US

Left-Wing Media Outlet Attacks Heritage President Over Alleged ‘Radical’ Catholic Ties

Kevin Roberts speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

A left-wing media outlet accused Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts on Friday of having ties to what they describe as a “radical and secretive” Catholic group.

The Guardian published an article alleging Roberts was tied to Opus Dei, a Catholic faith group, by saying he receives “spiritual guidance” from the Catholic Information Center (CIC). The article calls Opus Dei a “radical and secretive” group because it does not disclose the names of its members, with Villanova theology professor Massimo Faggioli telling the outlet that Opus Dei is part of a movement of “traditionalist Catholicism” in the U.S.

Opus Dei aims to provide guidance and spiritual services to Catholics in their everyday lives, particularly focusing on “the sanctification of their work,” according to their website. They were officially recognized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II as a personal prelature in the Catholic Church.

Roberts gave a talk at the CIC in September 2023, calling for “radical incrementalism” to advance conservative policy goals, which the Guardian alleges were “extreme,” according to the article. The CIC provides spiritual and informational services to Catholics in Washington, D.C., including mass, confession, speaker events and other sacraments of the Catholic Church, according to their website.

“Yet again, we see the radical Left attacking the First Amendment’s protections of religious liberty, which are fundamental to our constitutional republic,” a Heritage spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “This kind of religious bigotry not only undermines our freedoms but also erodes the very principles upon which our nation was founded.”

Opus Dei adheres to the teachings of the Catholic Church and is only “conservative” insofar as their work “keeps in its fullness Jesus Christ’s message,” according to their website. Opus Dei mainly offers “support and guidance” to Catholics in their ordinary lives.

Gareth Gore, the author of an upcoming book on Opus Dei, told the Guardian that the group could be compared to Project 2025, a policy project of the Heritage Foundation, as both are a “reactionary stand against the progressive drift of society.” He also accused Opus Dei of “penetrating Washington’s political and legal elite.”

Opus Dei and the CIC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.