Sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by Catholic clergy burst onto the American scene in 1984. Revelations about such abuse since then have confirmed that this tragedy is not limited to the U.S. Catholic Church, nor is it a new phenomenon that grew out of so-called secularizing trends of the late twentieth century. The Doyle-Sipe-Wall report clearly demonstrates a deep-seated problem that spans the Church's history. This collection of documents from official and unofficial sources begins its survey in 60 CE and concludes with the contemporary scandal. It reveals an institution that has tried to come to grips with this devastating internal problem from its earliest years. At times circumspect and at other times open and direct, Church leaders tried a variety of means to rein in the various violations of clerical celibacy. The sexual abuse crisis is not isolated from the questions of the celibate practice of all Catholic clergy and the moral questions that involve marriage and all human sexual behaviors. These are the main, yet unspoken, reasons why sexual abuse has been such an inflammatory and dangerous issue for the hierarchy. The Church abuse scandal of the contemporary era, rather than seen as a new challenge, is actually the catalyst for a complex process that is forcing the official Church to redefine its ideology of sexuality, its responsibility to its members and its role in society. The three distinguished authors have served as experts and consultants in over 1,000 cases of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, and have collectively spent over 70 years of official service within the church.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Drawing on their skills as canonists and researchers, the authors construct a compelling forensic account to support their thesis." -- The National Catholic Reporter
A great, very important book...the bishops DON'T want you to read. -- Eugene Kennedy, author of
A hard-hitting exposé ... -- David Yonke, Toledo Blade, July 1, 2006
A much-needed read. -- Online Catholics
Gold Medal, Religion -- 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards
They discuss...the failure of the hierarchy to manage priest perpetrators or provide succor to the children. -- Reference & Research Book News in Reference & Research Book News on August 2006
This is a page-turner that reads like The DaVinci Code, except that this well-documented book is NOT fiction. -- Kenneth E. Lasch, JCD in FatherLasch.com
A great, very important book...the bishops DON'T want you to read. -- Eugene Kennedy, author of
A hard-hitting exposé ... -- David Yonke, Toledo Blade, July 1, 2006
A much-needed read. -- Online Catholics
Gold Medal, Religion -- 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards
They discuss...the failure of the hierarchy to manage priest perpetrators or provide succor to the children. -- Reference & Research Book News in Reference & Research Book News on August 2006
This is a page-turner that reads like The DaVinci Code, except that this well-documented book is NOT fiction. -- Kenneth E. Lasch, JCD in FatherLasch.com
From the Publisher
2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards, Gold Medal, Religion
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
99 of 113 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a most useful one - to say the least - for those of us, within the Church, grieved by these scandals and the utterly appalling manner in which they have been/are being handled. This excellent book should be required reading for bishops and priests everywhere.
Sadly, it would appear that there is not much enthusiasm among many clergy for being educated about the nature and extent of the evil that has devastated so many lives. That in itself is a terrible indictment of many in the institutional Church.
There are many false shepherds and - in Jesus' words - "hired hands", who DO NOT CARE about those wounded and torn by "wolves within the fold". They have sympathy for - and affinity with - their "brother priests" who are, in fact, sexual predators; and no love or compassion for their victims whose lives are so deeply scarred.
Sadly, it would appear that there is not much enthusiasm among many clergy for being educated about the nature and extent of the evil that has devastated so many lives. That in itself is a terrible indictment of many in the institutional Church.
There are many false shepherds and - in Jesus' words - "hired hands", who DO NOT CARE about those wounded and torn by "wolves within the fold". They have sympathy for - and affinity with - their "brother priests" who are, in fact, sexual predators; and no love or compassion for their victims whose lives are so deeply scarred.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Misty609
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I think all practicing Catholics should read this book, but many won't. Why? The truth is too painful and it is easier to bury one's head in the sand and pretend that sexual abuse by clergy is really about "Catholic bashing" as one priest I know put it.
It's a tough read for Catholics, for sure.
Catholic people are a forgiving people 'cause churches are filled every Sunday. I am glad to see this because there are many, many, good and holy priests who have been and continue to be hurt by the sins of some very sick priests, and bishops.
The truth is very painful to swallow, but we cannot ignore it. If you want to face the truth, then read this book. I felt like I was being disloyal when reading about the scandal (Catholic guilt). I also feel like the Evil wants to destroy the Cahtholic Church so I must remember that I go to Church for Jesus who is present in the Eucharist and I will not stop receiving Jesus because of the sins of those who represent the church, they are human beings.
It's a tough read for Catholics, for sure.
Catholic people are a forgiving people 'cause churches are filled every Sunday. I am glad to see this because there are many, many, good and holy priests who have been and continue to be hurt by the sins of some very sick priests, and bishops.
The truth is very painful to swallow, but we cannot ignore it. If you want to face the truth, then read this book. I felt like I was being disloyal when reading about the scandal (Catholic guilt). I also feel like the Evil wants to destroy the Cahtholic Church so I must remember that I go to Church for Jesus who is present in the Eucharist and I will not stop receiving Jesus because of the sins of those who represent the church, they are human beings.
57 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If this review seems harsh, it's because the lives of kids are at stake and the problem is NOT being addressed openly by the Catholic Church.
When I read a non-fiction book and come across a fact that startles me, I put a dot in the margin next to the sentence and, at the back of the book, list the page number. This helps me research and/or discuss matters of import while preserving their context.
Here are a few of the items I marked of Father Doyle's (et al) objective history of clerical celibacy and child abuse in the Catholic Church:
4- Solicitation in the confessional
21- Pope Leo IX decided to exclude "only those who had offended repeatedly and over a long period of time."
28 - Pope Benedict commanded that no two monks were to sleep in the same bed.
44 - Pope Benedict XIV condemned the practice of priests granting absolution to the very persons with whom they had engaged in solicitation.
60 - The John Jay College Survey review commissioned by the bishops found the 5,450 complaints of clerical sexual abuse included sixteen U.S. bishops.
To determine for yourself if this is a NEW problem, read pages 5,6,7,11,13,17,20,21,22,26,30,33,35,36,37,40,44,46,52,68,104,
170,211,214,215,223,225,226 and 235.
Oh, on page 258, we learn the Los Angeles dioceses uses the same PR firm earlier hired by Enron and Charles Keating.
When I read a non-fiction book and come across a fact that startles me, I put a dot in the margin next to the sentence and, at the back of the book, list the page number. This helps me research and/or discuss matters of import while preserving their context.
Here are a few of the items I marked of Father Doyle's (et al) objective history of clerical celibacy and child abuse in the Catholic Church:
4- Solicitation in the confessional
21- Pope Leo IX decided to exclude "only those who had offended repeatedly and over a long period of time."
28 - Pope Benedict commanded that no two monks were to sleep in the same bed.
44 - Pope Benedict XIV condemned the practice of priests granting absolution to the very persons with whom they had engaged in solicitation.
60 - The John Jay College Survey review commissioned by the bishops found the 5,450 complaints of clerical sexual abuse included sixteen U.S. bishops.
To determine for yourself if this is a NEW problem, read pages 5,6,7,11,13,17,20,21,22,26,30,33,35,36,37,40,44,46,52,68,104,
170,211,214,215,223,225,226 and 235.
Oh, on page 258, we learn the Los Angeles dioceses uses the same PR firm earlier hired by Enron and Charles Keating.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read
Excellent book for Catholics or non religious readers. This book should be a must read for all Catholic parents to make them aware of dangers that they cannot see so their children... Read more
Published 1 month ago by ming2
4.0 out of 5 stars
Necessary reading
But, in many ways, it is horrifying. We cannot afford not read it, nor to forget it. I recommend it.
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Martin N. White
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Wow.
I am reviewing this just days after the Philadelphia conviction of the priest who used the "Nazi Defense" of "I was only following orders". Read more
Published 11 months ago by Anne M. Durkin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Expose
Great book on the abuse that has been going on for a long while. There's nothing new. Pederasty is nothing new in the Roman Catholic Church. Read more
Published on February 24, 2011 by Casual Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sex,Priest,&Secret Codes wakes you up to the Catholic Scandal.
Sex, Priest, and Secret Codes is a true book by Tom Doyle a great Priest.
Published on November 2, 2010 by Jenny
5.0 out of 5 stars
courageous insiders' expose
I appreciated the historical overview of celibacy as a policy, and the church's sometimes very open efforts to control psychosexually disordered priests. Read more
Published on October 27, 2010 by Emily Zimmerman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes: The Catholic Church's 2000 year paper...
An critical overview of the Catholic churches strategy of avoiding the issue of sexuality and the detailed examination of the avoidance and coverup of the sexuality leading to... Read more
Published on May 15, 2010 by John Cervantes
5.0 out of 5 stars
A long overdue expose
Anyone who thinks that sex abuse by Catholic priests is a recent problem should read this book. As the title tells us, it's a 2,000-year paper trail of abuse. Read more
Published on April 14, 2009 by Joseph C. Rigert
3.0 out of 5 stars
If you like footnotes. . .
I found the title to be the only thing intriguing about this book. There is very little original material here, but an exhaustive list of attributions without conclusions. Read more
Published on February 22, 2009 by Paparika Jellybean
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes: The Catholic Church's 2,000-Year Paper...
This book is an enlightening look at the issues behind the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church and the failure of leadership to adequately deal with the problem, both... Read more
Published on August 15, 2007 by Sandra L. Graves LMFT
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
See all 100 books this book cites
- A Secret World: Sexuality And The Search For Celibacy by A.W. Richard Sipe on 4 pages
- Handbook of Medieval Sexuality by Vern L. Bullough in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Celibacy in Crisis: A Secret World Revisited by A.W. Richard Sipe on page 58, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Body and Society by Professor Peter Brown in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Criminal Justice by Andrew Sanders on page 97, and page 300
See all 100 books this book cites
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