This book addresses the crisis of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, the region of the world with the highest percentage of Catholics. Bringing together research from across the continent, it demonstrates that abuse within the Church is indeed a global phenomenon, though abuses have taken different forms according to varying sociocultural contexts. With attention to abuses committed against children, women and vulnerable adults - by both men and women - within the settings of parishes, new religious movements and international religious organizations, it also raises questions of justice, asking how to assess the suffering of victims, how to deal with abusers and how to prevent abuses. It will therefore be of interest to scholars of religious studies, sociology, Latin American studies, criminology, theology, and religious leaders with interests in the abuses and scandals that have been revealed in the worldwide Church.
'The crisis of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has affected many people, but unfortunately there exists no serious literature on Latin America. This book is therefore essential for understanding and analysing this crisis. The quality of the contributions makes it a major contribution to the fight against this scourge.' - Stéphane Joulain, Faculty of Canon Law, St Paul University, Ottawa, Canada
'If there was ever a convincing account of the far-reaching effects of the prolific clerical abuses in Latin America, this is it! It is, by far, the most comprehensive and bold exposition of the mysteries and twists behind ecclesial abuse, and our shared and urgent call to act upon them.' - Elena Sada, Boston College, USA, and author of Ave negra. La historia de una mujer que sobrevivió al reino de Marcial Maciel (The story of a woman who survived the reign of Marcial Maciel)
'The abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is a global phenomenon and an adequate understanding of its dimensions requires studies at the continental level. This volume of studies on Latin America is a key contribution.' - Massimo Faggioli, Villanova University, USA
'If there was ever a convincing account of the far-reaching effects of the prolific clerical abuses in Latin America, this is it! It is, by far, the most comprehensive and bold exposition of the mysteries and twists behind ecclesial abuse, and our shared and urgent call to act upon them.' - Elena Sada, Boston College, USA, and author of Ave negra. La historia de una mujer que sobrevivió al reino de Marcial Maciel (The story of a woman who survived the reign of Marcial Maciel)
'The abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is a global phenomenon and an adequate understanding of its dimensions requires studies at the continental level. This volume of studies on Latin America is a key contribution.' - Massimo Faggioli, Villanova University, USA