The Church That Forgot Christ

"The Church That Forgot Christ" is a sad book. Jimmy Breslin, prodded by friends and colleagues to investigate the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, takes up the cross and investigates abuse situations that are brought to his attention. With each new finding, Breslin's tone becomes angrier and angrier. His anger drips from each page. Breslin goes into depth on how the priests gained the confidence of their victims and their families. He also provides details on how these priests were "treated" by higher level clergy once their activities became known. Breslin clearly shows there was a conspiracy in avoiding the truth. Breslin found that the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic Clergy (he also includes the story of a horny nun) was not just a crime of individual predators but also a crime of the Catholic hierarchy. Breslin implicates Cardinals, Bishops, and Monsignors by their avoidance of dealing with these situations in an appropriate and timely manner...hence "THE CHURCH" that forgot Christ. As a contrast to the wayward Church, Breslin weaves the story of a Brooklyn priest, Fr. John Powis, throughout the book. Powis, who stays the priestly course, takes his vows seriously and faithfully does Christ's work. His life and work shows a shepherd responsibly protecting and caring for the flock entrusted to his care. These predators and those who protected them represent the failure of clericalism. As Rev. Thomas Doyle, canon lawyer at the Vatican embassy in Washington, D.C., wrote "The delusion is that the clergy are above the rest, deserving unquestioned privilege and stature, the keepers of our salvation, the guarantors of favor with the Lord. But the deadliest symptom is the unbridled addiction to power." Catholics will be torn by what Breslin has uncovered. Breslin's book may serve as another wake up call to the laity. Transparency by the hierarchy and involvement of responsible laity is desperately needed. As Gary Wills wrote in "Why I am Catholic" - throughout Church history, it was not the hierarchy that saved the church in tough times, but some unknown lay person or priest who rose up to save the church. Who will it be this time?

Mr Breslin's book is filled with searing, scorching startling facts. He reveals what happens when power, control, money, acquisition of properties, distorted dogma, meaningless rules, rituals and ceremonies supercede the spiritual nurturing and well-being of faithful trusting souls. Page after page documents abuse. It is a sad commentary, but well worth reading.

This is an angry book that will make you uncomfortable. Read it anyway. Read it and learn the truth about what's going on in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Think about the victims of clergy abuse. Think about their abusers, who have gotten a free pass from the likes of Mansion Murphy and others. Think about the hundreds of thousands of parishioner dollars that have gone into the renovation of Murphy's Mansion--his wine cellar, his kitchen, his crystal, his furniture. Think about the six elderly religious who were evicted to make way for him. And then think about what you should be doing to get him out of Rockville Centre. You don't have to agree with all of Breslin's views--for instance, he is pro-abortion. And the book is written like a longer version of a rambling Breslin column; it's full of his memories of family and friends, and the memories are sometimes painful, but they are brutally honest. If you're from Long Island or NYC, you will recognize some of the names and places. After reading this book, you will be angry, too--and you should be.

I kept waiting for somebody--preferably a Catholic--to make sense of the pedophile scandal within the Church, and here at last is that book. This book burns with all rage, bitterness and feeling of betrayal that the daily newspaper headlines never captured. It's like the autobiography of a Catholic during a very disgusting time in the life of the church. Leave it to Breslin to tell it like it is--the powerful princes of the church are the ones who abandoned Christ and what He taught and stood for, and took advantage of the people. It's practically Biblical, the stories he tells are so unforgettable. This is a must-read.

Ive always found Jimmy Breslin to be an amazing writer, but in this work of literature he made it crystal clear that the churches sexual abuse stories were not an urban myth. The real life accounts you will hear in this book are repulsive, and shocking. He explains it to you in such a way that it hits you right in the stomach. I personally know many of the people he talks about, and trust me when i say this, everything he says is the truth.