The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, commonly known as Opus Dei (Latin for "Work of God") or the Work, is a prelature created by the Roman Catholic Church, composed of a prelate, secular priests, and ordinary lay people, whose mission is to help spread the Catholic teaching that everyone is called to become a saint and an apostle of Jesus Christ, and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. Founded on October 2, 1928 by a Roman Catholic priest, St. Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei was established as a personal prelature by Pope John Paul II, making it a part of the Church's institutional structure.

Popes and many Catholic leaders strongly support what they see as Opus Dei's innovative teaching on the sanctifying value of work, its complete fidelity to the Catholic Church, and its work of enabling each Catholic lay person to take full responsibility for the mission of sanctifying society. In contrast, it has often been accused of secrecy, ultraconservative beliefs, a right-wing political agenda, and even cult-like methods. Recent studies though have done much to counter these claims, including the work of John L. Allen, Jr. (2005) who stated that some of these views are rooted in a longstanding misinterpretation of its newness. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a prolific sociologist of religion and a conservative Catholic scholar, stated in 1994 that Opus Dei has been the prime target for many years of secularists who "cannot tolerate 'the return to religion'" of the secularized society. It is also stigmatized, he said, by Catholic liberals and ex-members. Described by Allen as the most controversial force in the Catholic Church, Opus Dei is seen by many Catholics as a sign of contradiction.

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