Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime and the Era of Catholic Scandal (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction) - Hardcover

"In an era when the Catholic Church and various social scientists have been concerned to gauge the statistical extent of how much priest abuse of children is really out there in dioceses, it is refreshing to have a superior journalist reintroduce the humanitarian issues of the injuries, horror, and outrage that victims of such abuse (and their families) have experienced at the hands of stubborn, out-of-touch ecclesiastical leaders. This is a valuable 'inside' story of the unraveling of the scandal, complete with fascinating original interviews of the main actors."

--Anson Shupe, professor emeritus, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, author of "Rogue Clerics", "Bad Pastors", and "Spoils of the Kingdom"

"If like me you've followed this story only glancingly and intermittently over the years, reading "Mortal Sins" - that is, discovering the full scale and scope and nature of the crimes and cover-ups - will be shocking. Its power is all the greater because Michael D'Antonio is such a scrupulous, lucid chronicler. This is clearly the definitive work on one of the most consequential and appalling stories of our time."

--Kurt Anderson, bestselling author of "True Believer" and "Hey Day", and host of Public Radio's "Studio 360"

""""Mortal Sins ""is a powerful book that gives dimension to the story of the heroes who fought to uncover the clerical sex abuse crisis of the Catholic Church. While the shadow of these crimes against children are long, D'Antonio's story of the whistleblowers brings needed light into the darkness.""

--Alex Gibney, Academy Award-winning director of "Taxi to the Dark Side"" "

"This is a valuable 'inside' story of the unraveling of the scandal, complete with fascinating original interviews of the main actors."

--Anson Shupe, author of "Rogue Clerics, Bad Pastors, "and "Spoils of the Kingdom"

"A well-researched and accurate account of one of the great scandals of our time - a crime against humanity, no less, to which the Vatican turns a blind eye. When his church cares more for its reputation and its wealth than it does for its children, did Jesus Christ live - and die - in vain?"

--Geoffrey Robertson, "author of The Case of the Pope"

"Skillfully weaving together the stories of the lawyers, journalists, clergy, and laity who worked to expose abusive priests and the superiors who covered up their crimes, Michael D'Antonio has created a vivid and compelling narrative of the greatest crisis in the Catholic Church since the Protestant Reformation."

--Mark Silk, editor of "Religion in the News "and author of "Spiritual Politics"

"The definitive history of the Catholic Church's 'most severe crisis since the Reformation.'"

--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)

"This landmark work of recent history remains gripping and affecting to the last word."

--"Booklist "(starred review)

"A devastating chronicle not only of sexual abuse but also of abuse of power -- or, rather, of the inclination of those in power to avert their eyes from abuse."

--"The Boston Globe"""

"Nearly three decades of scandal, expertly exposed. ... The author weaves a captivating tale of legal drama set against the backdrop of an intransigent ecclesiastical hierarchy. The real-life characters of the story range from colorful to tragic; flamboyant lawyers, alcoholic clerics and activist abuse survivors all help make the story a true page-turner. ... In a readable manner, he has helped document a watershed era in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. Riveting and fascinating--sure to serve future generations well as they look back on this era."

--"Kirkus "(starred review)

""Mortal Sins" will be the gold standard for unraveling what happened during the Catholic priests' sex abuse scandal of the last three decades. D'Antonio's balanced exposition and analysis is the equivalent of a cleansing shower on a disturbing period in church history that will reverberate for 100 years or more. ... "Mortal Sins" reads like a detective story."

--"Buffalo News"

"Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael D'Antonio deserves another one. Another Pulitzer prize, that is, for his new book, "Mortal Sins. ... " Though non-fiction, it reads with the drama of a novel, or perhaps a detective story, and much of the tale is inspirational and surprising."

--Huffington Post

"A tremendous addition to the fund of our understanding of this crisis. ... ["Mortal Sins"] is a searing and deeply engaging account of the contemporary battles that have been waged against the culture of secrecy and cover-up maintained by the Catholic hierarc