Gareth stumbled onto this story while investigating the collapse of Banco Popular, a Spanish bank that imploded in 2017 — and found Opus Dei's fingerprints all over it. What started as a financial investigation became a years-long deep dive into a global network of dark money, political influence, and systematic abuse.
In this episode you'll learn...
→ How Opus Dei secretly funneled hundreds of millions of dollars through shell companies and a major bank
→ Why investigators and survivors call it an abusive cult — not just a Catholic organization
→ The shocking Robert Hanssen connection: how an Opus Dei priest may have enabled the most damaging spy in U.S. history to keep working for the KGB
→ How Opus Dei grooms children as young as 10 in elite schools across the U.S., including in Washington D.C.
→ Gareth's private meeting with Pope Leo and the dossier he handed him demanding action
→ Why Opus Dei is nearly impossible to dismantle — even for the Pope
→ Surprising parallels between Opus Dei and Silicon Valley VC culture
Gareth's book: Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church
Whether you discovered Opus Dei through The Da Vinci Code or are hearing about them for the first time, this conversation will change how you see power, religion, and secrecy in the modern world.
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00:00 – Intro: Is Opus Dei an Abusive Cult?
02:00 – What Is Opus Dei? The Official Story
04:00 – How Opus Dei Operates Outside Church Authority
06:00 – The Founder's Vision & How It Turned Political
08:00 – When Did It Become a Fraud?
11:00 – Recruiting the Elite & the Poor
14:00 – Invitation-Only Membership & How Recruitment Works
16:00 – Opus Dei's Agenda Today
18:00 – Why Dan Brown Chose Opus Dei for The Da Vinci Code
20:00 – The Banco Popular Bank Collapse Investigation
26:00 – Why Opus Dei Hides Its Fingerprints
30:00 – Robert Hanssen, the KGB & the Opus Dei Priest
34:00 – Gareth's Meeting with Pope Leo
40:00 – Child Grooming in Elite Schools
48:00 – Opus Dei vs. Silicon Valley: Surprising Parallels
51:00 – Book Recommendation & Wrap-Up
#OpusDei #JamesAltucherShow #GarethGore #CatholicChurch #TrueCrime #DarkMoney #Podcast #Cult #RobertHanssen #PopeLeo
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