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Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church: The findings of the investigation that inspired the major motion picture Spotlight Paperback – October 27, 2015

4.5 out of 5 stars 152 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Back Bay Books; Mti Upd edition (October 27, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316271535
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316271530
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsDocuments of a horrendous crime
By cnyadan on October 22, 2002
Format: Hardcover
It doesn't matter if one is Catholic or not, one thing that must be agreed upon is that the abuse and mistreatment of children must not be tolerated. Therefore, it is disturbing to read such an account as this; that one can see the mechanisms that were systematically used to protect the perpetrators of these crimes, rather than the slew of victims.
This book is NOT a book condemning Catholism or Christianity. I am not Catholic myself, but I have enough respect for Christianity and the Catholic Church, that had it been merely thus, I probably wouldn't have wasted my time reading it.
With the persistance of the staff of the Boston Globe, though, much of this information, which was previously off-limits, has been opened and researched. This book is a product of that research, and without drowning the reader in tons of details, goes into many aspects of this story - how the story broke, victims' stories, profiles of some of the most heinous perpetrators, the Catholic culture around Boston, and the heirarchical structure of the Catholic Church, and the effects this scandal has had on the Catholic Church in America and in the world.
As late as this has come to many people, I am glad that somebody had the nerve to pursue the story. For those who still want to believe that this isn't a major problem, remember that what is written here is just Boston's story, and just a small bit, at that. The priests who committed these crimes are criminals, and should be recognized as such, both inside and outside the Catholic Church.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA painful read, but a must read
By A Customer on July 25, 2002
Format: Hardcover
1. This book is an excellent investigation into what occured in Boston involving the Catholic church and sex abuse.
2. It is also an excellent book in explaining the power of the Catholic Church in the culture and politics of Boston. This power may explain why Cardinal Law and others were able to get away with such abuses of power.
3. This is an extremely painful read as it details exactly what occurred to these children while they were being abused.
4. With that said, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL CATHOLICS!
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5.0 out of 5 starsAppalling Indictment of Catholic Heirarchy
By John G. Gleeson Sr. on August 28, 2002
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I was raised Catholic and educated at both the high school and college level by the Jesuits. All through school, there was not the slightest indication of abusive propensities, yet today, we see that many, many Catholic priests molested children over the years, and were assisted in this horrific behavior by Church leaders. This book ably and frighteningly illustrates the betrayal of trust on the part of these "Princes of the Church", who actively enabled these predatory monsters to engage in their obscene behavior by moving them from parish to parish, and defended these men and what they did when confronted by parents of the child victims. "Betrayal" is an apt title of a work that shows how the bishops betrayed not only their obligation to children, but their faith as well. Instances are also described where other priests who observed active child molestation did nothing to stop it.In my value system, catching one of these guys "in the act" would result in anything BUT passivity! As a retired lawyer with 30 years in the Courts, I cannot even begin to comprehend the mind set of men who preached, "Suffer the little children to come unto me" and "Whatever you do to the least of my little ones, you do unto me", yet knowingly engaged in and/or permitted the ongoing sexual abuse of children. This book is a must read for all Catholics, because if the Church can't or won't protect their children, informed Catholics must, and, perhaps, finally cast off the yoke of "pray, pay and obey". The Boston Globe has done a huge public service in producing this excellent reportorial work. Yet it does raise questions in my mind about the unthinking and uncritical belief systems of some of my still practicing Catholic friends who react rather placidly to this scandal.
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4.0 out of 5 starsThe story that started it all, now a great companion piece to Spotlight
By Jonathan on March 31, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I was a teenager in 2002, when the Boston Globe blew the whistle on the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals, but I remember the media fallout very well and the reactions that followed (a hilarious episode of South Park comes to mind). Spotlight was one of my favorite films of 2015, so when the opportunity arose to obtain the book via an Amazon Gold Box deal for Kindle, of course I downloaded it.

First thing's first: Betrayal is NOT about Spotlight. Spotlight was an original screenplay based on the research and investigations of the Globe. Their work is the composition of this book. Betrayal provides a comprehensive look into the egregious and baffling oversights and cover-ups that occurred in the Boston archdiocese from as early as the 1960s and perpetuating into the turn of the new millennium. We are presented vivid and lurid portraits of the predator priests, their victims, their stories, and at the center of it all; Father Geoghan and Cardinal Law of Boston, who went from revered figures in the Church to national disgraces.

I especially recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the background of Spotlight and didn't get enough substance from the Blu-ray extra features. Admittedly, Betrayal gives a bit better closure on our antagonists fates than Spotlight, but their denouement and resulting actions by the Church still carry a bit of reprehensible sting.

For such an inclusive work, it is admittedly not an easy read, and the sordid details make it downright repulsive at times. The writing also has a tendency to be repetitive. There came a point where another story began, and I had a fair idea of how it was going to end up (badly). However, that's not to say Betrayal has bad prose; the writing is very good, though the reader should approach the story less as a narrative and more like an extended news article. Engaging to a certain degree, but a very important chronicle of a dark period of time for the Catholic Church.
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