Opus Dei and JD Vance

Opus Dei and JD Vance

How willing would JD Vance be to fill government positions with Opus Dei people?

Note added on November 27, 2024: A section of Related Links to our Domain has been added at the end of this document.

INTRODUCTION

Some very intriguing questions about “Catholic” Vance are:

• To what extent is JD Vance aligned with the religious and political agenda of Opus Dei, a group of the religious right that has often been described as a sect and suspected of pursuing an agenda of infiltration in society and politics?

• To what extent can Vance be influenced or guided by them because of the sympathy he has for them? What is the degree of sympathy or depth of Vance’s relationship with Opus Dei?

• In the formation of a government, to what extent would JD Vance be willing to choose as collaborators men and women aligned with Opus Dei?

• In the totalitarian reform of the public administration that Vance so desires, to what extent would JD Vance be willing to repopulate the administration with men and women of Opus Dei and its allies?

• Is JD Vance a political profile cultivated by one of Opus Dei’s ‘pipelines’?

Instead of answering these questions ourselves, we will provide information in this document so that the reader can answer them for himself/herself.

We will provide a list with some of the groups and individuals who have influenced Vance’s political and personal career and, along with them, notes indicating the possible or proven relationship of Opus Dei to such groups and individuals.

Note: In general, the text in quotation marks is a literal quotation from an external source (which will be provided as a footnote). Emphasis (bold, underline, etc.) is ours. We do not necessarily agree with all the opinions or aspects expressed in the quotations, although we consider them worthy of attention.

Is Vance a Catholic?

Usually, JD Vance is referred to and sold as a Catholic. It should be noted that JD Vance’s Catholic faith is intellectual and emotional, more than spiritual, according to his own testimony:

“Vance told [his friend, who attended his baptism] Dreher that Catholicism appealed to him on both an intellectual and emotional level.” (2024dese)

and

JD Vance’s best known manifesto about his conversion seems to confirm that his conversion to Catholicism ran through essentially intellectual ways. (2020lama)

DETAILS

Peter Thiel, Vance’s close friend

JD Vance associations with Peter Thiel

• “Thiel is best known as Vance’s former venture capital boss and the primary funder of his 2022 Senate campaign, but he is also a close friend and major intellectual influence for Vance.” (2024poli)

• “When Vance ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, Thiel spent an unprecedented $15 million on the campaign and persuaded Trump to endorse him (Vance had previously compared Trump to Hitler). In 2024, Thiel led the charge to convince Trump to pick Vance as V.P.” (2024nere2)

Peter Thiel associations with Opus Dei

• “Father Arne Panula befriended Peter Thiel when Thiel was an undergraduate at Stanford and Father Arne ran the Opus Dei house.” (2018crma) “They remained «close friends» until Panula’s death.” (2024miwa) Father Arne Panula (1946-2017) was Vicar of the Prelature of Opus Dei for the United States from 1998-2002 and the Director of the Opus Dei’s Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. from 2007. (2017opde)

Kevin Roberts, the architect of Project 2025

Who is Kevin Roberts

• “Kevin Roberts, [is] the Heritage Foundation president and the architect of Project 2025, the conservative thinktank’s road map for a second Trump presidency.” (2024thgu)

JD Vance associations with Kevin Roberts

• “Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, wrote the foreword for Kevin Roberts’ forthcoming book, praising the author for articulating a «genuinely new future for conservatism».” (2024thgu)

• “In his own post on X [Twitter], Roberts congratulated Vance and called him «a man who personifies hope for our nation’s future.»” (2024nere1)

• “[Kevin] Roberts said he’s «good friends» with Vance and that the Heritage Foundation had been privately rooting for him to be the VP pick.” (2024apne)

Kevin Roberts associations with Opus Dei

• “Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation president and the architect of Project 2025, the conservative thinktank’s road map for a second Trump presidency, has close ties and receives regular spiritual guidance from an Opus Dei-led center in Washington DC [the Catholic Information Center (CIC)], a hub of activity for the radical and secretive Catholic group.” (2024thgu)

• “A school founded by Roberts in Louisiana, called John Paul the Great Academy, considers Opus Dei-founder Escrivá its «patron».” (2024thgu)

• “In a speech just over a year ago, Kevin Roberts – president of the influential Heritage Foundation, close friend of vice president nominee J.D. Vance, and the architect of Project 2025 – hailed the controversial religious group’s founder Josemaría Escrivá as an inspirational figure.” (2024afr)

Teneo Network

JD Vance associations with Teneo

• “Vance joined Teneo in 2018.” (2024prpu) “Vance spoke at Teneo’s 2021 conference.” (2024prpu) “As in 2024, JD Vance has been part of the organization for at least five years. ” (2024prpu) Vance baptism in the Roman Catholic Church was in 2019, after he had joined Teneo. (2024wivanc)

What is Teneo

• The Teneo Network “is a right-wing organization founded in 2008.” Leonard Leo, an Opus Dei man, is current Chairman of Teneo Network. (2024moin1)

• The Federalist Society is taken as a model and inspiration for Teneo Network:

- “According to the group’s current CEO [Amanda Covo], Teneo serves as “a pipeline” that seeks to place conservatives in “positions of influence in key industries in America”, including entertainment, politics, and finance.” (2024moin1)

- “Teneo CEO Amanda Covo elaborated, saying that Teneo’s work «is to replicate… what the Federalist Society accomplished. What Leonard and others were able to do within law, we’ll now do in finance and business and media and technology and beyond.»” (2024moin1)

• “Members of the Teneo Network include JD Vance, Josh Hawley, Ben Shapiro and three senior aides to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.” (2024bane)

For your reference – What is the Federalist Society

Leonard Leo and his allies were very successful in planting the Federalist Society as a pipeline for infiltrating the high judiciary, and they proudly, and publicly, celebrate this. (2024mgr)

In Leo’s own words: “The key was to figure out how to develop what I call a ‘pipeline’ – basically, where you recruit students in law school, you get them through law school, they come out of law school, and then you find ways of continuing to involve them in legal policy.” (2024rost)

They were very successful. “As executive vice president of the Federalist Society, Leo has been the quiet architect of a pivotal shift to the right throughout the federal judiciary” including “dozens of lower court federal judges across the country”. (2018npr)

Teneo associations with Opus Dei

• Leonard Leo became chairman of the Teneo Network in 2021. (2024moin1) “Leo joined Teneo’s board of directors as chairman in 2021 and has since become a driving force.” (2023prpu)

• Leonard Leo is a top-level Opus Dei operative awarded by Opus Dei after his success in reshaping the U.S. Supreme Court hand in hand with the Federalist Society, where Leo has been the long time executive vice president. (2024mgr)

• After Teneo was launched by Baehr, Hawley and others in 2008, “For a long time, the group didn’t live up to expectations.” but “Soon after [Leonard] Leo took an interest in Teneo, the group’s finances soared.” (2023prpu)

• In the foundation of the Federalist Society — an organization which was taken as a model and inspiration for Teneo Network— justice Antonin Scalia acted as original faculty advisor. Scalia had a solid and very close association to Opus Dei. (2024mgr)

Project 2025

JD Vance associations with Project 2025

• Vance said in his X/Twitter account: “I’ve reviewed a lot of [Project 2025]. There are some good ideas in there.” (2024demo) and “Most Americans couldn’t care less about Project 2025. There are some good ideas in there." (2024twit)

• Kevin Roberts, the architect of Project 2025 and an Opus Dei operative, is “close friend of vice president nominee J.D. Vance” (2024afr)

What is Project 2025

• “Heritage Foundation conceived Project 2025 to begin planning so a Republican president could hit the ground running after the election. One of its priorities is creating a roadmap for the first 180 days of the new administration to quickly reorient every federal agency around its conservative vision. Project 2025 also aims to recruit and train thousands of people loyal to the conservative movement to fill federal government positions.” (2024cnn)

What is the Heritage Foundation

• “The Heritage Foundation was founded in 1973 to provide conservative policy analysis and research to members of Congress and other officials in Washington, D.C. ” (2024moin2)

• Like the Federalist Society —openly declared to be a pipeline for the judiciary— and Teneo Network —openly declared to be a pipeline for key industries in USA— “Heritage has established a direct pipeline of Heritage alumni working within the administration; symbiotic policy has materialized, as well.” (2019equi)

Project 2025 associations with Opus Dei

• “Kevin Roberts, [is] the Heritage Foundation president and the architect of Project 2025.” (2024thgu) For Roberts’s ties to Opus Dei, see the section above dedicated to him.

• Leonard Leo, an awarded and very successful Opus Dei operative, “finances many of the groups signed on to Project 2025.” (2024thgu) He “has emerged as a key architect and funder of Project 2025 ... While Heritage Foundation is the public face of Project 2025, Leo is the shadow money king who has united the Christian nationalist movement behind its radical agenda.” (2024stco)

• “At least a half dozen Opus Dei affiliated organizations are on the advisory board of Project 2025 and Leonard Leo-affiliated groups have poured at least $50 million into the Project, according to calculations by the political research nonprofit Accountable U.S.” (2024amfr)

• “Project 2025 contains numerous proposals that align with Opus Dei concepts of how society should be ordered, from banning abortion to increasing the power of a conservative presidency, to making heteronormative marriage a national policy goal.” (2024nyma)

• “The 900-plus-page manifesto is infused with Opus Dei goals and even language. Kevin Roberts’ foreword includes phrases and concepts straight out of the writings of Opus Dei founder Escriva.” (2024amfr)

Napa Institute

Vance associations with Napa Institute

• “In 2021, Vance spoke at the Napa Institute’s «annual intellectual apostolic conference preparing Catholics for the Next America.»” (2024neyo)

What is the Napa Institute

• The Napa Institute is “a conservative Catholic organization known for its high-priced summer conference”. (2022ncro) “The Napa Institute was founded by Tim Busch, a wealthy attorney and businessman... [He is] A devout Orange County Catholic who visits the pope nearly every year, ... ” (2023lati)

Napa Institute associations with Opus Dei

• “Napa Institute is in part sponsored by Opus Dei. One of the founders of Napa Institute, Timothy Busch, is a Opus Dei Member who owns a string of Luxury Hotels staffed by Opus Dei workers.” (2018roca)

• “The Napa Institute Foundation board of directors includes Tim Busch [Opus Dei cooperator], two family members and Leonard Leo [Opus Dei cooperator].” (2024brca)

• Napa Institute’s Principal Officer and cofounder is “Timothy Bausch [Busch], a Catholic activist who considers himself an Opus Dei «cooperator», or supporter.” (2024stco) Busch “said he appreciates the spiritual direction of Opus Dei priests, considers himself an Opus Dei cooperator”. (2019ncr)

• Leonard Leo, a top-standing Opus Dei cooperator, (2024mgr) “is a donor to Busch’s Napa Institute”. (2022ncro) “Spinoffs are the Napa Institute and Napa Institute Legal Foundation; Leo runs the latter and is on the foundation’s board.” (2024stco)

The Hallow prayer app

JD Vance associations with Hallow app

• Vance “had a larger stake (between $15,001 and $50,000) in four businesses ... [including] Hallow, maker of a prayer and meditation app. (2024faco)

What is Hallow app

• The Hallow app is a meditation and prayer app with headquarters in USA and owned by Hallow, Inc. (2024wihall) According to them, “All of Hallow’s content is rooted in sound Catholic teaching.” (2024halo3)

• “Alex Jones, a Catholic entrepreneur... is the CEO and co-founder of Hallow.” (2022ncre) “Hallow is aimed primarily at the Catholic market and has attracted $52 million in venture capital from a number of sources including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.” (2022indi5)

• According to a Substack columnist, “The Hallow App investors, content providers and to a lesser extent the designers of Hallow are aligned politically with the Christian right in the United States.” and “There are a number of reasons for billionaires to be interested a Catholic prayer app. One is that they want to buy the data.” (2022indi5)

Hallo app associations with Opus Dei

• “Hallow is overseen by a board of advisers led by Bishop Kevin Rhoades” (2022ncre), who is a firm adherent of Opus Dei and Escrivá: In 2011, Bishop Rhoades, in a mass at an Opus Dei center, hailed Josemaría Escrivá (Opus Dei’s creator) as “a true prophet of his time”. (2011toca)

• Hallow app “features Catholic content from Bishop Robert Barron” (2022ncre), who is, reportedly, an “Opus Dei adherent”. (2022indi2)

• Cate Von Dohlen, graduate of the University of Notre Dame is “the Content Marketing Lead at Hallow” (2024chpo). She likes to quote Escrivá (the creator of Opus Dei) for inspirational advice. (2024halo1)

• The Hallow website suggests "inspiring St. Josemaría Escrivá mugs" between some possible "Gifts for Christmas 2024". (2024halo2)

• According to a Substack columnist who has researched the subject extensively, the Hallow app is “Opus Dei-permeated”. (2024indi)

REFERENCES

(2011toca) (2011-03-02) Bishop Rhoades celebrates 50th anniversary of Windmoor Study Center

https://todayscatholic.org/bishop-rhoades-celebrates-50th-anniversary-of-windmoor-study-center/

(2017opde) (2017-07-20) Father Arne Panula (1946 - 2017)

https://opusdei.org/en/article/father-arne-panula-1946-2017/

(2018crma) (2018-11-09) The Final Conversations of a Dying Priest

https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-final-conversations-of-a-dying-priest

(2018npr) (2018-06-28) What is the Federalist Society and how does it affect Supreme Court picks?

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/28/624416666/what-is-the-federalist-society-and-how-does-it-affect-supreme-court-picks

(2018roca) (2018-09-08) OPUS DEI + Napa Institute’s Timothy Busch Behind Viganò Allegations Against Pope Francis

https://www.romancatholicimperialist.com/2018/09/opus-dei-napa-institutes-timothy-busch.html

(2019equi) (2019-04-25) The Heritage Foundation’s Health Department (PDF)

https://equityfwd.org/sites/default/files/ef-417report-v7-digital.pdf

(2019ncr) (2019-06-12) Tim Busch, conservative activist-philanthropist, rejects anti-Francis label

https://www.ncronline.org/news/tim-busch-conservative-activist-philanthropist-rejects-anti-francis-label

(2020lama) (2020-04-01) On J.D. Vance becoming catholic

https://thelampmagazine.com/blog/how-i-joined-the-resistance

(2022indi2) (2022-28) Hallow and the New Evangelization Project , Part 2

https://indietheology.substack.com/p/hallow-and-the-hallow-men-part-2

(2022indi5) (2022-11-10) Hallow and the New Evangelization Project, Part 5

https://indietheology.substack.com/p/hallow-and-the-new-evangelization-19b

(2022ncre) (2022-01-09) This Year, Will ‘Hallow’ Be Thy App? Silence, Spiritual Growth Are Hallmarks of Popular Prayer Aid

https://www.ncregister.com/interview/this-year-will-hallow-be-thy-app-silence-spiritual-growth-are-hallmarks-of-popular-prayer-aid

(2022ncro) (2022-12-15) Leonard Leo has reshaped the Supreme Court. Is he reshaping Catholic University too?

https://www.ncronline.org/news/leonard-leo-has-reshaped-supreme-court-he-reshaping-catholic-university-too

(2023lati) (2023-07-28) Pence courts conservative Catholics in Napa

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-07-28/pence-courts-conservative-catholics-in-napa

(2023prpu) (2023-03) Inside the “Private and Confidential” Conservative Group That Promises to “Crush Liberal Dominance”

https://www.propublica.org/article/leonard-leo-teneo-videos-documents

(2024afr) (2024-10-08) Revealed: How Opus Dei has flourished in the era of Trump

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/revealed-how-opus-dei-has-flourished-in-the-era-of-trump-20241004-p5kfyn

(2024amfr) (2024-09-25) The Powerful Religious Sect Behind U.S. Court-Packing and Project 2025, by Nina Burleigh

https://www.americanfreakshow.news/p/meet-the-real-red-hats

(2024apne) (2024-07-15) Outside RNC, conservative group defends its Project 2025 guidebook as Democrats ramp up critiques

https://apnews.com/article/rnc-republicans-heritage-foundation-project-2025-8cce6cfef6f5bdf45269146739222f80

(2024bane) (2024-07-22) What JD Vance and Harrison Butker have in common

https://baptistnews.com/article/what-jd-vance-and-harrison-butker-have-in-common/

(2024brca) (2024-11-03) Napa Institute Foundation - Branded Catholicism

https://brandedcatholicism.wordpress.com/non-profits/napa-institute-foundation/

(2024chpo) (2024-10-29) Cate Von Dohlen profile at churpop.com

https://www.churchpop.com/author/cate-von-dohlen/

(2024cnn) (2024-07-11) Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/11/politics/trump-allies-project-2025/index.html

(2024demo) (2024-07-11) Trump’s MAGA Veepstakes: J.D. Vance Praises Project 2025’s “Good Ideas”

https://democrats.org/news/trumps-maga-veepstakes-j-d-vance-praises-project-2025s-good-ideas/

(2024dese) (2024-07-15) What JD Vance has said about his faith

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/07/15/jd-vance-religion/

(2024faco) (2024-07-17) These are the companies JD Vance has invested in as a VC (and beyond)

https://www.fastcompany.com/91157500/companies-jd-vance-invested-in-as-a-vc

(2024halo1) (2024-10-29) How to Pray Marian Consecration, by Cate Von Dohlen

https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-marian-consecration/

(2024halo2) (2024-10-29) The Ultimate Catholic Gift Guide for Advent and Christmas 2024

https://hallow.com/blog/the-ultimate-catholic-gift-guide-for-advent-and-christmas/

(2024halo3) (2024-08) Who creates the content for Hallow?

https://help.hallow.com/en/articles/2880445-who-creates-the-content-for-hallow

(2024indi) (2024-10-24) Is J.D. Vance Opus Dei?

https://indietheology.substack.com/p/is-jd-vance-opus-dei

(2024mgr) (2024-10-26) Opus Dei and the reshaping of the U.S. Supreme Court

https://www.mgr.org/ReshapingTheCourt.html

(2024miwa) (2024-07) Catholic Coup: JD Vance, PayPal Mafia, Opus Dei & Knights of Malta - by Jim Stewartson

https://www.mind-war.com/p/catholic-coup-jd-vance-paypal-mafia

(2024moin1) (2024-08) Teneo Network - Monitoring Influence

https://www.monitoringinfluence.org/org/teneo-network/

(2024moin2) (2024-10) Heritage Foundation - Monitoring Influence

https://www.monitoringinfluence.org/org/heritage-foundation/

(2024nere1) (2024-07-15) Project 2025 Leader Is Overjoyed by Trump’s Vice Presidential Pick

https://newrepublic.com/post/183841/project-2025-overjoyed-trump-vice-president-vance

(2024nere2) (2024-07-22) Where J.D. Vance Gets His Weird, Terrifying Techno-Authoritarian Ideas

https://newrepublic.com/article/183971/jd-vance-weird-terrifying-techno-authoritarian-ideas

(2024neyo) (2024-07-24) J. D. Vance’s Radical Religion - by Paul Elie

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/j-d-vances-radical-religion

(2024nyma) (2024-09-19) How Opus Dei Conquered D.C. — A new book shows just how much sway the mysterious right-wing Catholic group has – and might have over Trump’s next term — by Nina Burleigh

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/opus-dei-members-catholic-washington-dc-politicans-jd-vance.html

(2024poli) (2024-07-18) The Seven Thinkers and Groups That Have Shaped JD Vance’s Unusual Worldview

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/07/18/jd-vance-world-view-sources-00168984

(2024prpu) (2024-07) In Private Speech, J.D. Vance Said the “Devil Is Real” and Praised Alex Jones as a Truth-Teller

https://www.propublica.org/article/jd-vance-alex-jones-leonard-leo-teneo-maddow-video

(2024rost) (2024-07-15) Project 2025 Director Tries to Distance Trump From Its Agenda

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-project-2025-distance-agenda-1235060831/

(2024stco) (2024-02) Who’s Behind Project 2025? - Stop the Copu 2025

https://www.stopthecoup2025.org/whos-behind-project-2025

(2024thgu) (2024-07-26) Kevin Roberts, architect of Project 2025, has close ties to radical Catholic group Opus Dei

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/26/kevin-roberts-project-2025-opus-dei

(2024twit) (2024-07-11) Heartland Signal in X/Twitter

https://x.com/HeartlandSignal/status/1811494802665394616

(2024wihall) (2024-10) Wikipedia: Hallow (app)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallow_%28app%29

(2024wivanc) (2024-10) JD Vance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JD_Vance