When Values Collide

Book excerpt: Historian Joseph Chinnici served as provincial superior of the Franciscan Friars in California when the order was touched by clergy sexual abuse, several years before it became a national scandal. Blending a historian's skill and dispassion with his own very relevant experiences in a fraught atmosphere, he provides a rare look at what happened then and what must happen now, to re-establish confidence and trust. "If Catholics are to learn from this mess and set forth on the path of healing and renewal, they would do well to pay close attention to Father Chinnici's astute analysis and evaluation of the greatest challenge to Romanc Catholicism in decades, if not centuries." -R. Scott Appleby, University of Notre Dame "There is no better analysis of church leadership and the sexual abuse scandals....Chinnici's [study] is theologically grounded, psychologically informed, and thoroughly pastoral." -Donald Cozzens, author, the Changing Face of the Priesthood "No one is better qualified to draw enduring lessons from the clergy sexual abuse crisis than Joseph Chinnici. Priest, historian, and administrator, he offers his own knowledge and experience to help the Church restore the shattered bonds of trust. This book is an important contribution toward healing." -James M. O'Toole, Boston College "In my estimation, [this] is a great contribution to the Church's reflection on sexual abuse scandals in the Church. The experience of Father Chinnici, as a Provincial Minister of the Franciscan Friars, and his reflections based on his Franciscan heritage are a most valuable insight into the challenges of leadership in these times." -Most Reverend John F. Kinney, Bishop of St. Cloud