The Pan-Atlantic University is inspired by Christian principles. It was begun by some faithful of Opus Dei and friends who shared their desire to contribute to the development of the Nigerian society.
Opus Dei in latin means “Work of God”. It is an institution of the Catholic Church founded by St. Josemaría Escrivá on 2 October 1928. Its task is to spread the Christian message that everybody is called to holiness and that daily work and ordinary life is the normal way to achieve this.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Opus Dei’s founder, Pope John Paul II said, “From the beginning of his priestly ministry, St. Josemaría Escrivá put at the very heart of his preaching the truth that all the baptized are called to the fullness of charity and that the most direct way to attain this goal is to be found in the midst of normal daily life. The Lord wants to enter into a loving communion with each one of his children, right in the midst of their daily occupations, in the context of everyday life” (Rome, 12 January 2002).
Were we to look for a phenomenon similar to Opus Dei in the history of Church, we would, as St. Josemaría Escrivá suggested, have to look at the early Christians. They were ordinary people who tried their best to live consistently their Christian commitments in the midst of their ordinary occupations, taking the Gospel message to all environments. This is what is meant by seeking sanctity in the middle of the world that is, trying to be like Jesus Christ, converting daily life into an occasion to love God and others for his sake.