Opus Dei, “Work of God” in Latin, founded in 1928 by the Iberian priest Josémaria Escriva de Balaguer, had already been pinpointed by Dan Brown’s famous novel “The Da Vinci Code.” However, at the time, likely aware of the power of the opponent, the traditionalist Catholic movement decided not to sue but instead launched a vast communication campaign about Christ and the Church. But this time, Opus Dei has taken legal action that could potentially “pierce” a precedent harmful to freedom of expression, at least regarding books harming this association criticized by former members and certain clergymen.
Catherine Fradier, who knows the French Riviera well where the action of one of her best works, “The Anger of Fallen Children,” takes place, is astonished by this legal action: “I’m accused of complicity, which is funny for a former cop.”
The dilemma is set, and a movement has formed in response to this legal action from Opus Dei, listed by the Belgian Parliamentary Commission as a cult but not playing in the same category in France as it is not classified as a sectarian movement. The amounts demanded from a small publishing house make this initiative even more ridiculous, totally disproportionate against a novel explicitly labeled as fiction.
“My first thriller, A Poison Named Rwanda, deals with the Rwandan genocide and the involvement of French military personnel in that genocide. This book is studied in high schools, and through this story, young people understand what happened in Rwanda. We are the bearers of the stories of the world we live in,” Catherine Fradier is bitter but as one of the first women to work night shifts in the police, she has seen worse, and she hopes to overcome this story she did not write but would like to sign off on. Certainly, this end does not justify means that precisely lack, and in this regard, the author and the publishing house have launched a subscription to face rather unwelcome legal fees.
So, defamation or fiction? Accusation or investigation? The French justice system once again faces a thorny issue that will surely generate much discourse as dark as the theme of its authors.
INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE FRADIER
Nice Premium: Catherine Fradier, Opus Dei is suing you over your latest novel CAMINO 999. Can you tell us more?
Catherine Fradier: My publisher and I are being sued for defamation. Jean-Jacques Reboux as the main author and me as an accomplice.
Accomplice… for a former cop, this term has a strange resonance.
NP: What is the complaint about your publication?
They mainly criticize me for blending reality with fiction without due care. If being cautious means marking every true or false detail at the bottom of the page, imagine what the next thrillers would look like if we were to lose…
NP: Could this lawsuit, if it sets a precedent, potentially threaten many writers in the future?
CF: Yes, of course. Since the dawn of the crime novel, authors have mixed reality with fiction. It’s our way of writing. The crime novelist highlights the dysfunctions of our society; we go where it stinks. Every novel involves a huge amount of research, investigation, and analysis.
I was very cautious in how I handled my story on Camino. I read and reread the reference books. But I was attacked where I least expected it.
If the French state had reacted like Opus Dei, it would have pursued me as well.
NP: Opus Dei against a small publishing house. Is this a David against Goliath situation?
CF: You can’t convince me otherwise. This powerful organization chose us because we are “small.” After the Moon, a small publishing house. Catherine Fradier, an author without the notoriety of a Vargas or a Daëninckx. We are easy targets, with very limited means of defense, and if we lose the trial, it will set a precedent, and no author will be able to write a fiction involving this organization.
NP: What actions have you taken in response to this attack?
CF: We have a lawyer, the best for this kind of case. And importantly, we are not alone. We belong to a large family, and behind us are authors, readers, and all those who believe in freedom of expression.
The mobilization that is taking place is extraordinary. Everyone feels concerned, and it’s a real relief to know that.
Alone, Jean-Jacques and I could not stand up to this massive war machine.
NP: Finally, how do you personally respond to this accusation?
CF: I respond by saying I don’t understand because it questions my entire work.
I am currently working on multinational corporations of pesticides and GMOs.
I go back to Agent Orange, which was massively spread over the territory of Vietnam in the 60s. I will name the multinationals that manufactured this agent. I will blend fiction with reality. Should I expect Monsanto to sue me before the TGI of Paris for defamation?
I seriously wonder.
