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Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis: Working for Reform and Renewal

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In this society we are allowed to be critical of anyone, including religious figures such as Pope Benedict XVI. I am critical of the pope myself on certain issues. Nonetheless, it needs to be fair criticism. There is a lot of unfair criticism concerning his role in dealing with the sexual abuse crisis. Sadly, there are victims of sexual abuse by priests that are so hurt that no matter what the Church does it will never be enough. Then there are those victims who think there can be reform and I do believe the Pope is working for reform. Sadly, there are some (not all) in the media who have not been fair to the Pope. Then, sadly, there are members of the so called new atheism who want to the pope arrested. Finally, there are some very angry liberal Catholics who want the pope to resign over this issue, which may have to do more with their dislike of his conservative Catholicsm than anything else. I write this as a moderate Catholic usually leaning towards the liberal side of the Church.
This book shows how Cardinal Ratzinger took the crisis seriously eight years ago. The Congregation of the Doctorine of the Faith (CDF) which he was the head became much more involved in dealing with this problem. It shows how after he was elected pope this has been a serious issue for him. How he has supported the American church in dealing with the problem. Finally, it shows a man who is truly upset and sorry that these horrible acts happened and who hopes to rid the Church of this problem. Mistakes have been made which he acknowledges that. A lot of work still needs to be done which he is quite aware of. I, myself, would rather have him as pope because he is dealing with this problem better than any pope has in recent decades. (Not to say that John Paul II was horrified when he found out how bad it was because he was indeed horrified.) Unfortunately this problem will not go away over night. Yet, it needs to be stated that most of the sexual abuse cases go back many decades. There are some that are within the last few years but most are older. The Church messed up there is no doubt about it. But society itelf messed up, especially within the law enforcement and psychological communities. (For more on that see MORAL PANIC: THE CHANGING FACE OF THE CHILD MOLESTOR IN MODERN AMERICA by Philip Jenkins.) I would hope more people would read this book.

This is Catholic journalism at its best. Erlandson and Bunson are two of most knowledgeable people in the world on the Church and this book shows it. Good reporting, sharply written, smart analysis, not afraid of the hard questions--even if the answers don't always put the Church in the best light. This book should be in every mainstream newsroom in the country. It offers a definitive historical overview of the abuse scandal and Pope Benedict's role, first as head of the Vatican's doctrine office and now as Pope. This should be an eye-opener for those who think Benedict has been negligent or worse. The facts just don't support the conclusions that the mainstream media has been insisting upon. In addition to good reporting, this book provides excellent documentation--full texts of every reference Benedict has made on the crisis, including his addresses to the U.S. bishops and his historic letter to the people of Ireland. A good read and an essential reference.

In a time when most people get their information about the clergy sex abuse scandal from a secular press primarily interested in grabbing headlines, gossip, and sometimes outright distortions of the truth, this book is an important corrective. Not only does it explain Ratzinger's/Benedict's documented role in the crisis, but it helps to place the crisis in context, using facts and figures gleaned from various sources. Despite what it may sound like, it's a quick read, but an important one.

Thank goodness that this book has been written! It provides wonderful ammunition for all Catholics who are confronted with questions regarding the depth of the scandal, what has been done, and what role the Pope has played in all of it. A must read for all priests and leaders of the church; to be shared with their faith communities.

Suzanne Lea, Las Vegas

If you are seriously and sincerely looking for truthful and unbiased reporting of the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, read this book.

Besides, the pricing was reasonable and the seller is good.

I didn't expect to appreciate this book. I'm tired of the subject; I find it depressing; I think it's overplayed in the papers; and I think the Church unfortunately has taken its cues from the secular media. But that's all the more reason why I needed to read this book. Bunson and Erlandson have provided the most comprehensive, objective summary history of the subject. Their treatment is fair through and through, never snarky, and gives credit where credit is due, even among the media's more anti-Catholic voices. To maintain such composure and equanimity over the course of a book is probably a certifiable miracle. To share it in this way is an act of heroic charity.

Two things are really astonishing: the enormous effort which some journalists have put into trying to blacken the Pope's name, and their complete failure to do so.

But the most salient point, for which there really is abundant evidence, is that it was Benedict, more than any other individual, who took decisive steps to end the decades of abuse, procrastination and inaction. He has met with victims of abuse - not once, as a media stunt - but several times, privately and far from media attention. He has apologised to them sincerely, deeply and often. He has used far stronger words than have been used by other Church leaders to reproach the abusers and to express his sympathy and outrage at the way in which innocent children have been treated by the abusers themselves and by those who allowed them to get away with it for so long. And he has made it very clear to the bishops responsible that they must do everything in their power to make restitution for their own failure and that of their predecessors.

Like Pope Benedict, I too am appalled and sickened at the betrayal of so many innocent children. So often, the shepherds sent to protect the sheep proved more predatory than the wolves. And so many bishops chose to abandon the situation into the incompetence of psychological specialists instead of relying on the Church's own sacramental and spiritual traditions. I thank God for sending Pope Benedict to act as decisively as he has.

This is a pro-Catholic church book, and promotes the dishonesty that the Catholic church still uses to try to minimize child rape in the church.

Let me give one example that you'd only know if you did extensive research. Gregory Erlandson is famous for promoting the "4%" number from the John Jay report, indicating that "only 4%" of priests in that era were child molesters and child rapists.

Here is why that 4% number is so dishonest:

- when they calculated the total number of priests, they added in ones that had only been a priest for a year or two in the 50 year study. The honest way to do the analysis would have been to only include priests that were there for the entire time of the study. If those were the only ones that were included, then between 8-10% were pedophiles. Big difference.

It gets worse:

1) the John Jay report was not an investigation. All of the information from the report was voluntary, and depended on the honesty of Catholic bishops, who are now known to be incredibly dishonest.

2) three percent (3%) of diocese refused to report. This obviously included the worst offenders. One that refused to report was Roger Mahony in Los Angeles, who then paid hush money to over 500 victims four years after the report.

3) most victims don't come forward. This is the most sinister part. Children that were raped by priests grow up in shame, and don't want people to know, especially since they know they will be accused of lying by the Catholic congregation. Child abuse psychologists estimate fewer than one in three will come forward.

Factor these things in, and the number of pedophile priests in the Catholic church would be much higher.

Catholics apparently like this book, but don't expect it to tell the truth.

Remember, God cares about the truth, and he cares about children. Today's Catholic church doesn't care about either.