SACRILEGE
Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church
by Leon J. Podles
For the first time, an author skilled in investigations and with knowledge of theology and history surveys and analyzes the crisis of the largest institution in the world.
Sacrilege explores the deep roots of the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal, for the first time revealing its full depth and breadth. As former Federal Investigator Leon Podles documents, the abuse is not limited to a few well-publicized cases in New England; instead it has occurred in every type of Catholic institution, in every time period, throughout the world.
In horrifying yet necessary detail, Sacrilege surveys the full extent of the damage, showing victims failed by bishops, laity, therapists, police, courts, press and even popes. Sacrilege is an essential resource for all those concerned with the history and future of Catholicism.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
“As Leon Podles put it in Sacrilege (2007), his magisterial and sickening history of clerical sexual abuse, both “new errors” and “old errors” were at work in the Church’s scandal – relativism and clericalism, permissiveness and authoritarianism, the worst impulses of liberalizers and traditionalists intertwining in an awful tangle of corruption.”
—Ross Douthat
New York Times columnist and author of
Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012)
“Sacrilege is unique and invaluable as a one-volume source of the hard facts about clergy sex abuse and the variety of underlying causes. There have been many books written about clergy sex abuse, but this book is a must-have.”
— Thomas Doyle, J.C.D., C.A.C.D.
Co-author, Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes: The Catholic
Church’s 2,000-Year Paper Trail of Sexual Abuse
“As a committed Catholic, steeped in its history, theology and governance, Dr. Podles suggests ways and means to address this tragic offense squarely and honestly. Sacrilege is a passionate plea for justice, recognition, repentance, restitution, and responsibility.”
— Carman Miller,
Professor of history, McGill University, Montreal
“Sacrilege is a relentless examination of the clergy sex abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church with great compassion for the victims. Leon J. Podles stands apart from other investigators by virtue of his orthodoxy. That won’t sit well with some church officials and ideologues of the Left. All the more reason this book deserves to be read.
— Jason Berry
Author, Lead Us Not into Temptation:
Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children
“Leon Podles is a scholar and an intent and committed Christian. . . . He pulls no punches in calling the situation a sacrilege. Podles’ investigative skills make the book indispensable for anyone seriously concerned about sexual abuse of minors by priests and bishops, or anyone.”
— A.W. Richard Sipe
Author, Sex, Priests, and Power: The Anatomy of a Crisis
“ . . . a necessary read for comprehending the depth of evil that festered in the Catholic Church." Read the whole article...
— New Oxford Review Notes
New Oxford Review, June, 2008
SACRILEGE BOOK REVIEWS
“Sacrilege examines a painful subject." Read the review...
— By Diane Levero
Defend Life, May - June, 2008
“The Perennial Crisis of Clerical Sexual Abuse." Read the review...
— By Paul Bower
New Oxford Book Reviews,
July-August 2008
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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For 20 years, Leon Podles worked as a federal investigator. He received a Catholic education, entered seminary and later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. He is author of The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity (Spence, 1999) and senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. His writing has appeared in America, The American Spectator, Crisis, and other publications. He is president of Crossland Foundation, serves on the board of BishopAccountability.org, and is a Boy Scout leader. He is married and has six children. |
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