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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Harriet Barber in Buenos Aires

Women who say they were tricked into servitude for Opus Dei to meet in Argentina

An altar bearing an ornate, gold-framed image of Josemaría Escrivá
An altar dedicated to Josemaría Escrivá, who founded Opus Dei in 1928 and was made a saint by the Catholic church in 2002. Photograph: Alamy

Buenos Aires will on Tuesday host the first-ever international gathering of former Opus Dei members who say they were tricked and trafficked into domestic servitude as minors – allegations that have drawn scrutiny of the powerful, secretive Catholic group. Pope Leo XIV privately urged organisers to convene the conference, the Guardian has learned.

Forty-three women in Argentina say they were lured to Opus Dei schools as children and teenagers under promises of receiving an education. Instead, they say they were forced into working up to 12-hour days, cooking and cleaning for the elite male members, without pay.

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