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U.S. headquarters of Opus Dei is in Chicago, with other leading branches in Washington, D.C., Boston and Madison, Wis. U.S. membership is still small—not more than 200. In some quarters Opus Dei is believed to be a chosen instrument for liberalizing the reactionary Spanish church and possibly even the Franco regime itself. Members heatedly deny any political role, but admit their strong liberal leanings. Said one Opus Dei priest in the U.S. last week: "We did not like the idea in Spain that all higher learning must be government-approved and government-controlled. So four years ago we set up our own university in Navarra. The government did not openly resist us. This is consistent with our idea of freedom. We are Catholics, but outside the teachings of our church we believe in total freedom for the individual."