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I Have Weathered Other Storms: A Response to the Scandals and Democratic Reforms that Threaten the Catholic Church
Cut through the media hype and intense emotion! I Have Weathered Other Storms is a response to the current sexual-abuse scandals that goes right to the core of the problem.
Powerfully document, fully indexed and richly illustrated, this 180-page book delves into the profound crisis of Faith, media blitz and bias, and a reformists’ agenda for changing the Church.
Must reading for all Catholics concerned with the present crisis. An arsenal of Church doctrine and teachings you can use.
This book put the crisis in a much-needed supernatural perspective. The Church is not just any organization; it has indeed weathered other storms.
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 25, 2018
Although written back in 2002 in response to the first scandal, I Have Weathered Other Storms, is as relevant today as it was then. It is short, available from TFP as a PDF download, here.
The important thing is for as many of the Faithful as possible to read it and understand the current crisis in the overall context of Church History, the many falsities perpetrated by the media and others, even and perhaps especially(?) those within the Church who have their own agenda to bring her down from within. They won’t of course, but they can contribute to the loss of many souls.
Truly a ‘must read’ for all concerned Catholics; an arsenal of Church doctrine and teachings you can use.
The important thing is for as many of the Faithful as possible to read it and understand the current crisis in the overall context of Church History, the many falsities perpetrated by the media and others, even and perhaps especially(?) those within the Church who have their own agenda to bring her down from within. They won’t of course, but they can contribute to the loss of many souls.
Truly a ‘must read’ for all concerned Catholics; an arsenal of Church doctrine and teachings you can use.
March 2, 2018
A thought provoking book that brings hope and perspective in this time of scandal within the Church. This book does not attempt to downplay the wrongs that have been committed. It calls for reform WITHIN the Church, WITHOUT change to the doctrine or the hierarchical structure established by Christ and passed down through apostolic succession. It explains how democratization of the Church can never happen - it would be taking the authority passed down to Peter by Christ (Matt 16:18) and passed on through apostolic succession, and rendering that authority into the hands of a democratic vote. The book calls all the faithful to pray for the Church in this time of crisis, and provides recommendations for the Bishops.
September 23, 2024
A STRONG DEFENSE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE WAKE OF THE ABUSE SCANDALS
This 2002 book is published by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). The authors noted in the Preface, "Being a civic organization of Catholic inspiration, the attention of the American TFP is customarily turned to the consideration of temporal affairs and has not taken an official position on many problems of a strictly theological nature. The present crisis, however, while religious in origin, has had uncontestable impact on the temporal sphere... In such circumstances, the American TFP felt obliged to add its voice to the many being heard in the public square and address the unfolding crisis... [TFP] does not deny that scandalous behavior occurred, but focuses on its deeper causes and lists reasons for hope that can serve to strengthen the Faith." (Pg. 4-5)
They criticize the Voice of the Faithful group, noting that at its first national conference, "Two speakers were married 'ex-priests.' Several others came from such reformist movements as the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church, Call to Action, CORPUS, and We Are Church. These groups advocate a desacralized, egalitarian, and democratic Church, the ordination of women, and an end to priestly celibacy... In this book, the American TFP seeks to dispel the confusion and climate of intense emotion that warps the debate and hinders a true solution to the crisis. This is done by succinctly stating the Catholic principles and doctrines challenged in the current fracas." (Pg. 6-7)
They argue that the victims' group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) give "a confused definition of 'survivor' as a person abused by the clergy who retakes the power stolen from him... Thus, all those sexually abused who did not commit suicide would be 'survivors.' Using this logic, all who suffer broken engagements, job loss, or financial ruin and do not commit suicide can also be called 'survivors,' since some people do commit suicide because of such misfortunes. Suffering sexual abuse is undoubtedly a traumatic experience. However, equating this with the experience of somebody who suffered immediate and serious risk of live, as in a serious accident or natural catastrophe in which others perished, is an exaggeration. In this case, the exaggerated meaning attributed to the word becomes a means to exert psychological and emotional pressure." (Pg. 36)
They state, "Homosexuality is indeed the problem. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of the exposed scandals are cases of homosexuality. Most cases are pederasty or ephebophilia, and thus a particularly heinous spillover of the more widespread problem of homosexuality. Nevertheless, those in the homosexual movement realize the vital importance of laying the responsibility at another doorstep... With emphasis gradually shifting to 'abuse,' reformist groups pushing for democracy in the Church have begun ascribing responsibility for the sexual scandals to systemic abuse. In other words, the abuse is a product of the Church's hierarchical structure. Thus, sexual abuse is just the effect; the root cause is the 'abuse of power.'" (Pg. 51)
They conclude, "the first step is to understand the crisis properly. This means understanding both its manifestations and implications, while avoiding the media's sensationalist simplifications... We have seen that the backdrop for these scandals is a profound crisis within the Church... We have defended the Church's hierarchical nature and demonstrated the utter impossibility of women priests... we have analyzed the media's role and victim manipulation in the present crisis." (Pg. 137)
For those wanting a stalwart defense of the Catholic Church in the wake of the abuse scandals, this book will be very welcome.
This 2002 book is published by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). The authors noted in the Preface, "Being a civic organization of Catholic inspiration, the attention of the American TFP is customarily turned to the consideration of temporal affairs and has not taken an official position on many problems of a strictly theological nature. The present crisis, however, while religious in origin, has had uncontestable impact on the temporal sphere... In such circumstances, the American TFP felt obliged to add its voice to the many being heard in the public square and address the unfolding crisis... [TFP] does not deny that scandalous behavior occurred, but focuses on its deeper causes and lists reasons for hope that can serve to strengthen the Faith." (Pg. 4-5)
They criticize the Voice of the Faithful group, noting that at its first national conference, "Two speakers were married 'ex-priests.' Several others came from such reformist movements as the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church, Call to Action, CORPUS, and We Are Church. These groups advocate a desacralized, egalitarian, and democratic Church, the ordination of women, and an end to priestly celibacy... In this book, the American TFP seeks to dispel the confusion and climate of intense emotion that warps the debate and hinders a true solution to the crisis. This is done by succinctly stating the Catholic principles and doctrines challenged in the current fracas." (Pg. 6-7)
They argue that the victims' group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) give "a confused definition of 'survivor' as a person abused by the clergy who retakes the power stolen from him... Thus, all those sexually abused who did not commit suicide would be 'survivors.' Using this logic, all who suffer broken engagements, job loss, or financial ruin and do not commit suicide can also be called 'survivors,' since some people do commit suicide because of such misfortunes. Suffering sexual abuse is undoubtedly a traumatic experience. However, equating this with the experience of somebody who suffered immediate and serious risk of live, as in a serious accident or natural catastrophe in which others perished, is an exaggeration. In this case, the exaggerated meaning attributed to the word becomes a means to exert psychological and emotional pressure." (Pg. 36)
They state, "Homosexuality is indeed the problem. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of the exposed scandals are cases of homosexuality. Most cases are pederasty or ephebophilia, and thus a particularly heinous spillover of the more widespread problem of homosexuality. Nevertheless, those in the homosexual movement realize the vital importance of laying the responsibility at another doorstep... With emphasis gradually shifting to 'abuse,' reformist groups pushing for democracy in the Church have begun ascribing responsibility for the sexual scandals to systemic abuse. In other words, the abuse is a product of the Church's hierarchical structure. Thus, sexual abuse is just the effect; the root cause is the 'abuse of power.'" (Pg. 51)
They conclude, "the first step is to understand the crisis properly. This means understanding both its manifestations and implications, while avoiding the media's sensationalist simplifications... We have seen that the backdrop for these scandals is a profound crisis within the Church... We have defended the Church's hierarchical nature and demonstrated the utter impossibility of women priests... we have analyzed the media's role and victim manipulation in the present crisis." (Pg. 137)
For those wanting a stalwart defense of the Catholic Church in the wake of the abuse scandals, this book will be very welcome.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews