Publisher's Synopsis
"The Catholic Church is writhing in the grips of a crisis of epic proportions" (Sipe, x1995, p.xv). The crisis of which Sipe writes is the problem of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests. The most recent case is the Diocese of Dallas was ordered to pay $119 million to eleven former altar boys, who were abused by Father Rudolph Kos (Housewritht and Egerton, 1997, July 25). Serious consequences will result if the Catholic Church does not deal with the problem of clerical sexual abuse of children. The victims may not receive help in dealing with the physical and psychological aftermath of the abuse; potential victims may not be protected from abusers, and the church may lose its credibility as a religious institution.
Like every organization dealing with a crisis, the Catholic Church has to deal with issues of organizational communication. Both within the organization itself and between the organization and the general public. Within the organization the church leaders must define the nature and extent of the problem, develop a policy for dealing with those found guilty of wrongdoing. They should then communicate both with the victims and with the general public regarding what actions will be taken to help the victims: and to prevent future recurrences of the problem. In this respect, the church is like every organization that is faced with an accusation of serious wrongdoing. Effective organizational communication is necessary as the church deals with the problem within itself and then works to restore it public image and its credibility. The book will demonstrate that the church has so far not dealt satisfactorily with these issues.
