Robert Langdon, #2
The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Contents
CHAPTER 5
Overview
Bishop Aringarosa, head of Opus Dei, is introduced as a powerful religious figure under pressure from scandal, public suspicion, and a recent hidden threat. While flying to Rome, he learns that Silas has located the keystone at Saint-Sulpice and agrees to use his influence to help obtain it.
The chapter links Silas’s violent mission directly to Opus Dei’s leadership and reveals that Aringarosa is part of a larger plan already underway. Silas’s religious justification for violence raises the stakes, suggesting that the search for the keystone is moving toward another confrontation.
Summary
The chapter shifts from the Louvre to Murray Hill Place, Opus Dei’s headquarters in New York City. Bishop Manuel Aringarosa, president-general of Opus Dei, leaves his penthouse apartment in a plain black cassock and travels to the airport, intentionally avoiding signs of his rank except for his ornate bishop’s ring.
Aboard a commercial flight to Rome, Aringarosa reflects on Opus Dei’s rise, its conservative Catholic mission, and the public suspicion surrounding it. He resents media portrayals of the organization as a cult or secret society, while acknowledging scandals involving extreme or misguided members that have strengthened critics such as the Opus Dei Awareness Network.
Aringarosa’s thoughts turn to a more serious threat that has recently endangered Opus Dei’s power. He believes a war has begun and feels that the events he has helped set in motion may soon secure victory.
During the flight, Aringarosa receives a forbidden cell-phone call from the only person who has the number. The unidentified caller reports that Silas has located the keystone in Paris, inside the Church of Saint-Sulpice, and says Aringarosa’s influence is needed to obtain it. Aringarosa agrees, ending the call with excitement and unease.
The chapter then moves to Silas, who cleans blood from his self-inflicted wounds while praying. He feels violence and hatred from his past returning, but frames the coming action as a holy battle against enemies of Christ. Dressed in a dark hooded robe, Silas prepares himself, believing the plan is now in motion.
Who Appears
- Bishop Manuel AringarosaOpus Dei leader flying to Rome; agrees to help secure the keystone.
- SilasAlbino Opus Dei follower; cleans his wounds and prepares for holy violence.
- Unidentified callerSecret contact who tells Aringarosa that Silas found the keystone.