Mr. Lawler said other Catholic bookstores across the country have either taken his book off their shelves or are refusing to carry it. The first printing of 7,500, he added, has sold out.
I notice the local library system has three copies.
Update: In the Comments, "Aquinas" provides a brief review of the book.
Unreal. I was thinking the Msgr. would say the book had the facts wrong, or that it was misleading. If true then that would be a reason to ban it. But instead, apparently, it's simply that the book brings up a sore subject. Sad. How can the problem be solved without getting at its root? Or is the root essentially unsolvable (a lack of true faith among the bishops)?
ReplyDelete"How can the problem be solved without getting at its root?"
ReplyDeleteOne need only equate dividing with divisiveness and note that uprooting involves dividing the root from the soil to see that uprooting a problem is divisive. Quite Equivocally Demonstrable.
Thanks Terry; your QED gave me a much-needed chuckle. Having just finished Lawler's book, I can see where it would pose a problem for most Catholics these days, especially amongst the clergy and hierarchy. They've gotten so good at establishing programs that are nothing more than hedges against liability (rather than programs grounded in solid moral teaching and practice)that they get nervous when anyone mentions the fact. I mean, c'mon: You have programs that explicitly deny that homosexuality is part of the problem and that suggest that every adult is a potential offender until they've been vetted through the program. Why not just have people sign liability release forms and be done with it. Instead, we get PC jargon and some pretty amazing psychobabble. And to what end? Apparently, to induce hysterical blindness. That way, NO one can see the big, loping, technicolor elephant in the room (and if they do, they dare not speak its name; it would be a breach of the avoidance etiquette we're being trained in).
ReplyDeleteLawler rips the cover off of this charade. Further, he does it without an annoying editorial bias, letting the facts stand and speak for themselves. This would appear to be too much for many of the current crop of clergy and bishops. Recapitalizing dioceses decimated by their behavior is more important than truth and maintaining appearances in more important than integrity and sanctity.
Every Catholic should read this book. Then, maybe it would be difficult for many of us to pretend that the scandal is over and that everything's all right. Oh, and, by the way, please fork over big chunks of your money so that we can replenish what we devastated. And trust us: we'll do a good job.
Right.