Rating: 
Summary: Read this book!
Review: I can't tell you how highly I recommend this book. If you have had any interest, passing or otherwise, in the affairs of the church then read this book. Mr France has researched the subject extensively and appears to have left no stone unturned in his pursuit of telling this story.I don't usually rave about a book, and have never felt compelled to write a review on Amazon, but there is always a first time for everything. Buy it and read it. Thanks.
Rating:
Summary: A New Look At Some Never Forget History
Review: I have followed the clergy abuse scandal fairly closely over the years. I have felt horror for the treatment of the victims of the disturbed priests who stole away childhood for so many. And I have felt incredible anger and hurt at the conduct of the Catholic Church hierarchy in their arrogant, legalistic and un-Christian behavior toward the victims and their families of these crimes. Like many Catholics, I was glad to see the Church hierarchy finally be forced to begin to recognize and take responsibility for its collective complicity in compounding the damage of the priests who were abusing children over the years. For so many of the victims, the affirmation of what happened to them and the financial settlements can no way make up for their lifetime losses. As Americans I sometimes fear that we have too short an attention span on some pretty serious issues. I’m not sure if that is due to the complexity of life or the pace of twenty-four hour news with its ever-changing “urgent†story. We seem to reach overload, perhaps exhaustion. I have observed this with the AIDS Crisis, with the tragedies of September 11th and most recently with the clergy abuse situation. We become emotionally exhausted and shut down. I know that I had gotten to that point. I didn’t want to see one more thing about the clergy scandals. The whole thing made me deeply ashamed of my Church, angry at the disgraceful behavior of most of the Church hierarchy and repelled by the individual perpetrators. With some time having passed since the Boston Clergy Crisis of 2002, I found myself again willing to look at the new information that has become available on the clergy abuse situation. While certainly Our Fathers is a difficult read because of its very subject, David France has written a very readable, almost hauntingly cadenced collection of vignettes that when drawn together in one book, provides the reader with a pretty complete view of important “never forget†history of the American Catholic Church. Further, France indirectly reminds the reader that without change, the Catholic Church and its hierarchy as an institution, have a less than promising future for many people. Not beach reading, but highly recommended nonetheless. Daniel J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA
Rating:
Summary: Lay support in Church corruption
Review: I have many of the books published on the sex scandal in the Catholic Church. This book is thorough and is written with clairity. The book also brings forward the untruths and extent that LAY employees will go to continue to support corruption against their brothers and sisters as evidenced on page 356 and 357 of a conversation occurring between Bernard Law and the Press Secretary, Donna Morrissey. If this woman did not resign with Law, I hope she soon does and extends an apology to the gentleman she garnerned into cuffs and to the people of Boston.
The Mass is A sacrifice and here before this woman stood a live, talking sacrifice which she decided to "be careful about precedents," ignoring the REAL meaning of the MASS she was participating in. Not alot has changed from the Gospels of NT.
Rating:
Summary: Heroes for Our Time--Father Thomas Doyle and Richard Sipe
Review: I have read many books about the Catholic Church crisis ever since the priest pedophile scandal made sweeping headlines in 2002, and this book ranks near the top. The word "evil" can be changed to "vile" by moving the letters around. By adding the letter "d", we have the word "devil" and those three words are applicable to many priests and bishops who are depicted in David France's excellent book. I believe they started out with "love" (change the "i" to "o") in their hearts for their calling and their flocks, but the evil priests could not resist their impulses to harm children. The evil bishops could not resist their self-serving impulses to protect the church from shame and scandal even though countless children would be scarred for life by their shameful actions of moving the priests around from parish to parish. The book told me a lot about Vatican II that I did not know and gave me information about the gay priest situation that I did not know. It took me into the thoughts and/or actions of the victims, the priests (both good and bad), the bishops, and the families of survivors and others willing to reach out and help. Father Thomas Doyle stood out in this book as a hero as did Richard Sipe, a psychotherapist and former Benedictine monk. Both men tried to warn the hierarchy about what was coming if changes were not made, but the higher-ups would not listen. Father Doyle was on his way to becoming a bishop, but when he sided with the molested victims and their families, that was the end of his upward career. He was moved out of his prominent position and was given the position of chaplain. This book also gives useful information about several survivor groups and other groups such as Voice of the Faithful. I went to one of the latter's meetings and was impressed with the presentations. I believe that these people love the Catholic Church and are working with the Holy Spirit to help bring about needed changes. Any person who is interested in the survival of the Catholic Church should read this book carefully. I was already reading two books and put them aside after I received this book in the mail. It is a long book but it never is dull. I thought when the author wrote about the courtroom scenes, the book would become boring but that did not happen. The author kept interspersing victims' stories into the chapters devoted to the courtroom actions so the momentum was never lost.
Rating:
Summary: Our Fathers-
Review: I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of David France's book
"Our Father."
France, really did extensive research on this topic. Presented in chronological fashion, starting in the 1950's to 2002, it tells ithe in depth story of the abused, the abusers, the Church itself and its impact.
Having lived in the Boston area for the last twenty years, being Catholic, and gay, this book was of particular interest.
When the Boston Globe Spotlight Team unearthed this scandal, I felt nauseated for the victims. It was hard to fathom, that those who were supposed to be "of a higher stature" were not.
Also, how the church tried various tactics to get away from the scandal, especially turning it into a homosexual problem was also very interesting.
I still grieve for these victims. I can't even imagine to begin to understand how they feel. France's book gives you an up close and very personal look.
It's made quite clear that this just wasn't a Boston problem. I guess what shocks you the most, is that no matter how sorry they say they are, the Church, and not just the abusers must take responsibility for this to occur. Maybe it is time for the faithful to start questioning the church. I don't think there will ever be blind faith again. Priests must now gain respect, I don't think it will ever gained because of the position they hold ever again.
Rating:
Summary: Truth Behind the Collar
Review: It all started back in the 1950's, and the story and horror of what happened to thousands of boys across the country is simply unimaginable. Somehow, David France's book "Our Fathers" manages to encapsulate the events into a very approachable, readable tome that documents thoroughly the eventual unmasking of the American Catholic church in its response to child abuse. The scope of abuse in the Catholic church, and the equally vile attempts to cover it up, rivals the atrocities of Watergate. Certain priests, who violated boys, some even in there own homes, were merely reassigned to another parish to start victimizing a new batch of boys. Some were sent to a wayward house, and after spending a few months there, deemed themselves "cured" and then were foisted out on more unsuspecting parishoners. France details these accounts accurately and honestly, including the total destruction these boys and in some cases girls faced in their lives, without going into too graphic descriptions. Painstakingly researched, France has made this huge topic extremely accessible. One great problem with reading non-ficiton books is that there are usually a host of characters, all with important roles, and it's very easy to confuse one with another. France goes out of his way in this book to delinate between the different priests, and often will remind you of a certain trait or habit of a priest to trigger your memory. I never once was confused as to who was who, thanks to France's effort. This is a must read book for anyone; part mystery, part historical record, you are rooting for the vicitms to have their day, and when the last page is turned, you are somewhat releaved as to the results, but still enraged that anything like this happened; and hopefully enraged enough to ensure it will never happen again.
Rating:
Summary: Truth Behind the Collar
Review: It all started back in the 1950's, and the story and horror of what happened to thousands of boys across the country is simply unimaginable. Somehow, David France's book "Our Fathers" manages to encapsulate the events into a very approachable, readable tome that documents thoroughly the eventual unmasking of the American Catholic church in its response to child abuse. The scope of abuse in the Catholic church, and the equally vile attempts to cover it up, rivals the atrocities of Watergate. Certain priests, who violated boys, some even in there own homes, were merely reassigned to another parish to start victimizing a new batch of boys. Some were sent to a wayward house, and after spending a few months there, deemed themselves "cured" and then were foisted out on more unsuspecting parishoners. France details these accounts accurately and honestly, including the total destruction these boys and in some cases girls faced in their lives, without going into too graphic descriptions. Painstakingly researched, France has made this huge topic extremely accessible. One great problem with reading non-ficiton books is that there are usually a host of characters, all with important roles, and it's very easy to confuse one with another. France goes out of his way in this book to delinate between the different priests, and often will remind you of a certain trait or habit of a priest to trigger your memory. I never once was confused as to who was who, thanks to France's effort. This is a must read book for anyone; part mystery, part historical record, you are rooting for the vicitms to have their day, and when the last page is turned, you are somewhat releaved as to the results, but still enraged that anything like this happened; and hopefully enraged enough to ensure it will never happen again.
Rating: 
Summary: Great writing (a little but though)
Review: It's heroic, epic writing. Layer upon layer peeled off this mystery that really passed me by, the author sets about the writing in such a compelling manner, it's hard to put the book down. A little but though, sometimes it seems like he's not taking sides, other times, it seems he wants you to dislike certain people involved in the whole affair, he does all this without seeming to though. But overall, buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, smart, and compassionate
Review: Just when you think you didn't want to read another word about those creepy priests and those even creepier Church demigods along comes the last word in real reporting. I am not even Catholic but I was really moved by the faith of the broken-hearted faithful. (O.K., the ending made me cry!) The stories as told here read like a series of movie plots - fast, compelling, and sharp with details without lingering over the salacious. I was amazed to find myself feeling sorry for some of these young, sheltered, priests who seemed "set-up" by the Church hierarchy like mad dogs and then let loose (repeatedly) on a witless flock. It was equally revealing to get to know the victims and their previously untold stories. Without seeming "preachy" this scandal wasn't (isn't) just about Good v. Evil or Choirboys v. Pedophiles, but about what can happen to ordinary men when their souls are caged at an early age by an indifferent man-made Institution out to protect it's own misunderstood and misperceived self-interest. And while the Church suffers an indictment that it really can't defend, the real and living "Church" - that is, the members, are an inspiration. Just a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Reporting-Not Writing
Review: Like others, I found Mr. France's account of the current sexual abuse crisis in the American Catholic Church informative, sometimes oddly compelling and always disturbing. However, I would add the following caveat. This voluminous, blow-by-blow, "you are there" account is written by a Newsweek reporter. I was hoping for something more than that in Mr. France's book. I was looking for a writer. Not a writer in the sense of one who uses good grammar and punctuation. But a writer who goes beyond mere reporting and can sum-up, elucidate, break-down, and articulate an insightful analysis with a thought-provoking summation and conclusion. This is a fine piece of reporting, but not writing. As such its title is misleading and raises your expectations of a deeply personal and enthralling account of this shameful time in Church history. A more appropriate title would have been, "Newsweek Diary of A Church Sex Scandal."
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