Amidst the torturous decline of the public Church since the 1960s, the sexual abuse scandal, which erupted anew in 2018, poses one of the greatest challenges of the darkest period Catholics have faced since the Reformation. In The Smoke of Satan, veteran Catholic journalist Philip Lawler explains why the crisis is even more severe than when it first commanded headlines in 2002 and how the failure of Church leaders involves many in the highest echelons.
In this unflinching look at the crisis threatening the Church and her members, Lawler:
- Shows how the sexual abuse scandal is not a question only of pedophilia, but also of homosexual activity within the clergy
- Explains how Catholic bishops developed a habit of covering up serious problems to avoid the serious divisions that have developed within the faith since Vatican II
- Exposes a catastrophic rupture in Church unity that caused a breakdown in morals and discipline among priests, bishops, and laity, paving the way for the current crisis
- Reveals the growth of a faction within the Vatican that is ready to make peace with secularism
- Details the charges in the explosive “Vigano testimony” and the efforts by Vatican officials to ward off a thorough investigation
- Concludes with a program for reform, led by faithful lay Catholics, demanding a new policy of candor and a forthright proclamation of Church teaching
This crisis, brought about by the failures of bishops and clerics, has been allowed to fester long enough. It is well past time for serious action to be taken at every level before more lives are ruined, more souls are lost, and more fractures divide the Church.
In these pages, Lawler details the problems besetting the Church and lays out a clear plan to overcome them in order that the Church and her members may once again thrive and bring souls to Christ.
- Author:
- Philip F. Lawler
- Imprint:
- TAN Books
- Pages:
- 216
- Publication Date:
- 11/5/2018
- Product Format:
- Paperbound
- Height:
- 8.50
- Width:
- 5.50
6 Reviews
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Smike of Satan
Mr. Lawler correctly points out how our weak Bishops and Priest have caused the Church to go into free fall. Sin and Hell are rarely, if ever, mentioned at Mass. It's time for the laity to bring the Church back to her traditional roots.
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We all need to know
I read this book last year and bought two more copies to share with friends who need to be aware of things that have happened and their causes.
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A chilling reality for all
A chilling reality for all Faithful about what occurred while many of us slept.ù However this work also awakes attentiveness, ignites prayer, and inspires hope.
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Smoke of Satan
Jesse Romero is very knowledgeable. This was an informative book. Must read to bolster our faith in God.
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The Church on earth is called to be the Church Militant
In my view, this is a very good book, this is one book among many that address cultural evils outside and inside the Catholic Church. This book focuses on the failure of leadership - especially many bishops in their duty to teach, to sanctify, and to govern - and offers a comprehensive list of what very lay person should, and should not, do for their part. We must all realize that in this world true faith in Jesus Christ is counter cultural and that the Church on earth is called to be the Church Militant, wielding the Sword of Truth, and attracting others via personal holiness.
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I suspected such things, I
I suspected such things, I am happy that someone wrote about it; I didnt know how bad , the situation is outrageous and shameful. Spiritual Warfare in the church; but the gates of hell will not prevail against her.
