On the 25th anniversary of the death of Blessed Josemaria Escriva, The Irish Times published (June 26th) an article by Michael Kirke on the Opus Dei founder's ideal of holiness for ordinary lay people in and through ordinary work. Alongside was an article by John Roche, who left Opus Dei 27 years ago.

While John Roche did say some complimentary things about members, he was mainly critical of Opus Dei and advocated changes. I'd like to address some of the issues he raised.

He asked whether Opus Dei has changed in the last 20 years. I would answer that some things have changed and others have not. Certainly the establishment of Opus Dei as a personal prelature, and the beatification of its founder, have brought about changes. They have also helped Opus Dei and its spirit to be better understood.

Opus Dei is fully approved and an integral part of the Catholic Church, highly commended by successive popes. Before Pope John Paul II made it a personal prelature in 1982, the Holy See carried out a thorough study of its spirit, its organisation and the way of life of its members, and consulted bishops in over 50 countries where it was then established. If there were issues in need of attention, they would certainly have emerged then.

Cardinal Hume did issue some guidelines for Opus Dei in London in 1981. But he made it clear at the time that these should not be seen as a criticism. Indeed, as recently as eight months before he died last year, he said Mass in London to mark the 70th anniversary of Opus Dei.

In his homily he encouraged lay members of Opus Dei to "carry the Gospel into the world in which we live", responding to the universal call to holiness of Vatican II, in a way envisaged by Blessed Josemaria Escriva. Similar endorsements could be cited from many church authorities all over the world.

Are Opus Dei members expected to get new members? Like all Christians, members are supposed to spread the good news of Christianity, as stressed by Cardinal Hume. Real friendship involves sharing what is most valued in one's life. If they feel an aspect of Opus Dei's spirit or activities would help a colleague or friend, they will certainly bring it to their attention.

In this area some individuals may have been over-enthusiastic from time to time. But in a world of hardsell promotions, should anyone be scandalised by some gentle prodding to do good?

When people join Opus Dei, whether married or single, far from tending to isolate them from colleagues, friends or family, the message of Opus Dei for them is to try to be better colleagues, friends and family members. If, later, someone decides to leave Opus Dei, it is a sad occasion for all concerned. But it is no reason, in itself, for that person to change family relationships, friendships or occupation.

Do families, particularly parents, understand when someone joins Opus Dei? In most cases, yes. In a few cases there may be misgivings or even opposition. But should anyone be surprised by this? Generation gaps and family differences are as old as mankind.

Such differences go beyond religious issues to all major choices in life, regarding careers, lifestyles, partners, lack of partners, and so on. In such cases, misconceptions about Opus Dei don't help, but growing knowledge over time often changes opposition into warm enthusiasm.

John Roche argued that Opus Dei must learn to "truly" cherish its members. While he obviously felt differently, in my experience it does precisely this to an outstanding degree. It is a characteristic of families that family members are accepted and loved not for how well they perform, but for what they are.

If Opus Dei has some of the characteristics of a family, in my experience this is one of them. Whether healthy or sick, rich or poor, academic or uneducated, young or old, everyone in Opus Dei has VIP status, always.

After the Mass in Clonskeagh parish church in Dublin on the evening of June 26th to mark the feast day of Blessed Josemaria Escriva, hundreds of people remained outside the church afterwards, for the best part of an hour, chatting, laughing and enjoying one another's company.

A person living across the road remarked that it was like a big family get-together. It was a small example of how the family atmosphere in Opus Dei is noticed and appreciated by many people around the country, be they members or not.

Of course Opus Dei members, like the rest of humanity, have failings. A sublimely beautiful ideal must be contained in crude clay vessels. But the merging of the human and the divine, characteristic of Christianity in general, is also at the heart of the message of Opus Dei.

Paul Harman is attached to the Opus Dei information office, Dublin