Professor Gerard Bradley

Nothing to Hide

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Russell Shaw has long been a unique -- and uniquely valuable -- voice in American Catholicism. He was for many years the US Bishops' official spokesman, and he has the perspective and insights of an "insider". But Shaw is not an apologist for the hierarchy. He is at once a devout and loyal (and orthodox) member of the faithful, and a sharp critic of the cult of secrecy which so many bishops have cultivated. In this sobering but much-needed book, Shaw shows how some shepherds abused secrecy, and in doing so compounded the sex misconduct crisis with a broader crisis of trust in clerical leadership. But this is not a book about sex-abuse. It is rather about what it means to be the Church, about the collaboration of the non-ordained faithful in carrying out the Church's mission, and about how secrecy prevents the communication which is necessary to that collaboration. Shaw fully recognizes that the Catholic Church is no democracy and that confidentiality -- up to a point -- is essential to the Church's business. That is why this book is a measured yet cogent treatment of one of the great problem's facing the American Church today.”