Fake news? Swiss blogger makes an... interesting claim about "some" Opus Dei members' behavior
I came across this article today, which appears to be from a Swiss blogging site. The article itself is about MGM (male genital mutilation), but that is not what I am referring to. In the third paragraph, the author states,
>Some religious communities, however, also practice painful rituals that act like a religious sealing and signify a physical mark. For example, members of the radical Catholic community Opus Dei imitate the suffering of Jesus with flagellation, a thorn-covered penitential belt, and other forms of physical mortification. And on Good Friday, some believers place a crown of thorns on their heads and have themselves tied to a cross.
Come again? I do not claim to have read everything that there is to read about Opus Dei, nor to know of and perfectly understand every nuance and facet of reality within the organization, which is why I am bringing this here. Sure, I know about the cilice and the discipline (and the extremes that their use can be taken to), but I have never come across anything or heard anything about this level of LARPing in Opus Dei. The author states that "some believers" do this, which is interesting as well, because it seems to imply that this is not something he is saying all members do. Is this plausible deniability or something else?
One of my biggest gripes with some of the reporting and writing about this organization is the extent to which certain things are given exaggerated attention. It's like everyone went and learned about Silas the albino monk, took it as fact, and have been running with it since. So, if this is fakey-fake news, I would like to see that debunked or some sort of explanation provided. And if not... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, lol.
Thank you for taking the time to read and for any thoughts you are inclined to share.