Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church

Book Description

With this groundbreaking expos, The Boston Globe has delivered the single, most comprehensive account of the cover-ups, hush money, and emotional manipulation used by the Catholic Church to keep its long history of sexual abuse secret. With the same incisive reportage that broke the scandal wide open, The Boston Globe's team of expert investigative reporters also provides important analysis of what's at stake and what this 'crisis of faith' means for Catholics everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Go behind the headlines.......2007-03-29

This very well-researched and well-written book takes the reader behind all of the headlines and media bytes from the revelations in the early Aughts about the widespread problem of pedophile priests. Though the focus is on priests from the Boston area, seeing as how Boston is one of the largest Catholic cities in America and that this book was put together by the Boston Globe, before long it had become obvious that this wasn't just a problem in Boston, but a problem in America as well, and even in the world. The book examines so many issues and questions, such as the nature of faith, Catholic culture, the push for change by a majority of American Catholics even though the higher-ups still insist on remaining the same, what it is that caused so many priests to molest children (but more often teenage boys), the history and nature of celibacy (it wasn't made law till the 11th century, and then only for political reasons), how former Cardinal Bernard Law could have condoned the actions of priests like John Geoghan by just shuttling them from parish to parish, and most of all the profound betrayal felt by so many Catholics who loved the Church dearly and who had trusted these priests to take care of their children instead of violating their bodies and souls.

While there have been instances of clergy of other faiths abusing children they were supposed to be mentoring or looking after, there have never been such scandals attached to those cases because they are usually isolated incidences. Rabbis, Protestant ministers, and Eastern Orthodox priests are allowed to get married, after all, and generally don't live in communities detached from the outside world and the common people. Many people have pointed to this being a uniquely Catholic problem because of the celibacy of priests, and feel that if celibacy were made optional, perhaps they wouldn't seek sexual gratification through minors. When many of these abusers were ordained, the screening process they have today was not in place. This was a time when seminaries were overflowing, but almost anyone was admitted, even if not all of those candidates were truly qualified. This was also an era when the average seminarian was much younger than he is today; many priests first went to a junior seminary at all of 13 or 14 years old, and if they didn't, then they would usually enter the seminary proper fresh out of highschool, with no time to test their calling, to live in the real world, to develop and mature at a normal rate instead of being stuck at the level of a sexually immature inexperienced young teenager who never got any information or advice about dealing with the normal natural sexual feelings that the majority of people have. Had they gotten counseling on how to deal with these urges instead of being trained as though they weren't sexual beings, they might not have gone to these young boys who were at the same stunted level as they were.

Because of the trust these faithful Catholics placed in their priests and bishops, they just reported the abuse to them instead of going to the police like one would expect a concerned angry parent to do. They expected the Church to handle the problem. The Church in turn stressed things like respect for canon law, the importance of the hierarchy, and protecting the "good names" of these abusive priests, not about the young victims whose lives would never be the same again. They were more concerned about protecting and covering up for predators like Geoghan than with counseling the children and putting the abusers in jail or at least serious counseling (many of the so-called rehabilitation centers described sounded more like vacation resorts or slaps on the wrist than places for actual psychological counseling and attempted rehabilitation, though the studies show that most child abusers will offend again). They would excommunicate the 72 year old nun Jeannette Normandin (who has since passed away) for having baptised two boys (only men are allowed to baptise people in Catholicism), for putting her hands on their foreheads and annointing them with holy water, yet would coddle and sympathise with a predator like John Geoghan after he touched the genitals of young boys and performed sex acts on them. They would tell people that things like divorce, birth control, premarital sex, and eating meat on Fridays were sins, some of which were Hell-worthy, yet never treated real sins like child abuse as being serious of condemnation, excommunication, and being shunned by the community. Above all, we get a picture of a hierarchy sorely out of touch with what the majority of American Catholics believe in, an insistence on this black and white authoritarian conformist world that might have worked beautifully 50 or 60 years ago, but which just isn't possible anymore because of how much society has evolved.

In spite of this crisis and betrayal, however, the Catholic Church is still going strong. Though there were many people who left it after how they were treated or who stopped donating money to it after these revelations, there are still many faithful believing Catholics out there who dearly love the Church and are willing to stick by it through thick and thin, to work through this crisis together, to fight for change (such as the new screening process used by seminaries to weed out potential troublemakers and pedophiles) and modernisation (such as the ordination of women, optional priestly celibacy, and acceptance of gay parishioners). Something of this magnitude probably will not be able to occur again because of all of the knowledge gained during this crisis and because the need for some fundamental changes seems so great and overdue that the voice of the majority can't be ignored forever.

Eye-Opening Book.......2006-10-31

I was raised Catholic and am stunned by this book. The research was thorough and complete. My hope is that this book is the final chapter in a dark era for the Church.

Just the Facts.......2003-08-08

[Let my put my conflicts of interests right up front. I am a Catholic who converted from Methodist six years ago. Since that time I have worked actively in my parish in Fort Worth, Texas and now am the director of the RCIA program (the program for adults who want to join the church) in my parish. In addition, althouth I am not aware of any abuse by priests in my parish or diocese, the liturgy director at my parish, a lay person, was convicted this year of sexual conduct with a minor that occured about ten years ago.]

In my opinion, the most fascinating person in a true crime story is not the person who is obviously sick and evil, but the one who aids and abbets in the crime. For instance, several years ago in Chicago there was a young woman who was desparate to have a child. She hatched a plan to steal a child by cutting the child out of another woman's womb. If the story ended there, it would only be one of an obviously sick woman who needed alot of help, but it didn't. She convinced a man she new to actually carry out this plan. How does that happen? How does the man listen to the ravings of this deranged woman and say, "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. I'll do it."?

I have the same questions about the crisis in the Catholic Church. I have no problem with understanding that the likes of John Geoghan, Joseph Birmingham, Paul Shanley, and Robert Trupia are sick and evil men. They each have molested scores of young boys and seem to have no comprehension of the impact of their actions. What I don't understand is why did the bishops they worked for and knew of accusations of molestation against them think it was a good idea to move them to a new set of victims? Why do some men of God become complicit in evil?

Unfortunately this book has no answer for those questions. It is written by the group of reporters from the Boston Globe who pried the story from the secretive Boston diocese. As such, it primarialy answers who, what, when, and where, but not why. The gory details of the molestors' activities are given and the pain and anger of many of the victims, too. But in one unforgetable story, the Christlike actions of one victim is told. A victim of Birmingham confronted him after many years of pain and suffering and said, "I've come here to ask you to forgive me for the hatred and resentment that I heve felt toward you for the last twenty-five years."

Much of the book is devoted to the problems in and around Boston, as may be expected. However, the reporters do touch on similar cases in other areas. Although the full extent of the crisis is not known, and may not be known without many more reporters in other dioceses investigating their local church, these reporters note that almost 200 sitting priests have been removed around the country and many more have been removed around the world. The problem of failing to respond to evil in the midst of the Catholic Church is definately not specific to Cardinal Law or even to the United States.

Excellent resource.......2003-05-29

The authors have a done a fine job compiling the facts about the sexual abuse crisis that is rocking the Catholic Church. Although the authors present the facts in a balanced way, you will be morally outraged by what "responsible" people of the church are capable of. A must read for anyone who has any doubt about the authoritarian, anti-intellectual, and medieval nature of the Catholic Church.

A Crisis of Man, not Faith.......2003-02-12

Ripped from headlines that have been contemporary for more than a year, "Betrayal ..." is the Boston Globe newspaper's investigative staff product of the problem of pedophiles and molesters (and there's a significant distinction between the two) in the Catholic priesthood. What may sound like editorializing seems to be verified by supporting documentation of priests who victimize boys of all from adolesence to young adulthood, and the book reads more like an elongated newspaper article, not that that's bad. But, at its heart, "Betrayal ..." maps out what a convincing argument that an inordinate number of child molesters seem to be in the clergy. If you can get past the sheer devastation of divine trust shattered and totally destroyed and the childhoods literally decimated, "Betrayal ..." also posits the question of why the child abuse crisis exists. One plausible theory, though certainly not justification for sex with children, is that the celibate nature of the priesthood perverts sexual desire to the expression of child molesting. That one sounds, and one would hope, more plausible than the terrifying other possibility that the priesthood attracts what "Betrayal ..." classifies as homosexuals. With that theory, however, the unfair and inaccurate implication that homosexuals are also child molesters isn't satisfactorily explored and dismissed. On this count, "Betrayal ..." might be serving the hopefully unintended fears that fuel homophobia. More fully, though, the book states clearly what is indeed a crisis by any standard. The non-Catholic whose church is not under fire may not be as moved by the sense of betrayal that the Catholic faithful may inevitably suffer. However, "Betrayal ..." and the priests who offer their commentary are barely spared from coming off as a crisis of faith and, instead, must be read as a crisis of man and not the God of worship. In the end, the Catholics among us cannot help but feel betrayed by the men in whom we have entrusted our children. And by remembering the crisis is man-made, we don't have to lose our faith in the God of our worship. In the end, those of us who are Catholic may conclude that our church's heirarchy has to be dismantled, accountability institutionally implemented and the demons of our children prosecuted along with being treated.

Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis

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Prosaic....
Solid Social Science
Excellent Book on this Crisis
Objective, balanced and fascinating
Excellent case study of how the press misinforms

Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis
Philip Jenkins
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195145976

Book Description

This volume takes a close, dispassionate look at the entire history of the issue of sexual abuse among the clergy, and especially among the Roman Catholic clergy. From the first rumblings to today's headlines, Philip Jenkins has written a fascinating, exhaustive, and, above all, even-handed account that not only puts this particular crisis in perspective, but offers an eye-opening look at the way in which an issue takes hold of the popular imagination. Jenkins reassures us about our local clergy, but also delivers a disturbing message about how vulnerable we are to the news media. Meticulously documented and dispassionately argued, this volume marks a watershed in the discussion of an issue of enormous current interest, one that will not disappear from the headlines any time soon.

Customer Reviews:

Prosaic...........2004-07-29

Personally I found this book to be little more than a GRE verbal refresher course. Sure, it is objective and balanced but so impassionate that such a contentious issue seems like nothing. I think you can strip away emotion from a social problem so much that it creates the question of, well, then, does this really matter? In my opinion I feel this is what the author has done. I was really disappointed in this book.

Solid Social Science.......2002-09-15

Professor Jenkins contributes immeasurably to the current discussion of clergy sexual abuse by doing what every social scientist should. Jenkins steadfastly refuses to add to the volume of this shrill and partisan debate by offering conjectures or personal opinions. Instead, he calmly presents the data in a detached manner, and then draws his conclusions based solely on the data.

Anyone with an interest in the current crisis would benefit from reading Professor Jenkins' sane, calm, and lucid analysis.

Excellent Book on this Crisis.......2002-07-11

This is a non-Catholic scholar who makes the case that there is an objective anti-Catholic agenda at work behind the expolitation of the relatively few cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Pedophilia is a sociatal problem and about 3% of the members of organisations (Scout, community and other key groups in society) are pedophiles. In the Catholic church the percentage is .02% of priests.

In the current crisis there are about 200 cases in the current scandle (some going back 30 years), however the Christian Monitor reported that EVERY YEAR in the Protestant churches there are about 2000 cases of sexual scandle! Why don't we hear about this in the media?

Read this book and find out. . .

The media is losing its creditability in America. Its prejudice against the Catholic Church is at best unprofessional and at worse evil.

This book offers the balanced, thoughtful and unbiased evidence of the prejudice. You will be shocked and given new eyes with which to see the truth behind the endless waves of media trash.

Objective, balanced and fascinating.......2002-06-26

Philip Jenkins has written a first-rate book, not just about the "moral panic" over "pedophile priests", but about our tendency as a society to seek simplistic answers for complex social problems. Jenkins argues persuasively, on the basis of extensive evidence, that the portrayal of the Catholic Church as a haven for pedophiles is just the latest version of the anti-Catholic stereotype which dates back at least as far as the Reformation. The scapegoating of the Catholic Church is also facilitated, as Jenkins points out, by the bureaucratic tradition of the Curia: keeping centralized records of abuse allegations makes a Catholic diocese an easy target for litigation, in a way which a dispersed Protestant denomination can never be.

Highly recommended. Very clear, accessible, and thoroughly researched.

Excellent case study of how the press misinforms.......2002-06-05

I tend to try not to think about things I find disgusting, so I more or less believed the headlines regarding this subject. You know, that there is a vast "network" of predatory priests, that everyone else in the Catholic Church was involved in a vast coverup, that celibacy was the root cause, and so on. Then I happened to read that the incidence of pedophilia in Catholic priests is less than, or the same as, other groups with access to children, such as other clergy, coaches, and teachers. That being the case, it was clear to me that this was yet another subject where the press has led me by the nose to an incorrect conclusion. This book was really informative on the subject. It served as an excellent case study on how the press comes to framing a story a certain way, as well as the roles of various interest groups in making certain that a story is framed in the way that is most advantageous to them. The objectivity and impartiality of the author is really refreshing in this era of polemics. If you want to learn something, by all means read this book. If you are simply looking for someone to validate your preconceived notions, you will not like it.

Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Church

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I was his student
"The Body is Just a Playground..."
A Frank Discussion of a Wintry Season for Catholics
Unholy Silence
Not the answer

Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Church
Donald B. Cozzens
Manufacturer: Liturgical Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 081462779X

Book Description

Bearer of the Word and champion of the oppressed, the Church nevertheless displays a puzzling propensity to denial and silence when faced with realities that threaten her centuries-old structure. In Sacred Silence, Donald Cozzens probes the conscious and unconscious dynamics that sustain the Church's culture of silence and points the Church in the direction of candor and honest dialogue.

Customer Reviews:

I was his student.......2005-10-13

I am a student of the former father cozzens, and a seminarian, and I must say, his book has no support and is nothing more than uninformed opinion...he didnt bother to open his eyes as rector and truthfully dig around. Rather, he spit out what he thought was truth and put it in a book. That is why he was thrown out of the seminary, and was asked to leave the church. Do not read thi sbook unless you are truly educated on the matter

"The Body is Just a Playground...".......2003-12-18

Sacred Silence has much to say. The body as "playground" was a metaphor used by one priest in justifying his sexual interest in a young male. It is, he went on to say, the "soul" that counts. This is a chilling line of reasoning. Cozzens' thesis is the Church's first challenge is to breakthrough the "wall of denial and silence" that has surrounded the issue of sexual abuse. Sacred Silence, to use President Reagan's phrase, is trying to "tear down that wall." The first part of the book identifies the factors that have motivated "denial" on the part of the clergy (institutional dynamics play a key role here) and the ways that silence has manifested itself, including a brief, but fascinating discussion of the failed efforts of African nuns to generate a dialogue on abuse when they first raised it in 1995. The remainder of the book focuses on potential reforms. Much of the problem stems, in Cozzens' view, from the tradition of celibacy itself. This tradition, he thinks, merits serious re-examination, as do other factors, including an expanded role for women and a revised, more representative process for selecting Bishops.

What disturbed me about Cozzens was not his substantive thesis, but his timid style. Here he runs the risk of sending the wrong signal to church authorities. He recognizes that there is a systemic problem here; that priests, insofar as they have been involved in the abuse of minors, have overwhelmingly selected teenage boys as opposed to girls and; that, more often than not, far too little was done to protect the children themselves (as opposed to the offending priest, as William F. Buckley has observed). With all this, it would seem incumbent on the Church to study carefully the mental rationalizations used by abusing priests, and flat-out irresponsible not to do so. Cozzens is clear, but still stepping carefully when he states: "The results of such studies would be distrubing... yet [are] essential to any long-term resolution." And, "Now is the time for the church to address with compassion and sensitivity a reality it wants to deny.." And, "it is time to tell the truth in love." All this is, of course, correct; the problem is that it is obviously correct. As citizens, Catholics would respond as quickly and as decisvely as non-Catholics to child abuse at a local public school. Recurring abuse and heads would roll, including those on the school board. In this area, it seems, the law is more advanced the institution's moral sensibility. The problem of abuse that the Church faces in the U.S. has, by all indications, been significantly under-estimated in Rome. What's lacking in Cozzens is not so much anger, but a sense of urgency. This problem and accompanying perceptions will not be perceived as being resolved in the absence of significant change. Here, church authorities, who really are Cozzens principal audience, have much to learn from Father Cozzens. But they should not be deceived by his measured tone -- in the timeless institution, time is now of the essence.

A Frank Discussion of a Wintry Season for Catholics.......2003-08-31

Beautifully written, this book is remarkable for its candor, its clarity, and its precision. Something terribly sad and completely unnecessary has fallen over the life of the Catholic community in the United States. It shows itself in many different ways. But its most characteristic feature is inhibited speech and an empty silence where a prayerful, well informed, discerning, and passionate conversation should be going on. For all concerned about the future of the Catholic Church this deeply thoughtful and humane book will explain the attitudes, decisions, and practices that are threatening it. If opening a way for God's Spirit to move freely in the desires and imaginations of human beings is part of what is meant by "prophecy," Donald Cozzens is a clear-eyed, soft-spoken prophet for Catholicism's present situation.

Unholy Silence.......2003-05-01

Perhaps other titles for this book could be, Unholy Silence or Sinful Silence. Cozzen's book truthfully sheds light and breaks the silence that has been hidden from the laity for far too long. This very important book is an excellent place to start seriously studying and investigating the systemic problems that caused the sexual rape and abuse of our children. These problems sadly are deeply rooted in our church and must br uprooted. Like an analizing sciencist every Catholic should read this book and others like it to help shed light as to why we have this problem! Only when the whole truth comes out can we start to rebuild and be the church that Jesus meant us to be.

Not the answer.......2003-03-14

I am also a Catholic priest. Here is a man who was rector of a seminary. Yet he takes no responsibility for the current problems. Instead he dares to offer advice. Penance would be more appropriate. I would ask him "why didn't you fix the problems when you had the chance as rector?" and "why if there is a problem with homosexuals in the priesthood did you not take action and expell them?". The answer to our problems is more fidelty not less. Fr. Cozzens is part of the problem not the answer. For the real answers we need only look to Pope John Paul II. If we had simply done what he has asked us to do for years we would not be in this situation.

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A real look at the Crisis of Priests
Well written, carefully argued book

Priests: A Calling in Crisis
Andrew M. Greeley
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0226306445

Book Description

For several years now, the Roman Catholic Church and the institution of the priesthood itself have been at the center of a firestorm of controversy. While many of the criticisms lodged against the recent actions of the Church—and a small number of its priests—are justified, the majority of these criticisms are not. Hyperbolic and misleading coverage of recent scandals has created a public image of American priests that bears little relation to reality, and Andrew Greeley's Priests skewers this image with a systematic inside look at American priests today.

No stranger to controversy himself, Greeley here challenges those analysts and the media who parrot them in placing the blame for recent Church scandals on the mandate of celibacy or a clerical culture that supports homosexuality. Drawing upon reliable national survey samples of priests, Greeley demolishes current stereotypes about the percentage of homosexual priests, the level of personal and professional happiness among priests, the role of celibacy in their lives, and many other issues. His findings are more than surprising: they reveal, among other things, that priests report higher levels of personal and professional satisfaction than doctors, lawyers, or faculty members; that they would overwhelmingly choose to become priests again; and that younger priests are far more conservative than their older brethren.

While the picture Greeley paints should radically reorient the public perception of priests, he does not hesitate to criticize the Church's significant shortcomings. Most priests, for example, do not think the sexual abuse problems are serious, and they do not think that poor preaching or liturgy is a problem, though the laity give them very low marks on their ministerial skills. Priests do not listen to the laity, bishops do not listen to priests, and the Vatican does not listen to any of them. With Greeley's statistical evidence and provocative recommendations for change—including a national "Priest Corps" that would offer young men a limited term of service in the Church—Priests offers a new vision for American Catholics, one based on real problems and solutions rather than on images of a depraved, immature, and frustrated priesthood.

Customer Reviews:

A real look at the Crisis of Priests.......2006-04-28

Most books and articles I have read written about this subject have been very subjective and not based on any real samples. Here, Professor Greeley does a thorough analysis of the problems as seen from the religious and the laity point of views. An empirical studies if you will. And he includes Christian Pastors within this study.

Though his research shows that most clergy are not in touch with the desires and complaints of their parishioners. The problems, including the sexual abuse scandal, do not appear to have their basis in celibacy nor in the sexual orientation of the clergy. They mainly seem to stem from the clergy not actually listening to their parishioners. For if they were, they may here what their flock feels it is missing. And then address these problems, whether they are real or just perceived.

He also shows that the so-called celibacy issue is not a concern on why a Priest leaves his vocation. Nor does it have any impact on the scandal. He actually shows that most Priests are happy and well adjusted in their profession. The numbers come in right on par with the married Protestant Clergy. Priest leave the field for the same reason anyone else leaves theirs, they do not feel they are in the correct job and do not enjoy the duties. I agree with the author when he says, we should thank these mean for the time they shared with us and let them leave unhindered. For who would want a Pastor who does not wish to be there?

And he feels the current crisis in the number of Priest has more to do with lack of recruitment. It seems that though most Priests are happy in their jobs and enjoy their work. They feel that their peers must be having a hard time coping with celibacy, even though they are not. So they do not want to recruit anyone into a job the recruit may find lonely. In my opinion this makes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Well written, carefully argued book.......2004-12-08

I should first say that this is the first and only book I've ever read by Greeley. Secondly I should say that I am not a sociologist, but I am university-educated (and currently in a doctoral program in theology). This is not only a very well written book (and therefore a pleasure to read), it is also a very methodologically sound sociological investigation of Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. The sort of banal assessment of the Roman Catholic priesthood reflected for example in the previous review of N. Ravitch ("Priests appear to be less educated, less intellectually curious, less conscientious, and less emphathetic than their parishioners have come to expect"; "all his [Greeley's] statistics don't really amount to a hill of beans"; "he [Greeley] underplays the role of celibacy in the sexual abuse scandal" etc.) are challenged by Greeley, who instead offers a picture shaped not by conventional wisdom, prejudice or anecdotal guesswork, but on studies interpreteted through a rigorous and critical sociological method. Greeley's data come from three sources: the study of an institute at the University of Chicago of which he was the head, and two Los Angeles Times studies. Each of these data sets are critically interpreted. For example, the first study was conducted in the 1970s and so it's not presumed that it necessarily reflects the current situation of American priests. The two LA Times studies were conducted around the time the sexual abuse scandals broke and shortly thereafter, and although Greeley says that by the inclusion of several thousand priests (both religious and diocesan, and from geographically diverse areas) the Times did far better than any other current studies, he himself would have wanted a larger sample. Nevertheless, these studies are not fundamentally flawed, and Greeley is very willing to work within imaginable margins of error so as not to skew the conclusions.
Among the most interesting contributions made in this book are the careful assessment of the percentage of homosexual priests, the discussion of the level of happiness among priests with their chosen profession, and the implications of celibacy for priests (i.e. the myths that clerical celibacy has something to do with why men leave the priesthood or with the sexual abuse by some priests). The only reason I give the book four and not five stars is that at the very end, after his outstanding sociological study, Greeley moves briefly into the realm of theology. I found myself less satisfied with some of his suggestions in this portion of the book. I would certainly not say that Greeley "should stick to writing novels" -- though I might say that instead of including this final bit in which he records his theological musings, he might have done better to have "stuck to sociology" -- a field in which this book shows him to be an exceedingly competent practitioner.

Catholics at a Crossroads: Coverup, Crisis, and Cure

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Best Book Ever for Helping the Church Renew Itself
Activism by Lay People Needed
How the Unthinkable Happened
Catholics at a Crossroads: Coverup, Crisis, and Cure
Stop, look, and listen

Catholics at a Crossroads: Coverup, Crisis, and Cure
Eileen P. Flynn
Manufacturer: Paraview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Why Believe? Foundations of Catholic Theology (Sheed & Ward Catholic Studies Series)

ASIN: 1931044465

Book Description

IT IS THE GREATEST CRISIS EVER TO FACE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH-the sexual molestation of minors by priests and the way the church hierarchy tried to cover up the situation, endangering more children in the process. Once it became common knowledge in 2002, the ugly reality of a dysfunctional institution corrupted by the complicity of cardinals and bishops in the sins of a relatively small number of molesting priests has brought a powerful institution to disgrace. Unable to postpone coping with this tragic reality, its leaders have been forced to begin the recovery process. But will it go far enough? More than 60 million people in the U.S. are in a position to choose to let the church be or to demand changes. "Catholics at a Crossroads: Coverup, Crisis, and Cure" offers a penetrating analysis of how the unthinkable happened and what exactly the Catholic Church needs to do to remedy the situation.

Customer Reviews:

Best Book Ever for Helping the Church Renew Itself.......2003-08-19

Dr. Eileen Flynn has given us the most readable and by far the most intelligently reasoned book yet to help hierarchy, clergy and laity find their way back. She has not only done her homework and analyzed her findings with skills based on her dozen or more earlier books. She has also organized her approach so clearly that the reader follows her argument with ease and in some ways with pleasure and relief, however appalling the material has to be at certain inescapable points of that argument. She presents a calm, admirably positive prescription for recovery while there is still time. Flynn pulls no punches in setting forth her Rx to repair the catastrophic damage born of millennial practices of governance that little if anything to do with original intent. Her book gives us her special woman's interpretation of what Raymond Schroth, S.J., meant when he wrote, "Nowhere does Scripture have anything good to say about power and hanging onto power."

Activism by Lay People Needed.......2003-08-01

Flynn's book brings the reader around to a not-so-easy solution to a horrifying problem. Lay Catholics must become involved and fully participate, as did Christians in the days following the time of Christ. Being a sheep is not what it's about. If you're a Catholic or anyone else who is upset and angry about the behavior of some priests, and even enraged about the cover-up by some bishops or archbishops, but don't know what to do about it, read this book. Changes can be made. Catholics at a Crossroads gives background on the facts of this problem, proposes a number of causes and finally offers the solution - activism by lay people.

How the Unthinkable Happened.......2003-06-19

The stories about sexual abuse by Catholic priests are still making headlines. As a Catholic, I am horrified by these news stories. Every time I read them, I ask myself why, how could this happen? Then a few months ago I received a manuscript in the mail from a Catholic theologian who had tackled this question directly and thoughtfully. I am the editor of Paraview Publishing and Eileen Flynn's manuscript answered the questions I had been asking myself ever since the crisis broke in 2002. Flynn's crystal clear analysis of the situation uncovers the underlying causes of the crisis: the inflexibility of Catholic sexual ethics, the theological issues of responsibility, and the reality of a dysfunctional institution. If you'll look at the "Editorial Reviews" section of this book page, you'll see that knowledgeable people agree that Flynn has hit the nail on the head. Frankly, it would all be quite depressing if not for the fact that Flynn is also able to offer a "cure," a way for the laity and the Church to work together, address the underlying problems, and finally set things straight.

Catholics at a Crossroads: Coverup, Crisis, and Cure.......2003-06-12

Using a format of Stop, Look and Listen, Dr. Flynn offers an excellent analysis of the crisis in the Church.
Most importantly, Catholics at the Crossroads outlines concrete changes that must be made for the Church to recover its health and credibility.

Stop, look, and listen.......2003-06-12

Using the format of stop, look and listen, Dr. Flynn offers an excellent analysis of the crisis in the Church.
Most importantly, Catholics at the Crossroads outlines concrete changes that must be made for the Church to recover its health and credibility

The Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis: Reform and Renewal in the Catholic Community

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The Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis: Reform and Renewal in the Catholic Community
Paul R. Dokecki
Manufacturer: Georgetown University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 158901006X

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"This is a timely and compelling book. Paul Dokecki rightly begins his search into the church's sexual crisis in his own diocese, with careful first-hand research, and builds from there. His mastery of the literature and media coverage is impressive. His conclusions envision a church fulfilling the promise of Vatican II. Bishops, cardinals, and leaders of the Roman Curia would do well to read this book. So, indeed, would the Pope." -- Jason Berry, author of LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION: CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND THE SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN, and coauthor of VOWS OF SILENCE: THE ABUSE OF POWER IN THE PAPACY OF JOHN PAUL II.

"Dokecki chronicles the devastating delinquencies of the priest-pedophilia crisis; and he maps necessary steps the Church must take toward credibility and integrity. He takes his readers from the shadowy secrets of the chancery to a Church illumined by the wisdom of God's people. Clear prose and a clean proposal. Anyone looking for solutions to the pedophilia crisis ought to read this book." -- Edward Vacek, S.J., professor of moral theology, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and author of LOVE, HUMAN AND DIVINE: THE HEART OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS.

The story of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests has sent shock waves around the nation and will not fade from consciousness or the news. We ask, "How could this happen?" And then we ask, "How could the Catholic Church let this continue for so long--in seeming silence and duplicity?" Paul R. Dokecki, a community psychologist at Vanderbilt, an active Catholic, and a former board member of the National Catholic Education Association, examines the crisis not only with the eye of an investigative reporter, but with the analytical skills and training of a psychologist as well. Moreover, he lays the foundation for reasonable and practical reform measures--toward a greater transparency, a more open and participatory governance in the church, and for a greatly expanded role for the people of God who make up the church. It is in this way, Dokecki believes, the church will be able to keep the innocent children of the church safe from harm.

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Sexual Abuse by Clergy: A Crisis for the Church
Marie M. Fortune
Manufacturer: Journal of Pastoral Care Publications Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0929670094

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Bad news on the rise: as publishers release more and more books about the clergy sex-abuse crisis, the question remains, "Does anyone really want to read ... Section).: An article from: U.S. Catholic
Heidi Schlumpf
Manufacturer: Claretian Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B0008FMMQM
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 2821 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bad news on the rise: as publishers release more and more books about the clergy sex-abuse crisis, the question remains, "Does anyone really want to read more about this?" (Special Fall Book Section).
Author: Heidi Schlumpf
Publication: U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2002
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: 67 Issue: 11 Page: 26(4)

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Bush backs embattled Catholic hierarchy as pedophilia crisis grows. (People and Events).(President George W. Bush): An article from: Church & State

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Bush backs embattled Catholic hierarchy as pedophilia crisis grows. (People and Events).(President George W. Bush): An article from: Church & State

Manufacturer: Americans United for Separation of Church and State
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Church & State, published by Americans United for Separation of Church and State on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1184 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Bush backs embattled Catholic hierarchy as pedophilia crisis grows. (People and Events).(President George W. Bush)
Publication: Church & State (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Page: 17(2)

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The crisis of credibility in Philadelphia: clergy sex abuse scandal is likely to deepen.(VIEWPOINT) : An article from: National Catholic Reporter

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The crisis of credibility in Philadelphia: clergy sex abuse scandal is likely to deepen.(VIEWPOINT) : An article from: National Catholic Reporter
Maureen Paul Turlish
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on October 28, 2005. The length of the article is 851 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The crisis of credibility in Philadelphia: clergy sex abuse scandal is likely to deepen.(VIEWPOINT)
Author: Maureen Paul Turlish
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 28, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Page: 19(1)

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