From Scandal to Hope

By Benedict J. Groeschel

Book Overview

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R. Our Lord Jesus Christ warned His disciples:Scandals will necessarily come and make people fall;but woe to the one who has brought it about - Luke 17:1. The Catholic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931709696
• ISBN13: 9781931709699
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
• Length: 217 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding treatment of this difficult subject

Fr. Groeschel is one of the most qualified people to write this book, because he has been deeply involved in the evaluation and treatment of troubled priests. Hib background as a psychologist gives him an insignt few church writers can match. As a result, this is an outstanding analysis of the problem, its cause, and its remedy. He describes the "progressive" movement and how it infected the Catholic Church as well as other institutions. The effects of mistaking permissiveness for tolerance permeated the seminaries and allowed the ordination of unsuitable candidates for the priesthood. Interestingly, this trend has been reversed and the newly ordained tend to be quite orthodox--this is a clear indication that Fr. Groeschel was correct in his analysis of the scandal's roots. The uninformed simply blame the Bishops for the scandals uncovered in recent years. But anyone who wants to go deeper should definitely read From Scandal to Hope. And anyone who cares about true reform will be bolstered by reading how the Church is being made stronger by overcoming this systemic problem.

Don't freak out

Father Benedict Groeshel is such a calm and graceful writer. The message of this book is pretty simple and straightforward. Don't freak out. Yes, the scandals have been heartbreaking and yes these last couple of years have been one shock after another but don't let it kill your faith or your reasoning ability. The church has, Father Groeschel points out, suffered scandals before and came back stronger from them. Stupid, evil, filthy things have happened and stupid, callow people stood by and did nothing but there is hope. The book is very honest, and calls for reform as loudly and as clearly as can be. And the reform it calls for isn't just for the clergy, the book has some stern words for the laity as well. From Scandal to Hope is relief to the grieving and confused and a rebuke to those who are frankly enjoying the scandal for their own reasons. It's a tiny book but packs a wallop.

A Must Read For ALL American Catholics-An Awakening!

By far one of Fr. Groeschel's works. This brief text finally gives us a well documented explanation of many epedemics inside our Church, especially the child abuse scandal. Disputing the media frenzy of anti-Catholic bias, Groeschel goes a step further and offers suggestions for laypeople, priests, abusers and bishops concerning the disaster. Groeschel lays out a groundwork of how we American Catholics have become lazy, secularized and victims of a growing "God-less" society. More importantly, he painfully points out examples of failures and offers ideas and encouragement of how we can and must REFORM. This prolific writer, theologian and psychologist has the courage to say that we must return to the anchor of orthodoxy to steer our mother Church (the body of Christ) back on course.

? Sloppy and insulting, NOT AT ALL!

Fr. Groeschel, is a trained psychologist as well as being a Catholic priest. Anyone, who has seen Fr. Groeschel, on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). www.ewtn.com Would know that he is a very good man as well as a good priest. In no way does he say that what has been done to this people is or was ok! He does take a hard look at how we got to where we are now. People want reform! What reform is they do not know. What they really want is an updating of the Catholic Church, woman who can become priest. Birth-control, sex with out consequences, marriage for priest. Have you asked yourself why you may want these things? I think not, because if you read about what the Church teaching on these things are they would make sense to why things are done the way they are! It is because of this updating that we are in the mess we are in! Read the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH it might help you understand what the church believes and teaches. I feel sorry for the victims, I am angry with the priests who have done this to our church. But I also love my church and many of the men and woman who have answered Gods call. Hope and Love and prayer these are the thing that will see us through this time, it will also be what heals those that are hurting.John

The Right Remedy for Scandal

Fr. Benedict Groeschel pulls no punches in his prescription for the scandals besetting the Church: more fidelity and devotion. As a long-time observer and participant in the life of the Church, the author gives us the benefit of his insights into the current scandals. These insights include: 1.) How failed psychological theories ruined the commitment to celibacy of many clerics and religious; 2.) How the confusion sown by dissenting theologians laid the groundwork for scandal; and 3.) How a renewed sense of reverence and devotion can turns things around at the grassroots level. Groeschel is a witty and wise observer. His is a voice well worth listening to.