Nothing to Hide

by Russell B. Shaw

Shaw, widely known Catholic writer, speaker and former communications director for the U S Bishops, discusses the abuse of secrecy in the Church, the scandals it has caused and the serious problem of mistrust that exists in the credibility of the Church. Not concerned with the legitimate secrecy that is necessary to protect confidentiality and people's reputations, Shaw is rather concerned here with the stifling, deadening misuse of secrecy that has done immense harm to communion and community in the Church in America. Shaw shows the secrecy issue is a theological as well as practical problem that raises such questions What kind of Church do we want our Church to be, open or closed? What kind of Church should it be? And how much secrecy is compatible with having such a Church? As Pope Benedict XVI has stated, "The consequence is we cannot communicate with the Lord if we do not communicate with one another." The Church is a communion, not a political democracy, and thus openness and accountability are even more crucial for the life of the Church than they are in a democracy. In a talk he gave many years before he became the current Pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had this to say about the reality of ecclesial “Fellowship in the Body of Christ and receiving the Body of Christ means fellowship with one another. This of its very nature includes mutual acceptance, giving and receiving on both sides, and readiness to share one's goods . . . In this sense, the social question is given quite a central place in the theological heart of the concept of communion." This is a beautiful vision of the Church. Shaw's aim in his book is to make a contribution to realizing this vision in the concrete circumstances of the present day, by helping to end the culture of secrecy, especially within American Catholicism, and replacing the destructive culture with an open, accountable community of faith.

Genres: Religion

Nook

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

Russell B. Shaw is a widely published author and journalist who has written twenty previous books, including To Hunt, To Shoot, To Entertain: Clericalism and the Catholic Laity and Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and Communion in the Catholic Church. For 18 years, Shaw directed media relations for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference. From 1987 to 1997 he oversaw media relations for the Knights of Columbus. Since resigning from that position, he has worked full time as a freelance writer.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deals with the ‘issue’ – as much as I hate that word, it is very applicable here – of communication within the Catholic Church and between members of the Church ‘establishment’ and others. Does not address the vast topic of interactions between individual members of the laity and other non-Catholics, i.e., within families, schools and/or communities where the rubber meets the road so-to-speak. Indeed, I realize this would probably be beyond the scope of a single book. Nevertheless, it is my belief that this is where true communication takes place, where hearts are changed. That said, I acknowledge the untold damage described by the author in the observations and anecdotal information contained in this book.

Written by a former communications director for the U.S. Bishops, Nothing to Hide is not an exposé but a balanced evaluation of the current situation based on past policies which often unwittingly fostered a climate of mistrust and secrecy. Considering the potential for saying too much, the wrong thing or getting carried away with an agenda, this book does an amazing job of steering a middle course. A must read for anyone concerned about the image of the Church today ... or in the future. Highly recommended.

Couldn't put it down as soon as I opened it.

As an update to the clergy scandal, the USCCB commissioned a study (published May 18, 2011) by the John Jay College Research Team which addresses - and refutes - many of the popular myths concerning the so-called 'priest scandal'.

[Jeremy Bonnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the information in the book was interesting, there were times when my attention drifted and I wanted to just skip over the parts. I didn't, though, and the push through these sections lowered my enjoyment of the book to a certain degree. Being that this book is about 10 years old at this point, it doesn't take into account the recent abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. It seems as if not enough has changed in the time this book was written and now.

3.3 out of 5 stars