Editing Opus Dei (section)

=== Membership ===
{{As of|2018}}, the faithful of the Opus Dei Prelature numbered 95,318 members, of which 93,203 are lay persons, men and women, and 2,115 priests.{{Cn|date=November 2024}} These figures do not include the priest members of Opus Dei's [[Priestly Society of the Holy Cross]], estimated to number 2,000 in the year 2005.<ref name="Allen 2005" />{{page needed|date=September 2020}} About 60 percent of Opus Dei faithful reside in Europe, and 35 percent reside in the Americas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=26013 |agency=[[Zenit News Agency]] |title=Opus Dei: Its Mission, Structure and Members |access-date=27 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613054142/http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=26013 |archive-date=13 June 2006}}</ref> Women comprise 57% of the total membership.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/35260/this-is-the-process-for-opus-deis-election-of-a-new-prelate |title=This is the process for Opus Dei's election of a new prelate |agency=Catholic News Agency}}</ref> According to the study of John Allen, for the most part, Opus Dei faithful belong to the middle to low levels in society in terms of education, income, and social status.<ref name="Messori 1997">{{Cite book |author=Messori, Vittorio |url=https://archive.org/details/opusdeileadershi00mess |title=Opus Dei, Leadership and Vision in Today's Catholic Church |publisher=Regnery Publishing |year=1997 |isbn=0-89526-450-1}}</ref>

Opus Dei is made up of several different types of faithful.<ref name="BBC 2006" /> According to the Statutes of Opus Dei,<ref>[http://opusdei.us/en-us/article/statutes-of-opus-dei/ Statutes of Opus Dei]; the editio typica of the Statutes is given in Latin on the Opus Dei webpage. An unofficial English translation is published on the [http://www.odan.org/statutes_1982.htm ODAN website]</ref> the distinction derives from the degree to which they make themselves available for the official activities of the Prelature and for giving formation according to the spirit of Opus Dei.<ref>Statutes of Opus Dei 2.7</ref> Supernumeraries, the largest type, currently account for about 70% of the total membership.<ref name="Grossman 2003">{{Cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/12/07/catholics-scrutinize-enigmatic-opus-dei/ |work=Chicago Tribune |title=Catholics scrutinise enigmatic Opus Dei |access-date=11 January 2011 |first=Ron |last=Grossman |date=7 December 2003}}</ref> Typically, supernumeraries are married men and women with careers. Supernumeraries devote a portion of their day to prayer, in addition to attending regular meetings and taking part in activities such as retreats. Due to their career and family obligations, supernumeraries are not as available to the organization as the other types of faithful, but typically contribute financially and lend other types of assistance as their circumstances permit.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://opusdei.org/en-ph/article/letter-from-the-prelate-28-october-2020/ |title=Letter from the Prelate (28 October 2020) |website=Opus Dei}}</ref>

[[Types of membership of Opus Dei#numeraries|Numeraries]], the second largest type of the faithful of Opus Dei, comprise about 20% of the total membership.<ref name="Grossman 2003" /> "Numerary" is a general term for persons who form part of the permanent staff of an organization. In Opus Dei, numeraries are celibate members who give themselves in "full availability" ({{lang|la|plena disponibilitas}}) for the official undertakings of the Prelature.<ref>Statutes of Opus Dei 2.9</ref> A study comparing [[Scientology]] and Opus Dei found some similarities as well as strong differences.<ref name="Billing 2000">{{cite book |last1=Billing |first1=Werner |chapter=Zusammenfassung und Vergleich |date=2000 |title=Opus Dei und Scientology: Die staats- und gesellschaftspolitischen Vorstellungen. Kollision oder Übereinstimmung mit dem Grundgesetz? |pages=147–148 |editor-last=Billing |editor-first=Werner |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-322-95152-6_4 |access-date=28 August 2024 |place=Wiesbaden |publisher=VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften |language=de |doi=10.1007/978-3-322-95152-6_4 |isbn=978-3-322-95152-6 |last2=Sauer |first2=Michael |editor2-last=Sauer |editor2-first=Michael}}</ref> This includes full availability for giving doctrinal and ascetical formation to other members, for staffing the internal government of Opus Dei if asked by the regional directors, and for moving to other countries to start or help with apostolic activities if asked by the prelate.<ref>Statutes of Opus Dei 2.8. See also [http://www.opusdei.org/en-us/article/members/ Christians in the Middle of the World]</ref> Numeraries are expected to live in [[Single-sex education|gender-specific]] centers run by Opus Dei,<ref>{{cite web |title=Conservative Catholic Influence in Europe |url=http://www.population-security.org/cffc-97-01.htm |access-date=27 November 2006 |work=Center for Research on Population and Security}}</ref> and the question of which particular center a numerary will live in depends upon the regional needs.<ref>Statutes of Opus Dei 2.8</ref> It is considered very important for numeraries to participate in daily meals and "get-togethers" in which the sharing of news and conversation takes place.<ref>J. Allen, Opus Dei, Ch. 3</ref> Numeraries generally have jobs outside of Opus Dei, although some are asked to work internally full-time, and thus change their professional goals in order to be available for the Prelature. The majority of numerary income is contributed to the organization.<ref name="Martin 2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.americamagazine.org/content/articles/martin-opusdei.cfm |work=America: The National Catholic Weekly |title=Opus Dei in the United States |author=James Martin, S.J. |access-date=27 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116173841/http://www.americamagazine.org/content/articles/martin-opusdei.cfm |archive-date=16 January 2009}}</ref> 

[[Types of membership of Opus Dei|Numerary assistants]] are a type of numerary that exists in the Women's Branch of Opus Dei. They are responsible for the "domestic tasks in the Centres of Opus Dei, which they willingly undertake as their professional work."<ref>Statutes of Opus Dei Chapter 2, Paragraph 9</ref> 
[[Types of membership of Opus Dei|Associates]] are celibate faithful who take on one or more apostolic assignment(s) from the Prelature in giving doctrinal and ascetical formation and/or coordinating activities.<ref name="Statutes of Opus Dei 2">Statutes of Opus Dei 2.10</ref> They differ from numeraries in not making themselves "fully" available to staff the official undertakings of the Prelature, instead giving themselves in additional social realities, such as through their profession or to their own families.<ref name="Martin 2009" /> Because of this difference in availability for the official activities of Opus Dei, unlike numeraries the associates do not live in Opus Dei centers but maintain their own abodes.<ref name="Statutes of Opus Dei 2" /> The [[Types of membership of Opus Dei|Clergy of the Opus Dei Prelature]] are priests who are under the jurisdiction of the prelate of Opus Dei. They are a minority in Opus Dei that makes up about 2% of Opus Dei members.<ref name="Grossman 2003" />

The [[Opus Dei: Priestly Society of the Holy Cross|Priestly Society of the Holy Cross]] consists of priests associated with Opus Dei. Part of the society is made up of the clergy of the Opus Dei prelature—priests who fall under the jurisdiction of the Opus Dei prelature are automatically members of the Priestly Society. Other members in the society are diocesan priests—clergymen who remain under the jurisdiction of a geographically defined diocese. These priests are considered full members of Opus Dei who are given its spiritual training. They do not, however, report to the Opus Dei prelate but to their own diocesan bishop.<ref name="Scepter 2003">{{Cite book |author1=Pedro Rodríguez |author2=Fernando Ocariz |author3=José Luis Illanes |title=Opus Dei in the Church |publisher=Scepter |year=2003 |isbn=1-889334-93-6}}</ref> {{As of|2005}}, there were roughly two thousand of these priests.<ref name="Allen 2005" />{{page needed|date=September 2020}} 

The [[Types of membership of Opus Dei|Cooperators of Opus Dei]] are non-members who collaborate in some way with Opus Dei—usually through praying, charitable contributions, or by providing some other assistance. Cooperators are not required to be celibate or to adhere to any other special requirements, and are not even required to be Christian.<ref name="Scepter 2003" /> There were 164,000 cooperators in the year 2005.<ref name="Allen 2005" />{{page needed|date=September 2020}} In accordance with Catholic theology, membership is granted when a [[vocation]] or divine calling is presumed to have occurred.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://opusdei.org/en-ph/article/joining-opus-dei/ |title=Joining Opus Dei |website=Opus Dei}}</ref>