Shitten Shepherds and Clene Sheep

The Catholic Church has long been featured in headlines regarding sexual abuse. Now, a Catholic priest gives the full inside scoop.

Joseph Copperson, nonpracticing priest for an American Catholic parish, writes this memoir detailing decades of clerical abuse throughout the Catholic Church. Becoming ordained during the 1960s and the major cultural upheavals of the Vietnam war and the sexual revolution, Copperson's experience winds from rigorous theological training in Europe to the ongoing, worldwide changes wrought by the Second Vatican Council. Later established as a popular academic lecturer, Copperson has become widely known for his focus on inclusivity and pluralism, and for his respected stature as a liberal theologian.

During these periods, and across the 50 years that have followed, Copperson has encountered numerous priests whose lives contrasted with their teachings. Sharing revelatory stories of untold greed, deception, and hypocrisy, Copperson brings light to the scandals of the clerical culture, providing a fresh, insider's perspective.

More than five decades in development, this book, filled with up-to-date reporting, aims to hold accountable abusers and those who would protect them. It is of tremendous importance that Catholics understand the realities of their history. This is a must-read for anyone seeking a personal, inside look at the challenges impeding true reform. If there is ever to be a way forward, it must begin with honest confrontation of the past and present of abuse.