. 177) or what John Paul II referred to as the "radical nature" of the gospel.(See John Paul II's Novo Millennio Ineunte)

Free, total self-giving. One of Escriva's favorite teachings is the biblical injunction on loving God with one's whole heart, soul and might, a love which does not keep back anything, a kind of love which parents are supposed to transmit all day long to their children (Deut 6:4-9), and which Christ said is the "greatest commandment." (Mt 22:37-40) "Christian faith and calling affect our whole existence, not just a part of it," he said in one of his published homilies. "Our relations with God necessarily demand giving ourselves, giving ourselves completely." This, for Escriva is the "good use of freedom, when it finds its true meaning...put in the service of the truth which redeems" [

Saving souls: like breathing. "When one tastes the love of God, one feels burdened with the weight of souls... The Word chose to become flesh in order to save men...For a Christian, apostolate is something instinctive...like breathing." (See also Rodriguez 1994, Ocariz 1995) And to win people to God means: "First prayer; then atonement; and in the third place, very much in the third place, action." Atonement refers to a spirit of sacrifice in ordinary life and also through extraordinary means called "corporal mortification," bringing about a self-identification with the Son of God who redeemed mankind through the cross. Apostolate, according to Escriva, is but an overflow of the spiritual life (See Holiness and the World 1997}

Criticisms: allegations of being a cult
Due to these radical demands, some critics accuse Opus Dei of acting as a religious cult within the Church.

Characteristic cult behavior. They say that Opus Dei shows characteristic cult behavior such as:
 * unfair and aggressive recruitment methods, which include lack of informed consent on the part of the new recruit, love bombing techniques and undue pressure to join
 * encouraging members to relinquish contact with their friends and families in favour of contacts within the group
 * controlling the environment of the member; loss of freedom of the members
 * threatening members when they try to leave. The strongest form of threat is the threat of condemnation. ie it is not a physical but psychological threat.
 * making members focus on efforts in favor of the growth of the group. The most important job for an Opus Dei member is to attract other people to become members too. His social life, the circles that he frequents, the kinds of people he tries to become a friend of, is always geared towards proselytism.
 * requiring numerary members to perform what critics view as highly suspicious practices such as mortification of the flesh, involving the use of the cilice and the discipline ; its founder is frequently alleged by critics to have whipped himself until there was blood on the walls. In his writings, he stated: "Blessed be pain. Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. . . Glorified be pain!"

(See Opus Dei Awareness Network, Inc. an organization "founded in 1991 to meet the growing demand for accurate information about Opus Dei and to provide education, outreach and support to people who have been adversely affected by Opus Dei." "ODAN has been in contact with countless individuals, families, the secular and religious press, clergy, religious, cult awareness organizations, campus ministers, home-schooling parents and more." ODAN has the support of former members of Opus Dei and their parents. It provides a venue for people who left Opus Dei to discuss their views. )

Intraeclesial sect. A sociologist and doctor in law, Alberto Moncada, a former member of Opus Dei who was Pro-Rector of an Opus Dei related university in Latin America, says that Opus Dei is an "intraeclesial" sect, because for the Vatican "radical rightist groups and fundamentalisms are tolerated." (See "Catholic Sects: Opus Dei" in Revista Internacional de Sociologia, Madrid 1992)

Responses: theological and sociological assessment
There are basically two ways of looking at the accusation of cult status: One from the point of view of the Church and the other from the point of view of social scientists.

Theological and ecclesiastical assessment. Church officials, like Cardinal Schönborn, editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, say that: "Nobody needs to have studied theology to recognize the basic contradiction in the slogan 'sects within the Church'; ...From a theological and ecclesiastical point of view, a group is considered a sect when it is not recognized by the relevant Church authority." L'Osservatore Romano, 13/20 August 1997.
 * Aggressively proselytizing young people and their lack of informed consent. Berglar says that he cannot understand "why parents will allow a teenager the decision to drop out of religion class, but not the decision to serve God and the Church. The time-tested experience of the Church is,indeed, that a young person can generally recognize the signs of a divine vocation and at least begin to pursue it." He referred to many famous figures who lived in a saintly way and were canonized. (Berglar 1993, p 164) According to Opus Dei rules, new members must be aged 18 or over. Before people are admitted, they are taught about the teachings of Escriva on free, total self-giving, obedience and mortification. They are also asked if they understand the demands and if they are deciding with full freedom. (Berglar 1994, Messori 1997)
 * Celibacy: Leaving parents behind. Opus Dei teaches what the Church teaches: Parents "must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus: 'He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.' (Mt 10:37)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2232) At the same time Opus Dei teaches that the fourth commandment is the "the most sweet precept" which should be compatible with the priorities set by the first commandment.
 * Mortification of the flesh. Many experts in the history of Christianity affirm that these practices exist in other Catholic organizations and even other religions, and have been taken up throughout the Church's history by many prominent saints, Saint Thomas More perhaps being the nearest example, due to his being a lay Christian and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, one of our contemporaries.  Certain philosophers and theologians say that the modern-day perplexity over mortification of the flesh is rooted in secularism, a skepticism towards God, religion and supernatural realities.  Secularists find it difficult to understand what John Paul II calls "the need for suffering" out of supernatural reasons. He explains in his Apostolic Letter on the Salvific Meaning of Suffering that "suffering, more than anything else, makes the powers of the redemption present." And understanding this is "a source of joy." . Escriva said that he was moved by God to be generous in mortification due to his responsibilities as founder. He laid out rules on corporal mortification, so that this is not abused: mortifications in little things which nurture the virtue of humility is preferred. (See Wikipedia article for a historical and theological study on mortification of the flesh; see also Gomez Perez 1992 and )

Sociological assessment.
 * Notion of cult. The term has been subjected to strenuous criticism in recent decades by some social scientists who argue that the label is often little more than a pejorative term for religious groups that fail to sufficiently conform to a given society's values. Some cite the analysis of CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, an international organization of scholars from leading universities devoted to the study of new religious forms: "the category of 'cults' used by these [anti-cult activists's] documents is unscholarly and not acceptable. Methodologically, it is clear that these [ anti-cult ] reports rely primarily on sources supplied by the international anti-cult movement, and accept uncritically the brainwashing or mind control model of conversion, a model unanimously rejected by mainline sociological and psychological science." (See also the investigation done by Vittorio Messori (1997) and the study done by Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR on Opus Dei and the anti-cult movement. Introvigne refers to the laicist roots of the anti-cult activists who cannot tolerate "il ritorno del religioso," the return of the religious.)
 * Anti-Catholic bias. Some contemporary observers of social trends have suggested that many of the criticisms and allegations against Opus Dei are connected to an anti-Catholic bias, whereby the Catholic Church itself is tagged as a cult. According to these authors, anti-catholicism is the "last acceptable prejudice" in the western world. This approach assumes that western civilization finds other prejudices less acceptable, such as discrimination against women, Jews, African-Americans and gays. (See Jenkins 2003 and Massa 2003; also )

Other criticisms and portrayals
Aside from the criticisms on Opus Dei's doctrine and its perceived cult-like behavior, there are other objections, suspicions, rumours and negative fictional portrayals of its practices and beliefs.

Other criticisms.
 * The late Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, issued a set of "Guidelines for Opus Dei within the Diocese of Westminster" in December, 1981. Some read these as implicit criticism of Opus Dei's apostolic work, although others point to the fact that Cardinal Hume was the principal celebrant at Opus Dei's 70th anniversary Mass in London (October 1998) by way of evidence that the cardinal and the organization enjoyed good relations. The latter also refer to his homily.
 * Some traditionalists or ultraconservatives criticize Opus Dei's support for the Second Vatican Council's teachings on ecumenism and the role of the laity in the Church.
 * Others object to the humanitarian and spiritual relief missions that it has undertaken, such as the one located in the Mountains of Yauyos, Peru.

Da Vinci Code. Opus Dei played a large role in Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. Although not wholly inaccurate, some of Opus Dei's practices were misleadingly described in the book, including mortification of the flesh. The novel also erroneously characterized the organization as a monastic order. After the book's publication, Opus Dei published a comprehensive set of responses, which says that the book is "a work of fiction, and it is not a reliable source of information" on Christian history and theology. .

Activities: at the grassroots and through institutions
The largest part of the apostolic activity of the prelature is what the individual members do with their friends and colleagues in their respective communities and places of work or what people nowadays call the grassroots. Collective formative activities consist of religious retreats and classes in Catholic doctrine.

Its members also undertake many social initiatives: Opus Dei operates several hospitals, clinics, schools, and inner-city tutoring programs. For example, in the United States, members operate one college and five secondary schools, and tutoring programs in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.. The U.S. National Headquarters is in 243 Lexington Avenue (Lexington Avenue & E. 34th Street) New York.

For more information regarding corporate works of Opus Dei and apostolic initiatives of members of Opus Dei all over the world, please see.

Vocation and membership
The Vatican Yearbook indicates that Opus Dei has 85,000 members about 1,800 of whom are priests.

One vocation, many circumstances and a contract
Having only one vocation of total dedication to sanctity and apostolate, members are differentiated based on their personal circumstances and availability to work directly for the prelature. Opus Dei additionally has many "cooperators," who assist its activities through prayer, donations, or other means.

As they are not religious nor consecrated persons like the clergy, the lay members of Opus Dei are incorporated into the prelature by means of a private contractual bond. No vows.

Numeraries: most available to the prelature
Numeraries, who comprise less than 20% of the membership, live in celibacy so as to be totally available to the formational tasks of the prelature.

The term "numerary" is taken from worlds of Spanish and Latin American academies and government, although it is also used in France, Italy, England and the US. It is a designation which refers to professors, officials and professionals like doctors who are incorporated to an institution of a civil character in a fixed way. (See Wikipedia article on numerary for examples of prominent people with this title) By not using terms like brother, novice, etc., Opus Dei emphasizes its lay character. Numeraries in Opus Dei consider Opus Dei as their family, to which they devote all their earnings. As a general rule, they live in Opus Dei centers. Most of them hold regular secular jobs, but for some their professional work is to direct the apostolic activities of Opus Dei. The numeraries are the primary givers of spiritual direction to the rest of the membership.

In addition to the practice of celibacy, the numerary members follow practices of mortification of the flesh. (See 4.3.2 and 4.3.3 of this article for more information on these practices)

It is generally from the numeraries that the prelate calls men to the priesthood. When a man becomes a numerary, he does so with the willingness to consider becoming a priest if the prelate should ever ask him. However he always remains free to decline, since one does not become a numerary with the intention of becoming a priest. One simply remains open to seriously considering the possibility if it is offered to him.

Associates: celibates as well
Associates are next in order of availability. They also live in celibacy, but they typically do not live in Opus Dei facilities. Their personal circumstances do not permit them to be as available to the prelature's work as a numerary is, perhaps because they have an elderly parent they have to take care of, or they run a family business that would interfere with their ability to move to another city. Associates are also involved in giving spiritual direction to other members of the prelature and to non-members, too. The prelate can also ask them to become priests, but they remain free to decline.

Supernumeraries: the coal-face of Opus Dei
Most of the members are supernumeraries. They are the least available for the formational tasks but assist in them as their circumstances permit. Married or unmarried, they live wherever they want. Having the same vocation as the celibate members, supernumeraries also give themselves totally to Christ in Opus Dei; theirs is not a second class membership. They nevertheless form the 'coal-face' of Opus Dei in that they epitomize fully the life of the Christian struggling to live sanctity in daily life be it in the family, the workplace or both.

Numerary assistants: apostolate of apostolates
There is another type of member among the women of Opus Dei called "numerary assistant". They practice celibacy and attend to the domestic needs of the centers of Opus Dei, both for the men and for the women. Since there is only one vocation, they are equal to the rest of the membership. And because of the importance of material things in transmitting the "incarnate" Christianity of Opus Dei, Escriva used to call their work as "the apostolate of apostolates."

Opus Dei's role in society: out of a hundred, one hundred
Members of Opus Dei know that the Catholic Church, through the laity, has a mission of Christianizing society and the whole temporal order. Responding to the Christian vocation, they strive to put the Christian imprint of love, justice and professional excellence in their workplace and in the society where they live. (Le Tourneau 2002)

"Out of a hundred souls, we are interested in one hundred," said Escriva, for indeed people, whether they are poor or rich, continue to be people. Since the Work started among the friends of Escriva in the university and realizing the immense impact of the intellectuals on people's mode of behavior, one of Opus Dei's priority apostolate for the evangelization of society is the apostolate of culture. (Fuenmayor 1994, Messori 1997, p.110-111)

Sanctification of work: an epigrammatic trinity
P. Berglar, a German, said that Escriva's advice, "Sanctify your work, sanctify yourself in your work, and sanctify others through your work," is "the shortest and most popular definition of Opus Dei's spirit." Berglar calls this "an epigrammatic trinity." (1994, p. 265)

So that this sanctification can take place, the Opus Dei prelature provides "professional formation" for its faithful. This formation stresses the following: hardwork, study, cultural and professional development, human warmth and refinement in interpersonal relations, ethical behavior, prudence, honesty, social responsibility, respect for freedom and pluralism, not making use of the Church for one's gain, and the priority of prayer. (Le Tourneau 2002, Romano 1995)

Privacy and naturalness. Allegations of secrecy
Suspicions and rumors. It is said that there are suspicions that Opus Dei functions as a secret society. There are rumours that some senior members of the U.S. judiciary and FBI are Opus Dei members. Contrary to Catholic organizations in which all the teachings and writings of the founder are public, in Opus Dei there is a whole body of teachings, norms, writings that are restricted to its members and are not public; even between members, there are different levels of the literature that they have access to. For example, the teachings and instructions for numeraries would not be available to supernumeraries, et cetera, much less to the general public. (See Walsh 1989)

Ethics of private contracts and information. Like other Catholic organizations, dioceses and private groups, Opus Dei does not in general comment on who is or is not a member, out of respect for their privacy. The prelature "has no right to communicate the fact of membership if the person in question does not permit it. To confuse this with 'secrecy' is to be unwilling to recognize the standard practice of any organization with voluntary contracts," since Opus Dei members are incorporated by private bilateral contracts and not by public vows. (Gomez Perez 1992) Also Opus Dei does not publicize sensitive and confidential information, like any ethical professional group. (Messori 1997)

Like members of private health clubs, the faithful of Opus Dei's membership status is known by their relatives and close friends. Membership status of public personalities can be known by the person's own public declaration of his private links. See list of publicly known Opus Dei members in Opus Dei: Prominent Members.

Maximum pluralism. Allegations of far-right links
"Respect for its members' freedom is an essential condition for Opus Dei's very existence," said Escriva. "If Opus Dei had been involved in politics, even for an instant," he once wrote, "in that moment of error I would have left Opus Dei." (Le Tourneau 1989, p. 49)

Inviolable rule: pluralism in temporal matters. Among the inviolable and perpetual rules he set up to ensure that the essential condition of the organization's life is fulfilled is this: "Each faithful of the Prelature enjoys the same liberties as other Catholic citizens in what concerns professional activity, social, political doctrines, etc. The authorities of the Prelature, however, must abstain from giving any counsel in matters of this nature. Therefore this full liberty can be diminished only by the norms that apply to all Catholics and are established by the bishop or Bishop's Conference." (Statutes 88.3) After investigating into the actual implementation of these rules and spirit, Messori concludes that (1) the members of Opus Dei do not receive nothing else but spiritual advice, (2) they do not operate as a herd in political affairs, but (3) consider respect for pluralism in matters of faith one way of obeying a central conviction of the founder. (See Messori 1997, p. 175)

Far-right links. Critics, however, say that there are links between Opus Dei and right-wing organizations, particulary a letter from Escrivá to Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain who was assisted by Nazi Germany into power. Several Opus Dei members were appointed ministers in Franco's government, and the organization had relations with the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Alien to any political activity. On the other hand, members of Opus Dei say that the letter of Escrivá shows exemplary virtues as a citizen and a Catholic priest, as he says: "Although alien to any political activity, I cannot help but rejoice as a priest and Spaniard" that Spain, through its Head of State, has officially accepted the law of God in line with the Catholic faith. And Catholicism's law and faith stands for human rights, human dignity and freedom.

Gross slander and myths. The ministers who served in Franco’s government are usually cited as proof of the link between fascism and Opus Dei. According to Berglar, this is a gross calumny and shows a "naïve" view of the dictator as a "fascist bogeyman." The Spanish government under the Generalissimo is more of "an authoritarian, clerical-minded technocracy." (Berglar 1994, p. 186) Messori says further that there were only 8 members of Opus Dei (5 of whom served for only one term or but a few months) of the 116 ministers under Franco's regime, and they started serving only after 1956. There was no Opus Dei member in his last cabinet. They were never a majority: "The myth of an Opus Dei dominated Franco government is just that--a myth" (Messori 1997, p. 30)

Franco government's attacks on Opus Dei members. A number of historians say that there were members who were sentenced to prison or left Spain under Franco because they didn't agree with the politics of Franco and his regime. (See Opus Dei: Prominent Members) Falangists, Franco's political organization suspected Escrivá of "internationalism, anti-Spainism and freemasonry," according to Berglar, and that during "the first decade of Franco's regime, Opus Dei and Escrivá were attacked with perseverance bordering on fanaticism, not by enemies but by supporters of the new Spanish state. Escrivá was even reported to the 'Tribunal for the Fight against Freemasonry.'" (Berglar 1994, p.180-181; see also Vasquez de Prada 1997)

Political pluralism: members on both wings. Moreover, aside from those working on the right side of the political spectrum, there are numerous Opus Dei members in many others parts of the world, e.g. Latin America, Europe, Asia, who are involved in left-wing politics and organizations: labor unions, left-of-center political parties, organizations working for the marginalized, poverty alleviation and reduction programs, etc. It is impossible for all of them to be herded into one political agenda.

The secret of Opus Dei's work in society
Order from within. For those who keep on talking about the secrets of the Work, Escriva has this answer: "The secret of Opus Dei is prayer, and also work turned into prayer." If Christians are not men and women of deep interior life, souls of prayer and sacrifice, he warned the church officials who visited him during the Second Vatican Council, then instead of putting society and the family in order, they will just add their own disorder to the disorder that is already there. (Berglar 1994, p. 248) This is the same teaching indicated by John Paul II in Novo Millennio Ineunte as regards how to reach the goal of holiness: "a training in the art of prayer."

Overcoming the greatest temptation. This in turn is echoed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, when he reflected on the importance of Opus Dei and Escriva: "This, for me, is a message of greatest importance. It is a message which leads to overcoming what could be considered the great temptation of our times: the pretense, that is, that after the "big bang" God retired from history. God's action did not stop at the moment of the "big bang", but continues throughout time in the world of nature and the world of man...."

What holiness is. "Holiness is this profound contact with God, becoming a friend of God: it is letting the Other work, the Only One who can really make the world both good and happy. And if, then, Josemaría Escrivá speaks of the calling of all to be saints, I think that he is actually referring to this personal experience of his of not having done incredible things by himself, but of having let God work..."

Uninterrupted conversation. "From all this I have better understood the inner character of Opus Dei, this surprising union of absolute fidelity to the Church's great tradition, to its faith, and unconditional openness to all the challenges of this world, whether in the academic world, in the field of work, or in matters of the economy, etc. The person who is bound to God, who has this uninterrupted conversation, can dare to respond to these challenges, and no longer has fear. For the person who stands in God's hands always falls into God's hands. And so fear vanishes, and in its place is born the courage to respond to today's world."

Historical highlights

 * 1902: January 9. Birth of the founder, Josemaria Escriva, in Basbastro Spain
 * 1917: Escriva received "inklings" of a special call, after seeing "footprints in the snow," sign of the generosity of a monk who walked barefooted in winter
 * 1925: March 28. Escriva is ordained as a priest
 * 1928: October 2. Founding of Opus Dei. Having "no plans nor project" of his own, Escriva "saw Opus Dei." "On this day," he wrote, "our Lord started his Work. He founded Opus Dei"
 * 1930: February 14. Founding of the Women's branch of Opus Dei. Against his personal opinion, Escriva was shown that women belong to Opus Dei
 * 1939: The Way, Escriva's best-selling spiritual considerations, was first published
 * 1941: Opus Dei is granted recognition as pious union by the Bishop of Madrid, who told its detractors that the Opus (the Work) is truly Dei (of God)
 * 1943: February 14. Founding of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, an organization for the sanctification of secular priests through their pastoral work.
 * 1946: Beginning of Opus Dei in Portugal, Italy, and England. Escriva moves to Rome to establish the headquarters of Opus Dei there ("All with Peter to Jesus through Mary") and prepare for final recognition
 * 1949: Opus Dei spreads overseas. It starts in Mexico and the United States
 * 1950: June 16. Opus Dei is given final and complete approval by Pius XII
 * 1958: October 28. John XXIII is elected Pope
 * 1962: Start of the Second Vatican Council, which proclaimed the universal call to holiness and initiates the legal framework called the personal prelature
 * 1963: June 21. Paul VI is made Pope.
 * 1972: Start of international catechetical trips of Escriva
 * 1975: June 26. Death of the founder. Alvaro del Portillo, his closest associate, was elected as his successor. At the end of Escriva's life, there were 60,000 members of Opus Dei from 80 nationalities.
 * 1978: October 16. John Paul II is elected Pope
 * 1982: November 28. Establishment of Opus Dei as personal prelature
 * 1992: May 17. Beatification of the founder. One third of the world's bishops asked for the beatification. Many referred to the biblical logic: "by their fruits you shall know them." The Pope said during the Beatification Mass: "With supernatural intuition, Bl. Josemaria preached untiringly the universal call to holiness and apostolate"
 * 1994: Msgr. Javier Echevarria is appointed by John Paul II as the second successor of Escriva after the death of del Portillo
 * 2002: October 6. Canonization of the founder. John Paul II calls him "the saint of the ordinary"

(See Berglar 1994, p. 202, 327-330, passim; Coverdale 2002, Vasquez de Prada 1999 and other biographies)

Writings of the founder

 * Josemaría Escrivá: The Way, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932545
 * Josemaría Escrivá: Furrow, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932553
 * Josemaría Escrivá: The Forge, Scepter Publications, 1992. ISBN 0933932561
 * Josemaría Escrivá: Christ Is Passing By, Scepter Publications, 1982. ISBN 0933932049
 * Josemaría Escrivá: Friends of God, Scepter Publications, 1981. ISBN 0906138027
 * Josemaría Escrivá De Balaguer: Conversations with Monsignor Josemaría Escrivá, Scepter Publications, 2003. ISBN 1889334588

Studies about Opus Dei: monographs

 * Peter Berglar: Opus Dei. Life and Work of its Founder, Scepter 1994. ISBN 0933932650 -- a thorough study of Opus Dei based on the life story and work of its founder written by Dr. Berglar, a professor of history at the University of Cologne
 * Dominique Le Tourneau: What Is Opus Dei?, Gracewing, 2002. ISBN 0852441363 -- a French scholar's authoritative synthesis
 * Vittorio Messori: Opus Dei, Leadership and Vision in Today’s Catholic Church, Regnery Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0895264501 -- an investigation (Una indagine, the original Italian title) done by a famous journalist who interviewed John Paul II in Crossing the Threshold of Hope
 * Giuseppe Romano: Opus Dei: Who? How? Why?, Alba House, 1995. ISBN 0818907398 -- a study of an Italian essayist
 * Rafael Gomez Perez,Opus Dei: Una Explicacion, Ediciones Rialp 1992. ISBN 8432128929 -- University Professor of Anthropology explains various aspects of Opus Dei
 * William West: Opus Dei. Exploding a Myth, Little Hills Press, 1987. ISBN 0949773751 -- a 5-year research in 10 countries conducted by a senior journalist and deputy editor of the Australian
 * Peter Bristow: Opus Dei: Christians in the Midst of the World, Catholic Truth Society, London, 2001.

Theological and juridical studies

 * Amadeo Fuenmayor, Valentin Gomez-Iglesias and Jose Luis Illanes: The Canonical Path of Opus Dei, Four Courts Press, 1996. ISBN 1851822216 -- two canonists and a theologian study the juridical nature and history of Opus Dei
 * Pedro Rodriguez, Fernando Ocariz and José Luis Illanes: Opus Dei in the Church, Four Courts Press, 1994. ISBN 1851821708 -- an ecclesiological and theological study of Opus Dei
 * Holiness and the World: Studies in the Teachings of Blessed Josemariá Escrivá, ed. M.Belda et al, Scepter Publications, 1997. -- collection of contributions to a theological symposium; contributors include Ratzinger, del Portillo, Cottier, dalla Torre, Ocariz, Illanes, Aranda, Burggharf and an address by John Paul II
 * José Luis Illanes: On the Theology of Work: Aspects of the Teaching of the Founder of Opus Dei, Four Courts Press, Dublin, 1982.
 * Fernando Ocariz, God as Father in the Message of Blessed Josemaria, Scepter, 1995.
 * Ernest Caparros: The Juridical Mind of Blessed Josemaría Escrivá. Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago 2001.

History and biography

 * Jose Orlandis, History of the Catholic Church, Four Courts Press, 1993. ISBN 1-85182-125-2 -- highlights of Church history
 * George Weigel, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, Harpercollins, 1999. ISBN 006018793X
 * Andres Vasquez de Prada: The Founder of Opus Dei. The Life of Josemaria Escrivá, Scepter Publishers 1997.
 * John Coverdale: Uncommon Faith: The Early Years of Opus Dei (1928-1943), Scepter Publications, 2002. ISBN 188933474X

Others

 * Francis Fernandez: In Conversation with God, Scepter Publications, 1993. ISBN 0906138191 (7 volume set)
 * María del Carmen Tapia: Beyond the Threshold, Continuum, 1998. ISBN 0826410960
 * Michael Walsh: Opus Dei: An Investigation into the Secret Society Struggling for Power Within the Roman Catholic Church, Harper San Francisco, 1989. ISBN 0060692685
 * O'Connor, William: Opus Dei: An Open Book. A Reply to the Secret World of Opus Dei by Michael Walsh, Mercier 1991
 * Elaine Shannon and Ann Blackman, The Spy Next Door : The Extraordinary Secret Life of Robert Philip Hanssen, The Most Damaging FBI Agent in US History, Liittle Brown, 2002 ISBN 0-316-71821-1

Catholic Church sites and sites supporting Opus Dei:

 * Papal Bull Ut Sit Establishing the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei and the Vatican Declaration on Opus Dei
 * Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger on Escriva and Opus Dei
 * Opus Dei Official Site
 * Romana, the Opus Dei Prelature's Bulletin
 * Writings of Josemaría Escrivá
 * The Da Vinci Code - Opus Dei Responds
 * Documents About Opus Dei and its founder
 * Catholic Hierarchy: Data about the Prelature
 * EWTN page on Opus Dei
 * Matt's Opus Dei FAQ
 * Opus Dei Files
 * Opus Dei: Fact and Fiction
 * Opus Dei in Everyday Life
 * Opus Dei Corporate Works
 * Opus Dei: Catholic Sources
 * Opus Members - members and ex-members testimonies
 * http://www.catholicity.com/mccloskey/
 * Ordinary Christians in the World
 * Holiness in Daily Life
 * Harambee 2002
 * Opus Dei Information Handbook

Sites critical of Opus Dei:

 * Opus Dei Awareness Network
 * The Unofficial Opus Dei FAQ
 * Opus Libros, created by alleged former Opus Dei numeraries (in Spanish)
 * Opus Dei: links, press reports, critical witnesses (in French)
 * Opus Dei in Brazil (in Portuguese)
 * Opus Dei - The Unofficial Homepage
 * The Rising Spectre - allegations from Ian Paisley's European Institute for Protestant Studies
 * Opus Dei: "International Jewish Conspiracy"
 *

Others

 * Decoding Opus Dei
 * DMOZ Opus Dei directory
 * University of Virginia Religious Movements Homepage Project article on Opus Dei

Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei Opus Dei

Category:Catholic Lay Societies Category:Roman Catholic Prelatures

title: Talk:Opus Dei/Old article version


text:
Frank Launder

Frank Launder (28 January 1906 – 23 February 1997) was a British writer, film director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat.

Early life and career
He was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England and worked briefly as a clerk before becoming an actor and then a playwright.

He began working as a screenwriter on British films in the 1930s, contributing the original story for the classic Will Hay comedy Oh, Mr Porter! (1937).

Sidney Gilliat
Launder first collaborated with Gilliat in 1936 on the film Seven Sinners. After writing a number of screenplays with Gilliat, including The Lady Vanishes (1938) for Alfred Hitchcock, and Night Train to Munich for Carol Reed; the two men wrote and directed the wartime drama Millions Like Us (1943).

After founding their own production company Individual Pictures, they produced a number of memorable dramas and thrillers including I See a Dark Stranger (1945) and Green for Danger (1946), but were best known for their comedies including The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) and most famously, the St Trinian's series, based on Ronald Searle's cartoons set in an anarchic girls school.

After The Happiest Days of Your Life Launder focused entirely on comedy.

According to the British Film Institute 'over a hundred films feature either Launder or Gilliat in the credits, nearly forty feature both' but this large number was not 'at the expense of quality'.

Personal life
He was married secondly to actress Bernadette O'Farrell from 1950 until his death in Monaco. The couple had two children. Launder also had two children from his first marriage.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Frank Launder


text:
Marc Tarabella

Marc Tarabella (born 11 March 1963) is a Belgian politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium with the Parti Socialiste, part of the Socialist Group. In February 2023 he was charged with corruption and money laundering in connection with the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament.

Early life
Tarabella was born in Ougrée, a suburb of Seraing from a family originally from Versilia, Italy.

Education

 * 1986: Degree in sociology, University of Liège
 * 1988: Seconded to the office of the Premier of the Walloon Region
 * 1990: Customer adviser, General Savings and Retirement Fund

Career in national politics

 * 1988–1994: Member of the Anthisnes Municipal Council
 * since 1994: Mayor of Anthisnes
 * 2000: Member of the executive of the Huy-Waremme Federation of the Socialist Party
 * 2003: President of the Rural Foundation of Wallonia
 * 2002: Belgian coordinator of the committees supporting Ingrid Betancourt

Member of the European Parliament
In parliament, Tarabella sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. He is a substitute for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and a vice-chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In January 2021, Tarabella became a member of the Italian left-wing party Article One.

Amid the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament in late 2022, Belgian police searched Tarabella's home. He subsequently suspended himself from the S&D group, and his Walloon Socialist party revoked his membership. He also stepped down as member and vice chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to Qatar and other Arabian Peninsula countries.

In February 2023 the European Parliament voted to waive immunity for Tarabella. He was subsequently arrested, charged with corruption and money laundering and remanded into custody. He denied any wrongdoing. In April 2023 he was released from prison and the following month released from house arrest.

title: Marc Tarabella


text:
USS Humphreys

USS Humphreys (DD-236/APD-12) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Joshua Humphreys, a pioneer US shipbuilder.

Construction and commissioning
Humphreys was launched 28 July 1919 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation; sponsored by Miss Letitia A. Humphreys, great-granddaughter of Joshua Humphreys; and commissioned at Philadelphia 21 July 1920.

1920s
After completing her shakedown training in New England waters, Humphreys sailed 14 August for special duty in the Mediterranean. For the next year she operated primarily in the eastern Mediterranean with Turkish ships, protecting American and Turkish interests in the area during the conflict which followed the Russian Revolution. Humphreys did surveying work and acted as station and communications ship. In November 1920 she evacuated civilians from the Crimea during the last stages of the Russian Civil War, and, until August 1921, operated off Palestine, Turkey, and Egypt on maneuvers. She sailed from Constantinople 6 August 1921, arriving Newport, Rhode Island 23 August, and spent the rest of the year in training operations.

Humphreys spent the next 2 years on ship and fleet training exercises in Atlantic and Caribbean waters. She sailed 21 January 1925 via the Panama Canal Zone for San Diego, California, and after her arrival 12 March took part in important fleet maneuvers off the California coast. In June she returned to New York and her regular schedule of training in the Caribbean. Humphreys maintained this operational pattern until decommissioning at Philadelphia 10 January 1930, taking part in annual reserve training cruises during the summers 1926–29.

1930s
Humphreys recommissioned at Philadelphia 13 June 1932, and sailed 15 August for maneuvers on the West Coast. The ship took part in two fleet problems, vital tools in perfecting equipment and tactics, before sailing 19 April 1934 for New York. Upon her arrival 31 May Humphreys resumed her readiness operations on the East Coast, taking part in a fleet exercise off Haiti in October. From the Caribbean the ship returned to San Diego 8 November 1934 and for the next year took part in important carrier training exercises in the Pacific. Acting as screen ship and plane guard, Humphreys helped perfect the tactics of aircraft carrier warfare which were to exert a strong influence on the coming war. She remained on the West Coast, with occasional voyages to Pearl Harbor and Midway, until she was decommissioned at San Diego on 14 September 1938.

Humphreys recommissioned once more 26 September 1939 as the beginning of the war in Europe necessitated an increase in America's readiness. Humphreys conducted shakedown off San Diego and sailed 13 November to join the Neutrality Patrol in the Caribbean, designed to protect American shipping. During May and June 1940 the ship took part in a sound school at Newport to improve her antisubmarine capability, and sailed 4 December from Norfolk, Virginia for San Diego, where she arrived 2 days before Christmas. There she continued Neutrality Patrol duty and engaged in antisubmarine training off California.

World War II
Humphreys was in San Diego when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into the war 7 December 1941. During the critical early months she operated as a coastal escort ship between San Pedro and Seattle, Washington but in May she sailed northward to Kodiak, Alaska, arriving 31 May 1942. In the bleak Aleutian Islands she escorted transports, patrolled American-held islands, and engaged in exercises with Honolulu, Indianapolis, and several destroyers. Humphreys arrived at San Francisco 11 November and entered Mare Island Navy Yard for conversion to high-speed transport.

She was reclassified APD-12 on 1 December 1942; and, following shakedown training, arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 December to prepare for duty in the western Pacific. After amphibious training in Hawaiian waters, the ship sailed to Noumea 22 January 1943 and began ferrying troops and supplies from advance bases to Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island. During these critical months as the ship repeatedly steamed to the Solomon Islands in support of amphibious assaults, she often fought off bombing and strafing attacks by Japanese aircraft.

After training landings Humphreys embarked elements of the 1st Cavalry Division at Nouméa and transported them to Townsville, Australia, in preparation for Operation Chronicle, landings on Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands. Arriving Townsville 20 May 1943, the ship sailed for Milne Bay 21 June, and from there landed troops and equipment on Woodlark 23 June without enemy opposition. This first landing of the long New Guinea campaign was also the first for Admiral Daniel E. Barbey's 7th Fleet Amphibious Force ("VII Phib"), and provided invaluable experience for the numerous amphibious operations to come.

Humphreys sailed to Brisbane for repairs during July and August, and returned to Milne Bay 15 August 1943. There she prepared for VII Phib's next move up the coast of New Guinea to Lae. After putting their troops ashore early 4 September, the high-speed transports remained off the beach to protect landing craft from Japanese air attack. The Australian troops landed by Humphreys and the other ships soon took Lae, and the ship departed 7 September with casualties for Buna. On the 10th she returned with three other transports for a night sweep of Huon Gulf, driving away supply barges and bombarding Japanese positions around Lae.

Next on Barbey's amphibious timetable in New Guinea was Finschhafen, where Humphreys and her sister ships carried out a surprise landing 22 September. After bringing reinforcements 8 days later, the ship took casualties to Buna 8 October and arrived at Goodenough Island 19 October for amphibious exercises.

Seizure of New Britain was vital to the advance toward the Philippines as it provided control of the strategic Vitiaz and Dampier Straits. The first step of the operation was to gain control of the harbor at Arawe. Humphreys sailed with other amphibious units for southern New Britain, arriving 15 December; put ashore elements of the 112th Cavalry Regiment in rubber boats to seize harbor islands; then stood offshore to provide gunfire support before retiring to Buna that afternoon.

Humphreys also took part in the Cape Gloucester landings 26 December, remaining in the Cape Sudest area into February 1944. She then sailed for the landings in the Admiralties 27 February, arriving off Los Negros 2 days later. Humphreys landed troops at Hyane; steamed to Cape Sudest; and, when resistance stiffened in early March, returned off Hyane with reinforcements.

In April the ship began preparations for the three-pronged amphibious attack on central New Guinea, the Hollandia operation. Humphreys landed troops at Humboldt Bay 22 April against light opposition, and remained off the beaches providing gunfire support. Following the assault, she returned to Buna and sailed 12 May for the United States.

She arrived at San Francisco 30 May, and was converted to carry "frogmen," the Navy's skilled Underwater Demolition Teams. Sailing again 30 July, Humphreys trained in Hawaiian waters before sailing to Manus 28 September to join the invasion fleet for the return to the Philippines. Sailing 12 October, she carried UDT Team No. 5 to the Leyte beaches 18 October, remaining close in to provide fire support during this reconnaissance. Next day she patrolled Leyte Gulf for Japanese submarines, and continued this work during the main landings 20 October 1944. The veteran ship assisted in shooting down a bomber 21 October before sailing in convoy for Manus.

The invasion of Luzon was next on Humphreys' schedule. After stopping at Noumea and Hollandia, she sortied from the Palaus 1 January 1945 with the Lingayen invasion group. Steaming through the Philippines the ships encountered suicide attacks and shot down many planes. These attacks became more intense as Humphreys entered Lingayen Gulf 6 January; and next day as her UDT team swam ashore for vital reconnaissance work, the ship provided gunfire cover. She remained in the Gulf until sailing with a convoy 10 January, one day after the main landings.

The ship arrived at Ulithi 23 January 1945 and took on a new duty, screening logistics groups during at-sea replenishment and refueling of the wide-ranging carrier striking forces. She screened refueling operations for 5th Fleet escort carriers covering the Iwo Jima landings, then steamed on to Iwo Jima itself 8 March 1945. There Humphreys acted as screening ship until arriving Leyte with a convoy 17 March.

Fate
As an important preliminary to the main landings on Okinawa, Humphreys took part in the assault of Keise Shima 31 March, screening LST's and performing escort duties until 3 April when she sailed for Ulithi. This last and largest of Pacific landings was then well underway, and the ship escorted resupply convoys from Ulithi to bitterly contested Okinawa until returning to Pearl Harbor 4 June 1945. From there she sailed to San Diego where she was reclassified DD-236 on 20 July 1945. Humphreys decommissioned 26 October 1945 and was sold for scrap 26 August 1946 to National Metal & Steel Corporation, Terminal Island, Calif.

title: USS Humphreys


text:
Battle railway station

Battle railway station is on the Hastings line in the south of England and serves the town of Battle, East Sussex. It is 55 mi down the line from London Charing Cross. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.

It was opened on 1 January 1852 and line to Hastings opening a month later. The Gothic-style station building, designed by William Tress, is Grade II listed.

Battle station consists of two platforms linked by a footbridge (with steps on both sides) and a station building housing a ticket office and waiting room. Train information is provided in the form of automated announcements, displays and poster timetables. All the original sidings have now gone and now form part of the car park. The platforms are staggered and originally did not overlap as they do now, but were extended to cater for eight-carriage trains before the 1986 electrification of the line by British Rail.

Services
All services at Battle are operated by Southeastern using EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:
 * 2 tph to London Charing Cross
 * 2 tph to Hastings (1 semi-fast, 1 stopping)

Additional services, including trains to and from and London Cannon Street and Ore call at the station in the peak hours.

Connections
No bus services now run from directly outside the station, although bus routes 95 and 1066 towards Hastings, Hastings Conquest Hospital, Bexhill-on-Sea, Hawkhurst and Tunbridge Wells stop at the end of the long approach road. These services are all operated by Stagecoach South East.

title: Battle railway station


text:
Salvatore Tatarella

Salvatore Tatarella (11 October 1947 – 28 January 2017) was an Italian politician.

Biography and career
Graduated in law at the University of Bari, in 1972 he became a member of the central committee of the Italian Social Movement. From 1993 to 1999 he was Mayor of Cerignola and in the 1994 European Parliament election he was elected MEP. In 1999 he resigned as MEP and was candidate to the Chamber of Deputies in the supplementary election of Bari, in the vacant district for the death of his brother Pinuccio, and he was elected. In the 2001 Italian general election he was candidate in the district of Cerignola, but he wasn't re-elected.

In the European Parliament Election of 2004 he was again elected MEP with National Alliance for the Southern electoral district, and in the 2009 European Parliament election he was re-elected with The People of Freedom. In 2010 he left the PdL and joined Future and Freedom, the new party of Gianfranco Fini. He sat on the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. He also was a substitute for the Committee on Transport and Tourism, a member of the Delegation for relations with Iran and a substitute for the Delegation for relations with Mercosur countries.

Tatarella died on 28 January 2017 at the age of 69.

title: Salvatore Tatarella


text:
The Great Money Caper

"The Great Money Caper" is the seventh episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 10, 2000. In the episode, Homer, along with his son Bart, con people out of their money in order to pay for Homer's broken car. However, after having paid for the repairs, the two decide to continue grifting, which leads to some troublesome situations.

The episode was written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Mike Frank Polcino. The episode's title is a parody on The Great Muppet Caper. The episode features American actor Edward Norton as con artist Devon Bradley. In its original American broadcast, the episode received a 9.7 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Plot
The family goes to a magic-themed restaurant. While there, Marge gets drunk on Long Island Iced Teas and Bart becomes so fascinated with magic that he buys a magician's kit from the gift shop. On the way home, a sturgeon falls from the sky (implicitly from the Russian space station Mir) onto the family car's hood, which is severely damaged. At the Squidport, Homer and Bart start their magic show as a way to make money, but the act becomes a failure as nobody gives money, and Homer leaves Bart to do the rest of the act on his own. Bart is left out on the street, and people begin giving him money so he can get home on public transportation.

As Homer drives home, he sees Bart in a taxi, and when he gets home he sees him eating a steak dinner. They decide they can make money grifting; however, Marge and Lisa begin suspecting them after they "worked" without Bart's kit, which they both left behind at home. Homer and Bart continue to grift after they have fixed the car. After a close call during an attempt to grift Ned Flanders (during which he notices its similarity to the plot of Paper Moon), Grampa volunteers to help them, since he was a con-artist during the Great Depression. Grampa, Homer, and Bart grift the residents at the Springfield Retirement Castle. While performing the grift, they are arrested by an FBI agent; however, Grampa evades arrest by stealing a motorised wheelchair and escaping. After Homer and Bart manage to put themselves in a police station cell (on the pretence of scaring Bart straight), they realize that the FBI agent himself is a con man, and has conned them out of their money and the car.

Homer and Bart say the car was stolen in the church parking lot. The next morning they are surprised however to learn that Groundskeeper Willie was arrested for stealing the car, as he matched the description they gave of the carjacker as a "foreign loner with wild, bushy hair". Not wanting to admit they were conned, Homer and Bart go along with Marge's theory. At the trial, the Blue Haired Lawyer leads Homer to say that it was Willie who stole the car. After Willie is proven guilty, he snatches Wiggum's gun and shoots Principal Skinner. At this point, Homer finally confesses that he got conned, but Marge and the townspeople themselves tell Homer and Bart that they set up the trial and the carjacking to teach them a lesson on conning people, revealing that Skinner was not really shot (it was a fake blood pack and the gun was loaded with blanks), the judge was Grampa wearing a latex mask, and the con man who stole their car was an actor called Devon Bradley. (Willie, however, was not privy to this scheme, as he angrily states.) As Lisa is ready to explain why the town, media and police officials had "nothing better to do" than show them the consequences of their actions, Otto runs through the courtroom doors, shouting, 'Surf's Up!'. The scene then cuts to Springfield at the beach, with characters from the episode surfing, including the waiter from the restaurant, the two astronauts from the Mir space station and the sturgeon swimming in the sea.

Production
"The Great Money Caper" was written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Mike Frank Polcino. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 10, 2000.

Originally, the episode would be about pool hustling, however as writing ensued, the script went through several incarnations until the Simpsons writers settled on the grifting story seen in the episode. Omine read several books about grifters for preparation for writing the episode. The other writers also prepared themselves by watching several heist films, including House of Games, Paper Moon and The Sting, the latter two of which are referenced in the episode. For example, the revelation that Devon Bradley, the FBI agent in the episode who is revealed to be a con artist, was inspired by such films.

In a scene in the episode, Homer and Bart exit the Magic Palace's gift shop, only to end up in another gift shop. The scene was based on an experience of the episode's show runner Mike Scully, who, in order to exit the Lance Burton Theatre after a magic show, had to pass through a gift shop. The ending scene of the episode went through several changes and was as a result completed late in the episode's production. The writers had conceived the courtroom scene, but they were stuck trying to come up with an ending after Skinner had been shot. They eventually decided that the trial was a scam staged by the townspeople, and Simpsons writer George Meyer pitched the surfing scene that closed the episode.

Casting
A scene that was eventually dropped from the episode featured Robby Krieger, guitarist of the American rock band The Doors, as himself. Krieger had been promised a guest role on The Simpsons after the staff were allowed to use the Doors song "The End" for the season 11 episode "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder". However, during production, Scully thought that the scene stood out too much and that Krieger's cameo felt "too obviously shoe-horned in," so the scene ended up being cut from the episode. The scene was later included in The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season DVD set. To this day, Krieger has not officially been featured in an episode of The Simpsons. The con artist Devon Bradley was portrayed by American actor and director Edward Norton. Scully hired Norton for the role after James L. Brooks, one of The Simpsons' producers, told Scully that Norton was "a big fan of the show" and was willing to guest star in an episode. In the DVD audio commentary for the episode, Scully noted that Norton was very versatile and could imitate many Simpsons characters perfectly. The announcer at the "Magic Palace" who says the line "Folks, this is not part of the act" was voiced by Scully. According to him, the line was "a last-minute addition" to the episode.

Cultural references
The episode's plot is loosely based on the American comedy film Paper Moon, which was also the inspiration for Bart and Homer's swindle of Ned Flanders in the episode; Flanders himself compares Homer and Bart giving him a customised Bible to the film. The title of the episode is a parody of the 1981 film The Great Muppet Caper, and was pitched by Simpsons writer Matt Selman. The episode's ending lampoons the cliche of having twist endings at the end of heist films. ”Magic Palace”, the magic-themed restaurant that the Simpsons visit in the beginning of the episode, is a parody on The Magic Castle, a nightclub in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. Marge's line "I didn't say that for clapping" is a reference to a speech given by John Wayne while he was intoxicated. Homer wants to buy a singing rubber fish after their first con. At the end of the episode, Bart exclaims “Cowabunga!”, a catch-phrase of the main characters in the animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the scene where Grampa joins Bart and Homer, Grampa mentions the film The Sting II.

Reception
In its original American broadcast on December 10, 2000, "The Great Money Caper" received a 9.7 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, meaning it was seen by 9.7% of the population at the time of its broadcast. Among children, the episode was watched by 2.8 million viewers.

In his review of The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season DVD box set, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide praised the episode. He wrote that, unlike other episodes in the season, "The Great Money Caper" did not "rely on too many gimmicks" and therefore felt more realistic, even though he does not consider grifting an "everyday activity." He concluded his review by writing that the episode "does well for itself."

Jason Bailey of DVD Talk described the episode as being one of the season's highlights.

However, Matt Haigh of Den of Geek cited "The Great Money Caper" as one of the worst episodes of the season, as well as the whole series. In his review, Haigh criticized the Simpsons writers for not making sense of the story, and denounced the episode's ending for being "abrupt".

title: The Great Money Caper


text:
Marianne Thyssen

Marianne Leonie Petrus Thyssen (born 24 July 1956) is a Belgian politician of the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party (CD&V) who served as European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility between 2014 and 2019.

Early life
Born in Sint-Gillis-Waas, to a Flemish family, not related to the family of Baron Thyssen, Thyssen graduated from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in 1979, where she obtained a degree in law. She worked as a legal adviser for a Belgian organisation for the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses UNIZO and the women's network Christelijke Middenstands- en Burgervrouwen (CMBV) now Markant, becoming Director then acting Secretary-General at UNIZO in 1991. From 1986-1988 she acted as legal adviser to the state secretary for public health and disability policy.

Political activity
In 1991, Thyssen became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Flanders with the CD&V, the Flemish Christian Democrats in Belgium; she took the place of Karel Pinxten, who had moved to the Belgian Senate. From 1995-2008 she served as municipal Councillor for Oud-Heverlee, a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, and in 2001 she became First Alderman for Oud-Heverlee. As a local councillor, she chose to work on such social issues as childcare and care for the elderly. In 2008 Thyssen was elected leader of CD&V party.

During her almost 23 years as a member of the European Parliament Thyssen was re-elected five times. She has sat on the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, has substituted for the Committee on International Trade, was a member of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and a substitute for the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. From 1999-2014 she served as leader of the European People's Party's (EPP) Belgian delegation and from 2004-2009 was elected first vice-president of the EPP.

In 2014 Thyssen was appointed to the European Commission as Commissioner in charge of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility for the European Union (EU). She became the first Belgian woman to be appointed Commissioner.

Early career

 * 1979: Degree in law at the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL)
 * Assistant in the faculty of law, Catholic University of Leuven
 * Legal assistant in the office of the State Secretary for Health
 * Successively legal adviser, head of a research department and acting Secretary-General at Unizo (organisation for the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses)

Career

 * since 1991: Member of the European Parliament
 * Member of the bureau of the European People's Party
 * Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP-ED Group's SME Circle
 * First Deputy Mayor of Oud-Heverlee until 2008
 * Chair woman of the CD&V (15 May 2008 – 23 June 2010)

title: Marianne Thyssen


text: Category:Rivers of Turkey

title: Category:Rivers of Turkey


text:
Patrizia Toia

Patrizia Toia (born 17 March 1950) is an Italian politician and member of the European Parliament for North-West with Democratic Party, part of the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.

Education

 * Graduate in political science (Università degli Studi, Milan)
 * Specialised in strategic planning (Bocconi University, Milan)
 * Managerial post at Executive Committee of the Lombardy Region
 * Member of the federal executive and 'La Margherita' provincial party coordinator for Milan

Career

 * 1975-1985: Municipal Councillor of Vanzago (Milan)
 * 1994-1995: Member of Lombardy Regional Council (1985–1995), Member of Regional Executive with responsibility for coordination of social services (1989–1990), health (1990–1991) and the budget
 * 1995-1996: Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy
 * 1996-2001: Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Community Policies, Minister for Relations with Parliament
 * 1996-2004: Senator

Member of the European Parliament
In the European Parliament, Toia serves on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. In this capacity, she is the Parliament's rapporteur on the introduction of 5G. Since 2021, she has been part of the Parliament's delegation to the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Toia is also a substitute for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, a member of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee and a substitute for the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee.

In addition to her committee assignments, Toia is a member of the MEP Heart Group (sponsored by the European Heart Network (EHN) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)), a group of parliamentarians who have an interest in promoting measures that will help reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and the MEPs Against Cancer group. She is also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Cancer; the European Parliament Intergroup on Integrity (Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime); the European Parliament Intergroup on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights; and of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights.

title: Patrizia Toia


text:
Bel Marin Keys, California

Bel Marin Keys is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It lies at an elevation of 10 ft.

Geography
Bel Marin Keys is a waterfront community located east of the city of Novato. The community has approximately 700 homes. Most of the homes sit either on one of the many lagoons or on Novato Creek. All of the lagoons have access to San Pablo Bay through the navigational locks. The community is in ZIP code 94949 and area codes 415 and 628.

Bel Marin Keys was a planned community built between the late 1950s and late 1980s. Phases 1 through 4 were completed, but phase 5 was never built and instead the land is in the process of being restored back into the wetlands of Whiteside marsh, which were drained in the early 1900s for farmland. Phase 5 would have roughly doubled the size of Bel Marin Keys had it been built.

In March 2024, residents voted to approve a $30 million parcel tax; the money will build stronger and taller levees, plus an improved set of locks to keep adjacent waters from spilling into the lagoons adjacent to residences.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Bel Marin Keys is in the 2nd Senate District, and in the 10th Assembly District.

Federally, Bel Marin Keys is in.

title: Bel Marin Keys, California


text: User talk:207.192.213.7

title: User talk:207.192.213.7


text:
Talk:Economy of communist Czechoslovakia

Untitled
well, it's always good to have this kind of knowledge at our fingertips.

The article contains numerous unsupported, partisan statements. For example, what does it mean that the economic growth rate was "unsustainable"? That it would have continued to decline if history had turned out differently? How does one know? Is this an informed prediction of alternate future historical outcomes? Is it an analytic statement about specific structural issues? Which ones? Is it just a personal opinion of the cited source? Almost every sentence in the article has this problem--repeating oft-repeated phrases about Communist economy, without sufficient substantive content. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.1.228.155 (talk) 12:35, 14 April 2011 (UTC)

the ppp of soviet union i think isn't true. goto [] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 龙之舞 (talk • contribs) 22:22, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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References?
Nothing from '1960s' onwards is referenced. Where is this information from? 81.144.145.12 (talk) 15:47, 23 August 2022 (UTC)


text:
Talk:Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat

Incorrect Facts
1. Factual

To quote the article:

"...Malaysian Internal Security Act (ISA), which is an act that lock the accused (mostly opposition party members)..."

The Internal Security Act or ISA for short is an act very much like the Patriot Act in the US, except that Terrorism isn't the main concern of ISA. Malaysia, being a multicultural and multireligious society has prooven in the past to be extremely prone to bloody racial conflicts which start from small disputes.

The politics in Malaysia is greatly influenced by race and religion, and this is the sparking point of many conflicts. The ISA is a product of the Malaysian (then Malayan) government to curtail early communist brutalities in Malaysia, however in the modern day, this law also enables the arrest of other groups of people like Terrorists and people who incite racial or religious hatred.

Though there is some talk about the law being used to arrest political rivals of the ruling government, it has never been prooven and is still debatable.

2. Factual

To quote the article:

"As much as he is regarded as political opponent, he is also well respected by them even by former Prime Minister Mahathir"

I challenge the truth in the above quoted sentance.

Many times, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad (former PM of Malaysia) has slandered Nik Aziz in public, largely because Mahathir believes Nik Aziz is using the name of Islam to achieve his political aspirations. This has been said by Mahathir himself during various press conferences in the past (during and after his tenure as Prime Minister of Malaysia).

3. Glorification

To quote the article:

"Despite his position as the head of the Kelantan State, Tuan Guru lives in his small house and leads a very moderate life instead of using an official government residence."

Instead of a statement, this sentance has a tone which seems to glorify Nik Aziz.

4. Suggestion:

I dispute the neutrality of this article and the factual accuracy of this article. I would likt to suggest that this article be re-written.

Pavithran 17:33, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

 * Concerning number one, see Operation Lalang and read up on the events of the late 1990s for proofs. I however agree that the "(mostly opposition party members)" part should be removed to maintain neutrality. __earth (Talk) 04:11, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

X
I ammended the words opposition politician to clearly differentiate between a politician alligned to the government and a politician alligned to the opposition. Also, I replaced the words Chief Minister with Menteri Besar as this is more appropriate.
 * You're aware this is the ENGLISH language Wikipedia, right?
 * I would expect very, very few readers of this article to have any idea what a "Menteri Besar" is, whereas "Chief Minister" is very clear and descriptive.
 * Articles should be written for their target audiences, not for their authors.
 * I'm reverting for now and if anyone can think of a "more appropriate" description that is in English, please contribute that.
 * 83.233.47.96 (talk) 15:01, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

Propaganda
this page sounds more like propaganda crap than a genuine wikipedia page.i would edit it but then people might say i am prejudiced.so i leave it to you. - anon

agreed 150%. just count how many times the term "well-respected" was mentioned. it just makes me sick. this article desperately needs a cleanup. - anon

I have nothing against Nik Aziz but I agree with the above 2 comments. There's too much propaganda and vague terms. i have edited this phrase: "he is well received and also receives support from a number of non-Muslims in and outside of Kelantan." Compare difference - Kriskhaira 18:26, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Wow.
This is completely irrelevant to the article, but this guy's name is uncanny. My name is Nik Matt. :P Just thought I'd share that random piece of information. (24.158.164.5 23:34, 29 November 2006 (UTC))

Malays name are slightly have similarity with some Arab's name format that is having a "bin" for male or "binti" form female. Actually the guy name is Nik Aziz bin Nik Mat, Nik Mat is belong to his father.

Fair use rationale for Image:Nik aziz.jpg
Image:Nik aziz.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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Removed Category:Islamist
I have removed the Category:Islamist from this article. The reason for this is that it violates WP:NPOV and the justification for inclusion into this category is undocumented and unsourced. No secondary research has been found in both the page and the talk page to justify inclusion into this list. Furthermore, the edit that included Nik Aziz Nik Mat into this category is by an unlogged user from the IP 60.52.41.214 and is suspected of vandalism. - Syamil (talk) 08:39, 27 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Would you care to explain why it is NPOV? __earth (Talk) 08:51, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Okay, in the Wikipedia article Islamism it states that there are various definitions of Islamism. One definition is that Islamism is an "Islamic militant, anti-democratic movement" (this quote is taken from the wikipedia article). However anyone would be hard-pressed to find any research that indicates Nik Aziz's opinions as being such. Furthermore, as shown by the Islamism article, the term itself is controversial, with what I'd describe as "poor neutrality", that is two opposing opinions are displayed: one, that people who are Islamist are militants who are anti-democratic, and the other one being that such people are following their beliefs that Islam is an all-encompassing religion, and that they wish to be governed by it. Certainly, PAS can be seen as Islamist on the latter part due to it's introduction of Islamic policies in Kelantan. However it would be hard to attribute the former definiton to it due to the fact that Nik Aziz and the party contest elections on a democratic platform (that is people vote them in) and that there is no evidence I'm aware of that militant groups in the region(such as Jemaah Islamiyah) or around the world are involved with them.

On the issue of neutrality I can concede that it be mentioned that certain parties consider him an Islamist (with proper evidence of course), however definite inclusion into the category of Islamists is highly contentious since it has not been shown that Nik Aziz displays the many attributes required to be an Islamist. I can only guess as to the intentions of the contributor from IP 60.52.41.214, and the contributor must have some form of research I do not know about. It is understandably difficult to ascribe any Islamist political opinion to Nik Aziz as he serves as a Chief Minister to Kelantan and has no power at all over judiciary institutions, and he only serves his party as a Spiritual Advisor, having no decision-making powers whatsoever. Sharia'h courts in Malaysia are administered on a Federal level, having had no input from him or his party. For more

(Sorry for the long reply.) - Syamil (talk) 20:11, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

 * Well, the main definition on Wikipedia says "Islamism (Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) is a term that denotes a set of political ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system, the teachings of which should be preeminent in all facets of society." __earth (Talk) 03:31, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

Hagiography
What a ridculously biased article; was it written by one of his aides? For example, it doesn't mention at all things like the fact he wants to ban both non-Muslims _and_ moderate Muslims from state jobs:

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=344498&cat=et

P. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulmoloney (talk • contribs) 14:26, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

 * The article does not mention anything about banning non-Muslims. The way I understand the article is that, among Muslims, only those who pray are selected to be leaders. And, to clear things up, the 5 daily prayers are obligatory for Muslims.

 * What do you mean by the term moderate Muslism? Isa982 (talk) 00:10, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

 * The article may be ambigous, but it contains the following: Only Muslims who perform the obligatory five daily and Friday prayers may be considered to be future leaders, heads of department and civil servants in Kelantan as well as "I will move the motion at the state assembly that those who aspire to be leaders, penghulu, village heads and civil servants must pray five times a day and perform the Friday prayer". This explicitly mentions Friday prayer - a requirement for Muslims - but also says Those who do not pray are not scared of God, The Almighty. As they are not scared, they will do anything they want - this can apply to non-Muslims as well as Muslims who do not pray five times a day. This divides the population into two groups: Muslims he approves of and everybody else (Muslim and non-Muslim). He only wants the former to be onsidered to be future leaders, heads of department and civil servants in Kelantan. Autarch (talk) 11:30, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Image copyright problem with Image:PAS logo.svg
The image Image:PAS logo.svg is used in this article under a claim of fair use, but it does not have an adequate explanation for why it meets the requirements for such images when used here. In particular, for each page the image is used on, it must have an explanation linking to that page which explains why it needs to be used on that page. Please check

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Terrorism?
I have a sources here claiming that Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is the detained leader of the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia...

http://www.investigativeproject.org/profile/156

http://www.answers.com/topic/kumpulan-mujahidin-malaysia-kmm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/kmm.htm

 * That was his son, Nik Adli. The article already mentions it. Mkativerata (talk) 22:39, 10 August 2014 (UTC)

Alright thank you for that information! Breckham101 (talk) 14:49, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

Requested move 2 May 2017

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: No consensus (non-admin closure) - Yashovardhan (talk) 11:03, 18 May 2017 (UTC)

Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat → Nik Abdul Aziz – WP:COMMONNAME. Alexander Iskandar (talk) 19:32, 2 May 2017 (UTC) --Relisting.  Anarchyte  ( work  |  talk )   07:20, 10 May 2017 (UTC)

 * Oppose without evidence to overcome WP:TITLECHANGES. —  AjaxSmack  21:50, 15 May 2017 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

title: Talk:Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat


text:
Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna

Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (born 1 April 1951 in Lugo) is a Spanish politician and former Member of the European Parliament with the People's Party, part of the European People's Party. He served in the European Parliament from 1994 to 2009.

During his last mandate, he was vice-chair of European Parliament's Committee on International Trade and of its Committee on Fisheries. He was also a substitute for the Committee on Regional Development and a member of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand.

Education

 * 1974: Graduate in law
 * diploma in international studies
 * 1980: Diplomatic School
 * 1985: diploma in European Community studies
 * 1985: Traineeship in the Legal Service of the European Commission

Career

 * 1985–1993: Legal adviser to the Galician regional government
 * 1990–1992: Commissioner for Galicia at Expo-92
 * 1994–2009: Member of the European Parliament
 * 1999–2002: Chairman of the Committee on Fisheries
 * 2002–2004: Coordinator on fisheries for the EPP Group
 * 2002–2004: Coordinator on safety at sea for the EPP Group
 * First Vice-Chairman of the Committee on International Trade

title: Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna