...one could ever have anticipated, even in a season of staggering events.

Early in January of 2002, the Boston Globe published a front-page story entitled "Church Allowed Abuse by Priest for Years." It was an account of how Boston's archbishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, and his predecessors had protected pedophile priests, enabling them to continue what was widely characterized as their predatory crime spree against children. This led to an unprecedented explosion of Catholic awareness of Church failures, especially among lay people.

At parishes across the United States, Catholics spontaneously gathered in large numbers to discuss a range of matters spilling over from the abuse crisis. As reports surfaced of financial settlements paid out to victims in secret over the years, Catholic philanthropists and foundations began demanding an accounting of the moneys provided to the Church, and average parishioners began withholding contributions from collection baskets.

One lay group, "Voice of the Faithful," founded at St. John the Evangelist Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts, quickly had 14,000 Catholics enrolled in its cause, which was defined by the slogan, "Keep the faith, change the Church." Even conservative Catholics, in rejecting the passive role traditionally assigned by...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



More articles from Daedalus
Everyday global governance.(research), January 01, 2003
Exchanges.(narrative)(Column), January 01, 2003
On the age of the universe.(research), January 01, 2003
The case for a volunteer UN military force.(includes statistical table..., January 01, 2003
On poetry & the idea of nature.(modernist critique)(Critical Essay), January 01, 2003

Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.

Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.

About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.

Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.