Jesus never said this was gonna be easy

The Courage to be Catholic by George Weigel
Crisis, Reform, and the Future of the Church
Basic Books, 2002

The title of George Weigel's 2002 look at the sexual abuse scandal and the resulting crisis in the Catholic Church is apt on two counts. First, any faithful Catholic who has lived through the years since the scandal broke knows it has not been easy — it has taken real courage to publicly claim one's Catholicity and stay Catholic in the face of the ensuing vitriol and hate spewed upon the church. Secondly, as Weigel points out, the solution to the crisis and the future of the church rests in its members' courage to keep the church truly Catholic rather than succumbing to the urge to mold it into some watered down version designed to meet the approval of its critics.

The Courage to be Catholic is divided into two parts. The first section of the book analyzes what the crisis was (including what it wasn't), its causes, and the many factors that created the snowball effect following the first reports of a problem. Considering the book was published the same year a  Boston Globe story broke the issue wide open, Weigel's assessment is surprisingly thorough and enlightening. In part two, Weigel offers his recommendations for repairing the damage done and minimizing the likelihood of such problems in the future. Contrary to what one might expect, Weigel suggests the answer isn't what he calls "Catholic Lite" — it's just the opposite. This is not a time to retreat into a bunker, Weigel says, but rather a time to stand firm in doctrinal identity and moral boundaries. A chapter each is dedicated to reform of seminaries, the priesthood, and bishops and the Vatican. 

Both parts of the book are well done and shed much light on both the problem and the solution. Weigel focuses on the facts when assessing the problem and highlights the real opportunity for renewal when discussing reforms. The only other thing that might be welcome at this point, 13 years after the fact, would be an update: What direction has the church taken since 2002? Has her response included included any of Weigel suggestions? Are things better or worse? Then again, perhaps those who have had the courage to remain Catholic those 13 years already know the answers to those questions. Regardless, the explanations of what happened are invaluable and the ideas for reform still ring true, because those same courageous Catholics of the last 13 years also know... there remains work to be done.