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A Defining Moment in the Life of the Church
Even before the terrible revelations of sexual misconduct and the cover-up that allowed such atrocities to continue happening, the Catholic Church was in trouble. With a devout but aging congregation giving way to a generation of so-called lapsed Catholics, the spiritual vitality and significance of the church had seemed, in the context of modern American society, to be ebbing away. Then when the scandal hit, even true believers were pitched into an all-out crisis of faith.
It was at this low point that a fiercely committed group of Catholics emphatically said, Enough! This book tells their inspiring story, the story of Voice of the Faithful, a grassroots organization formed to give the laity a voice in making their church a more effective spiritual and social force. The group came to realize that the underlying cause of the cover-ups and the failure of the church to adopt many needed changes is the abuse by some in the hierarchy of the excessive power they hold.
For too long, average Catholics have been disenfranchised. Now, with the growing success of Voice of the Faithful, there is finally a legitimate forum for the laity. As James E. Muller and Charles Kenney show in this urgent call to action, history is on the side of those who would stand up and be heard.
| Chapter 1 | A Church of Good and Evil | 1 |
| Chapter 2 | A New Voice for the Faithful Emerges | 15 |
| Chapter 3 | The Cardinal Convenes His Flock | 35 |
| Chapter 4 | Finding Our Public Voice | 53 |
| Chapter 5 | A Growing Prayerful Voice Speaks to Survivors | 81 |
| Chapter 6 | Like the Man in Tiananmen Square | 97 |
| Chapter 7 | Resistance from Bishops, Support from Theologians and Clergy | 123 |
| Chapter 8 | A Miraculous Convention | 141 |
| Chapter 9 | The Historical Case for a Democracy of the Laity | 177 |
| Chapter 10 | The Battle is Joined | 223 |
| Chapter 11 | The Cardinal Resigns but the Challenge Persists | 253 |
| Chapter 12 | How We Can Change the Church--Together | 283 |
| Acknowledgments | 309 |
Overview
A Defining Moment in the Life of the Church
Even before the terrible revelations of sexual misconduct and the cover-up that allowed such atrocities to continue happening, the Catholic Church was in trouble. With a devout but aging congregation giving way to a generation of so-called lapsed Catholics, the spiritual vitality and significance of the church had seemed, in the context of modern American society, to be ebbing away. Then when the ...