Faith That Dares To Speak

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the Catholic Church is arguably the last feudal system in the West. Once the feudal structure of the church is recognized, the bishops' response to the clergy abuse crisis comes into focus. Bishops and other church authorities reacted to the scandal the only way their feudal culture allowed-with secrecy, denial, and a no-holds-barred effort to protect the reputation, authority, and resources of the institution. While tragic-and in many cases reprehensible-their response was consistent with the way feudal systems function.

Donald Cozzens, is writer in residence at John Carroll University where he teaches in the religious studies department