The Courage To Be Catholic: Crisis, Reform And The Future Of The Church

by George Weigel

"A short, masterful, information-packed examination, a book that is thoroughly trustworthy, and spot-on." -Michael Novak, National Review When sexual scandals rocked the American Catholic Church, many observers and faithful alike called on the church to abandon its tenets on the vocation of the priesthood and sexuality outside marriage-to, in effect, become more Protestant. Acclaimed theologian and best-selling author George Weigel saw the crisis as a crisis of fidelity to the true essence of Catholicism. In this well-reviewed book that touched a chord with so many practicing Catholics, Weigel examines the scandal in the context of church history, and exposes the patterns of dissent and self-deception that became entrenched in seminaries, among priests, and ultimately among the bishops who failed their flock by thinking like managers instead of apostles. But, Weigel reminds us, in the Biblical world a "crisis" is also a time of great opportunity, an invitation to deeper faith. With honesty and critical rigor, Weigel sets forth an agenda for genuine reform that challenges clergy and laity alike to lead more integrally Catholic lives. More than just a response to recent failures, The Courage to Be Catholic is a bracing, forward-looking call to action, and a passionate embrace of life lived in faith.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian, Faith

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

American author and political and social activist. Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Weigel was the Founding President of the James Madison Foundation.

Each summer, Weigel and several other Catholic intellectuals from the United States, Poland, and across Europe conduct the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in Krakow, in which they and an assortment of students from the United States, Poland, and several other emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe discuss Christianity within the context of liberal democracy and capitalism, with the papal encyclical Centesimus Annus being the focal point.

He is a member of the advisory council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

Reviews

[Ramón S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Demos gracias a Dios por hacernos vivir en tiempos difíciles. Ya no se permite a nadie ser mediocre “ Pío XI
Un interesante análisis sobre la crisis de 2002 en la Iglesia de Estados Unidos provocada por los delitos de pederastia cometidos por algunos sacerdotes.
Libro fundamental para entender las causas y las soluciones de un tema que afecta a toda la Iglesia. Una visión de fe sobre algo que cuesta asumir y solucionar

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read. George Weigel honestly reviews the current crisis within the Church from a well trained eye of theologian and layman.

[Clif Brittain · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this.

Weigel is a conservative and while he agrees that Vatican II was legitimate, he claims that the Catholic hierarchy, especially at the local level, has misinterpreted every reform and has failed to exercise prudent leadership.

I have no patience with his straw men. He frequently refers to the nefarious "they", liberals and fellow travelers of all stripes. "They" say [insert preposterous allegation here:]. Then he goes on to refute the allegation. Cheap.

Most of the book deals with the handling of the sex scandals in the priesthood. We would all like to know how so many perverts lasted so long in pastoral roles (or any roles). He is especially pissed off at the use of psychiatry to inadequately diagnose the pathology of said perverts.

The problem is that the psychiatrists were also priests. Bishops are priests. Cardinals are priests. Even the Pope is a priest. If you wanted to find out about the pathology of a priest, the last place you should look is the priesthood. It is a fraternity that is as closed as the police, and we all know about the thin blue line.

So if I get Weigel's gist, we should have more watchful bishops who exercise greater discipline. This may or may not work, but I don't think this solution will help in attracting more candidates or candidates that will make good priests.

Discipline is what Pope Pius XII was all about and that was what lead to the abrogation of the church's responsibility for protecting the Jews from Hitler, or even the Catholics from Hitler. As long as the bishops were in line behind the Pope, everything was right in the Vatican.

I'm guessing I don't have the necessary courage to remain a Weigelian Catholic. I sure don't have the discipline.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw this book at the library and it caught my eye. As I'm one-foot-in one-foot-out of the Catholic Church at the moment, trying to make a guided decision it sounded perfect.

And hey! It tackles the sex abuse scandals too with an answer! That's always been a difficult part for me. I acknowledge that the Church was all wrong in its actions when abuse was uncovered, but, like Weigel, agree that however temporally wrecked is eternally holy because its basis is Christ.

Where Weigel completely lost me though is his arguments to why molestation occurs and how to reform. It's basically the standard procedure for ultra-conservative Catholics: the church is blameless, secular society is responsible for all the bad things.

Why would Christ's earthly representative sexually abuse a child? Abortion! Common sense there! His convoluted argument wouldn't have made more/less sense if he'd said baseball. Homosexuality is also to blame because it's so "promiscuous," which is wrong for two big reasons: 1. that is a proven myth and 2. promiscuity by no means endorses rape or pedophilia.

A better Catholic approach would be a penitential one. Grave sins were committed by the Church and "soul-searching" and reconciliation is the Catholic way. Blaming others is moral cowardice; this is not a PR issue.

Not that it's a scoring match, where I decide to go with my faith, Weigel certainly didn't win any points for the RCC here.

[Graceanne Bowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Weigel challenges conventional "wisdom" that if the Catholic church would just reform itself to be more like other Christian denominations, there would be no more abuse scandal. Instead, he blames the crisis on a failure of many in the church to fully embrace its Catholic identity. He points to widespread dissent, poor priestly formation, lax discipline in seminaries, and the trend toward treating the Church as a "business" to be "managed" as the precursors of conditions that allowed sexual abuse by clergy--and subsequent cover-ups--to happen in the first place. Excellent.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for understanding the Priestly sexual scandal that rocked the Church in 2002. This book shows how the culture of dissent eroded the Church from the inside and allowed sin to seep in. This book also shows how large a part the Bishops play in the development and leadership of the people, and how incredibly poorly they did their job. Without the grace of God the Catholic Church in America would have become another American denomination and found itself separated from the true Church much like Anglicanism.

[Pat]

EXCELLENT! Weiegel is fantastic in this book. This should be required readed by all Catholics (especially Bishops) and for those inquiring into the Church. His conclusions as to the roots for the priest sex scandals are dead-on. I would apply many of his theories to explan many of the problem within our own archdiocese.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of the American Church's sex abuse crisis, and what needs to be done to reform leadership.

Having read this book ten years after it came out it's interesting to see how many of Mr. Weigel's predictions have come true. Although many still feel the sting of this crisis, the Church has emerged stronger, less bureaucratic, and more orthodox for having gone though it.

[Liz Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positions 2002 roots in Vatican 2 convincingly. But I feel that the answers can't be quite this simple. Love the argument that a bishop should be chosen for his proven ability to bring people to God.
Also did not seem to loose sight of the fact that Vatican 2 had to shake things up to effect changes. Here's to a stronger church tested in fire.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the scandals that came to light in the Church in 2002. An insightful read and an attempt to synthesize and explain the what and why of the whole situation. Weigel's bottom line is that times of infidelity ultimately require a return to fidelity.

[Rocío Gómez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Da una visión bastante completa de todo el revuelo que hubo en la Iglesia de EEUU en 2002 y va a la raíz del problema. Me ha gustado pero se le ha hecho un poco largo

[Pamela Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not associated to any denominational religion so my perspective is open to listening to the various authors. They usually write with open mindedness. I usually read who wrote the book and see what denominational influence they will have to the reader. This title of course was obvious but even though I am not Catholic in the sense as they usually describe it; I am a very strong believer in accepting people for who they have become.

It is not surprising they are in a crisis with all the information written in the newspapers. There has always been reformation taken place in most all denominational beliefs and faiths.

Their strength is compared to the Jewish faith in that they had a strong moral belief at one time. They may think their religion is bottoming out, but the truth is the body of Christ is stronger in this age than ever before.

This book is written for a wake-up call which most spiritual people have been singing this song since the very beginning of the Christian movement.

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I greatly respect Mr. Weigel, and this book is an informative and thought-provoking analysis of the clerical sex-abuse crisis of 2002 - even though parts of it drag and there are quite a few cases of unnecessary repetition of information; the book would be much better as an article in a journal after halving the page-count.

One of the parts I appreciated the most is on pages 37 to 42, where he defends the practice of priestly celibacy as a deeply theological practice that has intrinsic meaning for the priesthood in the Western Church. Too often people - still feeling the exhilaration of having learned that priestly celibacy is not absolutely necessary for the priesthood - dismiss the practice as merely a "discipline." Weigel says it well: "Celibacy is thus not 'extrinsic' to the Catholic priesthood, a mere matter of ecclesiastical discipline. There is an intimate, personal, iconic relationship between celibacy and the priesthood" (40).

A good book for someone wanting to begin to understand the crisis of 2002 (I learned quite a bit by reading it), but by no means perfect.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well articulated arguement. I found myself agreeing with some statements and disagreeing with other points made about the cause of the current "crisis in the Church". Because of this, I also agreed and disagreed with prescriptions for cure.
But, the voice needs to be part of the conversation. I particularly appreciated that, for the most part, he refrained from using derogatory language which never helps in any conversation.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heart of the problem in within the Catholic Church is too many people not practicing the actual Catholicism they profess to within the Church and especially within its leadership. I agree 100% with George Weigel that Catholic Lite is not Catholicism and has no place within the Body of Christ. Overall, this is an interesting book--but a bit redundant at times.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for any struggling Catholic or someone who wants to grow in their faith.

[Matthew Maule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent thoughts on reform in the priesthood and the Church.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE CATHOLIC AUTHOR AND ACTIVIST SUGGESTS THE CURRENT "CRISIS" IS AN OPPORTUNITY

Author George Weigel is a theologian and author of books such as 'Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II,' 'God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church,' 'The Truth of Catholicism: Ten Controversies Explored,' etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 2002 book, "The premise of this small book is that we best understand the current crisis in Catholic life... as a tremendous opportunity... An opportunity to deepen the reforms of the Catholic Church begun by the Second Vatican Council in 1962-1965, which are precisely the reforms urged by Pope John Paul II throughout his entire pontificate... crises of fidelity in the Catholic Church are never remedied by Catholic Lite, but only by more radical fidelity to the fulness of Catholic faith.

"That is the truth the current crisis is compelling the Catholic Church to remember---and to act upon. What today's Catholic crisis is, how it came about, and how the crisis might become a great moment of reform is the business of this book." (Pg. 2, 8)

He suggests, "Given strong, even adequate, episcopal leadership---leadership willing to face facts and undertake reforms---the crisis of sexual abuse by priests need not have become the greatest crisis in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. It became that because of the bishops' failure to lead." (Pg. 29)

Of Vatican II, he says, "The Council, it is often said, urged the Church to 'open its windows to the modern world.' That is true enough... What these Catholic leaders failed to notice at the time---and what some Catholic leaders refuse to acknowledge today---is that the Catholic Church opened its windows just as the modern, western world was barreling into a dark tunnel full of poisonous fumes." (Pg. 62)

Of the 1977 book Human Sexuality: New Directions in American Catholic Thought, he argues that with it the Catholic Theological Society of America "sent several signals... Theologians who defended the Church's sexual ethic were put on notice that their dissent from dissent would be regarded as a betrayal of the theologians' guild.

"Younger scholars were told... that a robust defense of the Church's sexual ethic would not help advance their careers... The impact of this on priests was considerable. If the Church's best and brightest could not only dissent, but define dissent as an expression of Catholic fidelity, why shouldn't parish priests, who regularly faced the tensions between the Church's teaching on sexual ethics and the lives of their people, do the same?" (Pg. 74-75)

He observes that "discipline within seminaries eroded dramatically. No sensible person doubts that changes were overdue in the instruction, spiritual formation, and regimentation found in the seminaries of the 1950s. By the late 1960s, however, the pendulum had swung entirely in the other direction. Daily Mass remained on schedule, but failures of attendance were not deemed very serious. Few seminarians prayed the daily Liturgy of the Hours... The practice of regular, private confession dried up... Devotional life---the rosary, the stations of the cross, Eucharistic adoration---evaporated to the point where seminarians who still practiced these forms of piety were dismissed as 'POD'---Pious and Overly Devotional..." (Pg. 76-77)

This passionately-argued book will be of keen interest to anyone interested in contemporary Catholicism.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's difficult to sustain much worthwhile comment about this book, except to say its author demonstrates zero understanding of courage in the context of institutional child sexual abuse under the auspices of the Catholic Church.
The folks who do understand what courage is in that context are the victims of child sexual abuse and their families who have fought, often for years, for justice from the Catholic Church.
According to Weigel, the bishops were responsible, and he devotes plenty of space to their shortcomings. However, you'll search in vain for any mention of the "pontifical secret" which was very much in play at the time Weigel wrote (2002) and has only recently been abolished for abuse cases (see, for example, https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/12/p...).
The fact is that bishops all over the world were hamstrung in their response to the child sexual abuse crisis by the Vatican's culture of secrecy. It would have been smart for Pope John Paul II and/or then-Cardinal Ratzinger to admit in 2002 that the imposition of pontifical secrecy on the Church's internal investigations of child sexual abuse was a serious error.
It would have been even smarter to mandate, again in 2002, unrestricted reporting to the police by all bishops world-wide of any and every allegation of such abuse.
The best idea of all would have been to offer a public apology for the fact that the Catholic Church had perpetrated anything as breathtakingly stupid as applying pontifical secrecy to cases of child sexual abuse in the first place. It's taken until now, 17 years after Weigel published this book, for the Catholic Church to publicly admit that the Vatican processes for dealing with child sexual abuse were deficient.
It's not that the bishops didn't know. As an Irish bishop put it, "Show me where we didn't follow canon law. Canon law was the problem." The US bishops meeting in Dallas in 2002 also understood what the problem was. Too bad Weigel didn't.
Try Kieran Tapsell's "Potiphar's Wife" if you want to understand why the Catholic Church made such a hash of the child sexual abuse crisis. If you want to know about courage in the Catholic context, try Chrissie Foster's "Hell on the Way to Heaven" or Geoffrey Robinson's "Love's Urgent Longings".
Whatever you do, please don't swallow Weigel's simplistic caricature of the causes of the Catholic Church's child abuse crisis and his suggested remedies for it.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Weigel presents the unvarnished truth. If he would have done it with a humble choice of words his message might have more universal (Catholic) exposure.

Mr. Weigel presents the unvarnished truth. If he would have done it with a humble choice of words his message might have more universal (Catholic) exposure. Perhaps a rewrite for children might be in order, Our Lord would surely agree.

[Otto René · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buen libro, bastante esclarecedor sobre los diversos casos de abuso de sexual ocurridos en diversas diocesis en Estados Unidos. Un inicio ciertamente impactante, un desarrollo bastante bien fundamentado, pero el final parece empezar a dar vueltas sobre las mismas ideas, aún así, en un todo, es un libro inspirador para todos aquellos que se han cuestionado su fé debido a esos atroces casos de abuso. 7/10

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's a solid response to the scandals within the Church at the turn of the century which is still relevant today. Remarkably simple, but also rather repetitive. Fidelity to Christ is the core of Catholicism and we must return to Him! We can't make the Faith "ours" because it is His.

[John Teske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expected this to be dogmatic - instead it was a pageturner about the sexual scandal of the Church in 2002.

Quite educational and excellent visionary thinking. I found this refreshing and informative.

The list of people thanked at the end of the book is quite impressive.

[Marilyn Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleared up some misconceptions.

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 1 out of 5]

not my cuppa tea.

[Christy Kellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank and honest discussion about the events leading up to the priest scandal.

[Roger Buck · Rating 3 out of 5]

O George Weigel, there is real courage and truth in your book. And I know you mean well, if only you could cease impugning …

http://corjesusacratissimum.org

[Tracy Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did like the fact that the author made a point of explaining how the church should look at reform, but I truly thought there would be more focus on that then on "the crisis".