Betrayal: The Crisis In the Catholic Church: The Findings of the Investigation That Inspired the Major Motion Picture Spotlight Paperback – 4 Feb. 2016

I originally bought this book for myself and my brother. My little brother is a (soon to be) third year journalism student. I was keen to understand, what goes on behind the scenes in investigative journalism. I had also already previously seen the Hollywood movie Spotlight. I was looking for the extra depth that could have been missed in a movie adaption.What I found within the pages of this book, shook me to the core.The investigation began at the Boston Globe under editor Walter V Robinson. The primary reporters were Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer and Michael Rezendes. Although many more reporters would later join the cause. The original investigation was to look into the actions of Rev John J Geoghan’s crimes. Was this a one-off or a pattern of behaviour?What the team uncovered was multiple claims, some financially settled. They also uncovered records either missing or legally sealed. They began by attempting to unseal Geogahn’s papers.‘The documents proved that the Archdiocese had known of Geoghan’s abuse of children for generations’Yes, It took me a moment to digest that word too, GENERATIONS! Not days, weeks or months which would also be unforgivable, but generations.The Globe ran a piece, which covered 70 priests that can been accused and had financially settled cases.‘The abuse was widespread and had gone unchecked for decades’A further four reporters were added to the team Stephen Kurkjian, Thomas Farragher, Kevin Cullen and regional reporter Michael Paulson. This was due to the huge-scale of the investigation and pattern of systemic abuse.The book covers various angles of the investigation.The origins and its causes.The behaviour of abusive priests.Impact on victims.Role of key figures.How the Catholic church might change as a result.It is clear to see the Globe intended to get to the bottom of these cases and fully involve victims in the process of the journey. With 176 priests accused across the USA alone in just the first four months of expose in 2002. The team were going to have their work cut out. They also faced opposition from the church and had to bear in mind that of Boston’s 3.8 million population, 2 million identify as catholic. It would be a scandal that would surely rock Boston. Eventually it was a scandal, that rocked the entire Catholic faith across the world.‘Nowhere else was the impact of the scandal more deeply felt. And nowhere else was the erosion of deference traditionally shown the church more dramatic’The churches initial reaction of ‘damage limitation’ actively put abusers back into circulation. Allowing them to move freely around prominent positions within the community and allowing them so amass victims on a monumental scale.Early on, the expose led to resignations in France, Wales, Poland and Ireland.Geoghan himself at this point was known to have nearly 200 victims. So nonchalant, he would openly describe how he picked his victims. He began by targeting predominantly boys from poverty and single parent homes. He would appear to offer the mother ‘help’ by taking the young boys out for ice-cream or bathing them before bed. This gave him opportunity to abuse. The cover-up would involve politicians, police, prosecutors and judges. With the statute of limitations also being a hinder to the pursuit of justice.‘If there are any heroes in this squalid tale, they are the victims, who found their voice, who found their courage, after years of suffering in silence and isolation, to step into the light and say, as one did “This happened to me, and this is wrong”’The book does detail individual stories from survivors of the abuse. We hear from one of the mother’s who’s four sons were abused. Hearing her repeat their admissions to her, was heart breaking reading. Even through the pages of a novel, reading many years after the scandal broke. The pain is raw and real, every single word of it.If/when the mother’s found the courage to speak out about the abuse. Whether it be approaching other priests or bishops. The blame was often shifted to them, they were openly reminded that such accusations could ruin the priests career. This enabled the priests to hide behind their roman collars and evade justice.‘Do you realise what you’re taking from him?’ – Bishop Thomas to Maryetta Dussourd (mother of victims)The victim blaming, and family shaming continued in multiple cases. Meanwhile, sensing his future maybe bleak, Geoghan began to protect his own assets. Signing over properties worth millions of dollars, for just a few dollars to his sister.Geoghan would also go one further, and play the victim himself. Insisting his actions made him ill, not a criminal.Geoghan was beyond shame and accountability.‘Shame, embarrassment, and sometimes, warnings by their abusers kept many victims from disclosing the abuse. Others confided in family members who found it difficult to believe them’The house of affirmation in Massachusetts, was a facility for sexually abusive priests. It was ran by Rev Thomas Kane. But priests received little in the form of psychoanalyse and treatment. What the investigation uncovered was that the ‘treatment centres’ enabled priests to just hide in luxury compared to the jail cells they should have faced.As the book details various decades and multiple cases, it is hard to review and summarise. But in 1984 the catholic church paid out $4.2 million to nine of Father Gauther’s victims. One victim was so viciously raped he was hospitalised. Gauther would eventually face criminal charges, unlike so many others. He was sentenced to 20yrs, served 10yrs and upon release abused another boy.One thing that is clear throughout the book, is that instead of tackling the root cause of the issue and seeking justice. The church was content to continue to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars as financial settlements. Whilst allowing abusers to continue in posts, with access to more victims.What struck me about this, wasn’t the victim’s right to financial compensation. That I fully agree with.But the arrogance of the church to utilise funds intended for charity etc, to cover-up abuse and legally tie the hands/voices of the accuser. As each settlement required a non-disclosure signature.The priests continued to abuse, the church continued to pay. With zero regard for the mental/emotional impact on the victims and future victims.The pay-outs would occur before legal suits were filed, meaning no public record. They also contained gag-order’s or the payments must be returned.In one particular case, Father Porter a serial child abuser of over 100+ victims over 14yrs. Was caught in the physical act by two fellow reverends; as two victims confirmed.Yet no action was ever taken.‘In the past 15yrs 1500 American priests faced allegations of sexual abuse’In the section entitled Predators, the investigation breaks down the various methods established and utilised by different priests. Rev Paul R Shanley was a popular priest that challenged church teachings on homosexuality. He openly embraced ostracised members of the community. He was known as the ‘street priest’ the cool ‘hippie priest’. His ‘therapy’ sessions often involved molestation and rape. When confronted with the victim’s accusations. He would hide behind the tired old excuse that ‘the child is often the seducer’. Shanley would go on to teach teens how to inject drugs, possibly just to enable further abuse. Shanley would go on to evade justice until he was 71yrs old.I found various chapters difficult to read. Especially the nonchalant attitudes of the priests. Which equally led me to question the severity of the impact upon victims. In the chapter entitled The Victims, you hear their stories of anger, denial, rage, shame, loss of faith, guilt and self-doubt.‘He took everything. He took my innocence. He took my spirituality, he took my purity’Thomas J Lambert (victim)For victim Patricia Dolan the abuse dominated her entire adult life. Patrick McSorley (Geoghan’s victim) fully aware of what made him an easy target for abuse (alcoholic father’s suicide) would go on to be extremely protective of his own children. Armand Landy (86yrs old) can still recall the abuse suffered at just 12yrs old in 1927. One victim would shoot their abuser and there were multiple suicides.The pain of abuse never left the victims.The explosion of the scandal would lead to 176 priests over 28 states of the USA to resign or be removed from their post. In just 20yrs the scandal had cost the church $1.3 Billion.‘What they were protecting was their notion that the church is a perfect society’The investigation details how the public outrage at the scandal, broke down barriers and centuries of the church’s deference in just mere weeks. Whilst some legal professionals were prepared to give the church the benefit of the doubt. Others were not; and Judge Constance M Sweeney ordered the release of ten thousand pages of documents, declaring them public record.The public were outraged at the church’s failure to see the children as victims of despicable crimes.‘We throw this word ‘abuse’ around, and it’s nice, inoffensive word.They were raping children. Where’s the indignation? Where’s the moral outrage?’The investigation slowly began to force change in the system. Force the church to face up to its own hypocrisy.‘Maybe to them, the victims are nameless and faceless. The victims are real to me’Jeanine Pirro - DA Westchester countyThe hypocrisy of the church is further explored, when detailing the case of a 72yr old nun fired and ostracised for performing a baptism. The $50 million over 25yrs spent on ‘treatment’ for abusive priests.The title of this novel ‘Catholicism in crisis’ couldn’t be more apt.‘We need more women. The power, and male dominance, and the secrecy are how this whole thing started’Bonnie Ciambotti – Eucharistic minister.There is a documents section, at the back of the book. Which enables you to view the previously sealed court papers.This is a tough read, at times brutal. But unless we read it, digest the information and learn, how do we not continue to make the same mistakes? 5*

I saw the film Spotlight and was blown away by it. Although the film isn't directly based on this book it tells the same story in all its horrific detail. What it did make me realise was that the film while brilliant is certainly a slightly watered down version of the story and the book contains much more detail. A disturbing read but important one.

How to begin a review of this book? It's obviously a very important story to tell and over the years the issue of Catholic priests and abuse has become an offhand joke and almost an accepted ugly truth that we have become desensitized to. I saw that the film Spotlight had been getting rave reviews and I wanted to see it but before I did, my friend, a school librarian was reading this and told me to read it first so I did.The Boston Globe reporters uncovered a huge scandal in the Catholic Church system in Boston. Not the fact that priests were abusing children - they were and this was discovered too - but that the Catholic Church was systematically covering it up for many years. The cover up came in many disguises: paying financial settlements to families with non-disclosure agreements attached, moving priests to new parishes only for the crimes to continue, seconding priests to rehabilition centres run by the Church before moving them to new parishes, retiring priests early, putting priests into a lock away facility that the church owned and denied it owned, disparaging the words of children...in short anything they could rather than actually deal with the issue properly and avoid paying out huge settlements that would bankrupt the church.And in truth, while the crimes and sad stories of families torn apart and devastated by the crime are heart-breaking, it is how the church dealt with it all that demands all of the reader's anger. How priests continued to commit their crimes despite their employers knowing exactly what they were up to. And how one priest, Cardinal Law, has so much blame to bear but has managed to walk away.This is a hard read but I think one that has to be read. I hope that the Church has learned from this period. I fear not though.

Just a three ..... The book cover is slightly misleading ... This is NOT the Spotlight story. If u have watched the movie and want to get the same story ... this is not the book. It deals with the facts of the Boston church scandal and cover up but in a very factual manner ... there is little input about the way in which the Boston Globe investigated the issues. A worthy book but not what I was expecting.

Excellent survey of the events, personalities and complexities arising from the Roman Catholic clergy child abuse scandals of the period in the United States of America, highlighting the role of Cardinal Law. The authors were meticulous in their presentation of the facts and frequently quoted their documentary sources for further study reference to this troubling and emotion-laden subject. A must-read for religious and church leaders of all persuasions faced with safeguarding issues.

Very interesting , if horrifying , account of the church scandal uncovered in Boston . It manages to convey the terror and abuse suffered by the victims without graphic detail .

Heart breaking story but told extremely well. A difficult but essential read for anyone concerned about the safety of children and the appalling behaviour of the Catholic church. It is also a tribute to the paper and all it's staff for their bravery and determination.

It reaffirms the strong sense of justice in the human conscience , acted on by the Journalists in the Boston Globe, compared with the Cardinal, Bishops and priests, who ignore and deaden their consciences to the suffering of children and parents."Whoever sins against the conscience of one of these little ones who puts faith in me, it would be better for him to have hung round his neck a millstone and be sunk in the sea" Matt17:6. how do you identify Christians? "By their fruits you will know these men"

es un libro tipo documental. la película está muy bien, el libro se hace un poco pesado y duro de leer por lo grave de los hechos

Dieses Buch scheint wirklich nur für die US-Bürger geschrieben zu sein. So ungefähr wie wenn dies angesprochene Problem nur einige ameranische Bischöfe betreffen würde: Also reine Lokalpolitik wenn mann weiss dass in den USA nur ein kleiner Bruchteil der Kathoken lebt.

Este livro é fascinante,uma história super empolgante e que narra os acontecimentos de um fato verídico e desagradável,mas brilhantemente investigado.

Betrayal: The Crisis In the Catholic Church: The Findings of the Investigation That Inspired the Major Motion Picture Spotlight  is easily the most horrifying story for me ever. Even more horrifying for me than the Exorcist or Saw because the monsters and victims in this book were REAL. So deeply painful is the impression on me that I don’t think I can ever forget. Huge applause to Boston Globe for excellence in journalism to illuminate us with their spotlight on the dark side the Catholic Church. These priests and leaders of the Catholic faith may call themselves men of God, but their actions reminded me of ferocious wolves in sheep’s clothing. The first third the book were stomach churning stuff on parish priests preying on prepubescent boys. This was followed by even more horrifying stuff. Leaders of the Catholic church, bishops, cardinal and all the way to the pope, perpetuating the sex abuse by paying hush money to victims and shuffling the guilty priests from one parish to another over and over again. Hiding their shame or welfare of the guilty priests were priorities over the prepubescent victims. Proposed reforms for the Catholic Church to avoid further sex abuse mentioned in the final portion of the book did not inspire hope for me for this oldest church (approx. 1700 years old). We may have modern journalism today in our internet age to cast a huge and bright spotlight on the Catholic church and an army of voracious lawyers representing their litigious clients to punish the Catholic church for their sins. But the crux of the matter is Catholic church does not hold true to the words of God thus will doom to fail again and again in providing spiritual and moral guidance to its believers.Celibacy, a prerequisite for its priests, bishops and the Pope, is the greatest Catholic fallacy. Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1:6 instructed that ‘overseer’ or ‘Elder’ or the leader of the church must be ‘the husband of one wife….manage his own household well,…keeping his children submissive.’ Yes, the Bible recommends a good heterosexual family man to lead the Church. Furthermore, the first leader or Pope for the Catholic church was Apostle Peter. And Peter was a married man. Jesus visited Peter’s mother-in-law in the Gospel of Matthew 8:14.There are many verses in the Bible that prescribe the correction of a wayward brother in Church 15-(Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1, Titus 3:10-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:15, 2 Timothy 4:2). But none talked about shielding or paying hush money and ignoring. According to Ezekiel 33:7-12, God will hold all these church leaders accountable for turning a blind eye or whose actions/inactions allowed the sexual predators to continue their activities.The Bible tells us what to do with incorrigible sex predators. 1 Timothy 5:20. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.At the end, the statistics given were the horrifying climax of the horror story -A staggering 17,259 victims abused by 6,427 priests from 1950 – 2013 in the US alone. Compensation paid by the Catholic Church was 3 billion dollars.There is no redemption for the Catholic church if they continue to hang on to their cannon laws that are in conflict in the Bible or ignore God’s words that they claimed to uphold. Martin Luther and John Calvin gave up the Catholic Church 500 years ago. So why are there still so many Catholics in the world? Betrayal: The Crisis In the Catholic Church: The Findings of the Investigation That Inspired the Major Motion Picture Spotlight

Meno male che ci sono dei giornalisti in gamba e delle redazioni che accettono il loro lavoro! Un grazie a tutti loro