Like many Catholics who are familiar with their faith as it is actually lived, Opus Dei rarely resembles the institution so often presented in the secular press. It does not fit easily into the narratives that are routinely imposed upon Catholic bodies. Instead, the picture painted is frequently one of “cult” and “secrecy”, drawn less from Catholic reality than from popular fiction. Much of this framing still owes more to The Da Vinci Code than to any serious engagement with the life of the Church.