DUIN: Catholic book raises furor

The Faithful Departed DOES foster healing and reconciliation! My friends all agreed that they felt HOPE after reading this book. And it explains things no one else does. I'm sorry the Monsignor didn't have the gumption to read the book himself. Maybe that's part of the problem. Clerics with their heads in the sand.

Thank You for writting the article.. Myself and many others of My friends and fellow catholics have lived throught the "Boston Problem" for over forty years. The book sheds the spot light on how the Church was miss run by the Pastors of the flocks of the faithfull.

Monsignor Walter R. Rossi's actions in removing Phil Lawler's new book are as unsurprising as they are reprehensible. Yes,the bishops do think they have done all they can and wish now that things will return to their vision of normal. They have said as much beginning with former USCCB president Wilton Gregory. Individual bishops have bemoaned that fact that they are tired out from all the work they have done in regard to the church's continuing sex abuse problems. One notices that the "Scandal" is not even listed on their agenda for the November USCCB meeting in Baltimore. Things will never be the same in the church nor should they be. The awareness of the widespread abuse power by the hierarchy of the institutional church will not let that happen. The District of Columbia had a Lobby Day on Wednesday, September 17, to bring peoples' attention to the proposed changes to the statutes on childhood sexual abuse and to the opening of a civil window to bring forward previously time barred cases of abuse. I attended that Lobby Day. Take a look at the slide show on www.survivorsnetwork.org. I am on the right of former Mayor Marion Barry, now Councilman Barry. The woman with the sunglasses and larger poster which says, "It's Time to Change the Law." The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. vehemently opposes that. I do not. The State of Maryland will again see legislation proposed along the same vein. The Archdiocese of Baltimore has opposed this in the past with all kinds of predictions, scare tactics if you will, of doom and gloom. All of which are untrue. In Delaware, I testified before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees in support of SB 29 which as of July 10, 2007 is the Child Victims Law which removes all criminal and civil statutes of limitation and provides a two year window for past offenses. Parishes did not close and churches were not shuttered because accountability was demanded of sexual predators and their enablers. The People of God have a responsibility to demand total accountability and transparency from their bishops. Moreover, the bishops of the United States should be in the forefront demanding better legislation in their own states, not opposing such action as most of them are doing. Sister Maureen Paul Turlish Victims' Advocate New Castle, Delaware maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com

Sister Turlish: Why does a book like this belong at the National Shrine Bookstore? It might be fine at the local grocery store or at the local Barnes and Noble, but at the Shrine? And please, don't insult Catholics (or anyone else for that matter) in this manner--coming off as being morally superior. You have absolutely no interest in helping the healing of the Church nor do you have an interest in helping victims. Your only interest is in reshaping the Church into a "democratic" society where you and those like you would continue to move things into a morally relativistic shell where everyone has a say and can interpret things just how they like. Please stop calling yourself Catholic--neither you nor the group you represent (Voice of the Faithful-which is neither) portrays the faith in any manner.

OhPlease, what flavor Kool-Aid are you imbibing this month?

OhPlease, get your head out of the sand or where ever you have it and deal with the reality of the sexual abuse of children in our Church along with the horrific abuse of power by our leadership. Oh, and lay off the Kool-Aid.

I think it's unfortunate that Mr. Lawler's book is being rejected by certain Catholic bookstores. Sadly, it may indeed be a case of some Catholics wanting to keep their heads in the sand.