ROCHESTER, Mich., Feb. 12, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catholics are losing faith. The Catholic Church has been losing its popularity for several decades. From priest sexual abuse, Mass attendance, leadership failures, or the worldwide priest shortage, the message is clear: the church is in need of reform. That is the clear message that Dr. R. John Kinkel, Ph.D. wants to convey in his book, Chaos in the Catholic Church.
There is a sexual abuse problem and leaders did not deal with it effectively. We find a 'code of silence', missed reform opportunities, and the underlying mismanagement of the chaos. After documenting the cover-up by bishops and others, the book points out the contradiction: bishops protect the devious priests and the church's reputation versus the need to protect children and prevent molestation in the future. The book develops a very plausible explanation as to how the sex scandal mushroomed in the 1970s and why it is now apparently declining. There is a priest shortage (the church is short 150,000 priests worldwide based on 2002 statistics). Instead of seriously examining data on church problems, bishops attack research analysts who predict what the shortage of priests will look like in 2015, if nothing is done to alleviate the problem. Kinkel suggests that the bishops ordain married deacons to the priesthood when feasible (there are 13,000 currently). Secondly, married men and women should be considered for ordination. Instead the bishops import foreign priests (Chicago's data: 50% of incardinated priests are foreign born) as a stop-gap measure while praising celibacy. There is an organizational problem in the church. Old men who are more likely to espouse conservative ideologies fail to address modern problems that face the church. The book compares global retirement trends in corporations versus church practice and finds that the Catholic church is about 15 years out of sync. Lastly, Kinkel gives the most comprehensive analysis of the priest shortage in the U. S. Moreover, why this is the most serious problem the church faces, not the sex abuse crisis. The church is in the antechamber of Reformation II. Catholics are losing faith.
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About the Author
R. John Kinkel Ph.D. teaches at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. He has published numerous articles and chapters in books while teaching at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. After receiving his Ph.D. from Ohio State University he has directed various research projects on white collar crime and adolescent health. He has made presentations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe on a variety of topics including physician misconduct, drug abuse and health care. He lives with his wife, Norma, and their two children in Southeast Michigan.
Chaos in the Catholic Church * by R. John Kinkel, Ph.D.
Publication Date: July 13, 2005
Trade Paperback; $17.84; 198 pages; 978-1-4134-3801-7
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