The Cilice

In the book monk Silas had a cilice on his thigh for two hours. Silas felt how the thorns penetrated his skin and this way he remembered the suffering of Jesus and felt that the cilice helps to resist the lusts of the flesh; this is how Dan Brown describes the use of the cilice. After that Silas performed a holy ceremony, whipping himself with. Originally and traditionally the cilice was a very uncomfortable piece of cloth which was made of goat hair. The cilice is named after a Roman province called Cilicia. The cilice was used to torture the flesh, it was used for penance and to resist the temptations (of the flesh). Today the cilice is a metal chain with small thorns, and it is worn e.g. on the upper thigh where it is tightly fastened to.

Opus Dei and the Cilice

Pastor Michael Barrett from Opus Dei organization tells why a part of the members of Opus Dei uses the cilice. According to Michael some unmarried people from Opus Dei use the cilice once a week for one or two minutes. According to Michael they use a cilice made of cotton string that weighs less than two ounce. 

According to the pastor of Opus Dei, monk Silas’ use of the cilice and whipping were laid too much stress on in the book. However, the fact is that a part of the members of Opus Dei uses  the cilice two hours per day and that the whipping that is seen in the film is also true. (This is confirmed by e.g. Sharon Clasen, a former member of Opus Dei.) The members of Opus Dei use strings, the end of which are knotted, as a whip. According to Opus Dei the whip is not used to cause bleeding wounds, but it is used (whipping ones back) during such prayers as “Our Father” and “Hail Mary”.

The Bible, the cilice and the whipping