Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (English: "Work of the Holy Angels"), more commonly known as Opus Angelorum (English: "Work of the Angels"; German: "Engelwerk"), is a movement within the Catholic Church that promotes devotion to angels. The Holy See recognized it in 2010 as in full conformity with the Church's teaching, after a period in which controversy about it led to it being placed in 1992 under the oversight of a Dominican priest. It spreads devotion to the Holy Angels among the faithful, exhorts them to pray for priests, and promotes love for Christ in his Passion and union with it. It is active particularly in Austria, where it originated, and in Germany, but also in Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, India, the Philippines, Italy and the United States. The movement is now under the overall direction of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, who have about 125 members, living in 12 communities in 10 countries (Austria, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, India, the Philippines, United States). In canon law, the movement is classified as an association of the Christian faithful, and includes, as well as individual members, lay, religious and priests, two religious institutes, the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and the Sisters of the Cross. Membership Phases of admission Members of the movement are formally admitted in three phases: 1. The Promise In the presence of a priest, each prospective member makes a promise to God and the person's guardian angel to love the angel and respond to the angel's instructions given through the person's conscience. Then, during this preliminary year, the future member endeavours to listen to the angel's voice. 2. Consecration to one's angel guardian In a candle-lit ceremony before the Blessed Sacrament members consecrate themselves to their individual guardian angels, undertaking to become like angels and to venerate them and asking their guardian angels to obtain for them a strong love that will inflame them. Membership begins with acceptance of this consecration by a priest in the name of the Church. 3. Consecration to all the angels In a similar ceremony members consecrate themselves to the angelic kingdom, thus enabling them "to live in sacred communion with all things" and bringing to life the individual's "unmanifest creative potential". Number of members Between 1998 and 2020 the number of members has decreased from about a million persons (including about 50 bishops and some cardinals) to