Review: How the Catholic Church Became Naughty…

 

Synopsis:

The cardinals and bishops of the Catholic Church have been naughty for centuries. Why can’t they practice what they preach?

At Christmastime 2014 Pope Francis scolded them for their vanity, hypocrisy, back-biting, gossiping, boasting, lusting for power and control, and acting like Lords of the Manor. This book is an expansion on Pope Francis’s admonition to his inner governing circle, the Vatican Curia, tracing this naughtiness from the time of Emperor Constantine who converted to Christianity in the early 4th century and gave the Church palaces, basilicas, riches, and a noble lifestyle. It is a short journey throughout the lascivious and corruption-filled history of these church leaders—their torture of non-believers, selling of indulgences and church offices, concubinage, partnering with evil kings and rulers—ending with the 20th century Vatican Bank frauds, the money-laundering for Mafia and Mason crimes, the betrayal of the Church, and the sexual abuse of children scandal.

These popes, cardinals, and bishops of the Catholic Church are and have been the Real Hindrance to Reform with their peculiar Vatican mindset of clericalism, arrogance, and exaggerated self-estimation of their superiority over everyone and everything. It has been evolving for 1700 years. This short book is not a denunciation of the Catholic Church, but a ray of hope that the Vatican will make the deep changes that are necessary for the survival of Catholicism.

Only a priesthood that includes married, celibate, male and female priests with a non-clerical mindset will bring about the needed reform of the Catholic Church—not the Pope alone, nor the regressive Vatican mindset of clericalism ingrained in present-day church leaders.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

How the Catholic Church Became Naughty by Jack Doherty is an insight into the Catholic Church’s dark past and current struggles with reform. What the Church needs to do to fix all these issues is, in my opinion, to come out and punish the ones who committed the crimes against the Chruch. By not coming out and punishing those who have committed horrendous crimes against the Catholic teaching and to its members, the Church has only spun an endless anger and hatred from those it has hurt. It also has brought on it own sour taste in a vast majority of its own members. The cost of their not going after the bad apples has cost them faithful servants or members of the Catholic faith. There is indeed nothing wrong with the Catholic faith as stated by the author, otherwise, he probably would never have been a priest within the church. The Catholic Church has come a long way from selling indulgences and has in a way improved itself. However, when people in the Church’s top circles commit such crimes the Church somehow believes that if they hide it from the public that it will end all the bad things or bad publicity for the Church as a whole. They think they are saving the Church’s reputation but, in reality, they are only making it worse each time. I agree with Jack Doherty that the Catholic Church needs a reform but in the way it handles the bad things that happen within the Church. The Catholic Church isn’t the only religion with bad history…they are many others who have committed same horrendous crimes that top officials from the Catholic Church have committed yet people only pay attention to what the Catholic church does wrong and not what it has done well. I don’t think that just because the Church didn’t listen to the writer, that he should give up being a priest. He should have kept going on with his duty and would have been an example, to all priest and those around him of what a priest and the Catholic Church should be. Instead, I feel that because they going got tough or that just because one way doesn’t work that the writer felt hopeless and gave up too easy. Look at Peter. His faith, at first, was strong but when tested he failed…and with that he soon changed and his faith grew with patience. Like Peter, we all shouldn’t give up on the Catholic Church. Just like with the rest of life the roads will be bumpy and difficult but that doesn’t mean we  refuse to listen to God or give up our faith or vows just because many won’t listen. Many have not listened to God, yet God spared Noah and his family…Overall, I recommend this book to readers everywhere.