In The Courage To Be Catholic, Weigel writes a masterful short history of the priestly sexual abuse scandal that erupted in the recent past.  It is also an acute analysis of the history of various aspects of the Church in the United States since the close of the Second Vatican Council.

The book is written specifically about the United States, though it mirrors similar problems in the Church in Western Europe. What makes this book different is that Weigel sees this crisis as "an opportunity to deepen the reforms of the Catholic Church begun by the Second Vatican Council in 1962-5, which are precisely the reforms urged by Pope John Paul II."

This book is a straightforward and relatively brief chronological account of the crisis and its underlying causes.  It finishes with suggestions for reform. The examination is realistic and strong.  Weigel clearly knows the history of the Church, both in the world and in the United States. He points out that the great majority of Church Councils have been called to address the need for reform and renewal in reaction to problems in the Church and the world. Consequently they almost always have been followed by periods of confusion while conclusions are implemented. Given the unusual nature of the Second Vatican Council, which was more pastoral than dogmatic, it was to be expected that there would be more confusion than usual.

What perhaps was not expected was that the post-Conciliar times would coincide with immense upheavals in world culture, in the arts, world politics, technology, and the media.

As Weigel puts it, "The Catholic Church opened its windows just as the modern world was barreling into a dark tunnel full of poisonous fumes."

260 pages. Softcover.