The Courage to be Catholic: Crisis, Reform and the Future of the Church [Hardcover]

The author identifies a number of reasons for the current crisis: the culture of dissent in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council; deficiencies in the episcopate where many bishops view themselves as corporate CEO's rather than apostles of Christ; lack of focus on ascetic priestly lifestyles; and the cafeteria Catholicism of many of today's Catholics.

The solution lies in the book's invitation to a deeper faith and fidelity to the teachings of the church, the courage to address the crisis within the context of Christ's essential teachings. And this courage applies to all aspects of the church: the episcopate, the clergy and indeed all members of the church, to stand firm for what is right.

Most of the author's opinions will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his other books and his column, The Catholic Difference. However, Mr. Weigel's gift is that he explains his positions with wit and clarity, analyzing complex issues in simple understandable terms. One may not always agree with George Weigel. However, the book is thought provoking and provides much food for thought on the current affairs and future direction of the church. COURAGE TO BE CATHOLIC reminds us that the future of the Church depends upon the commitment of each of us to the fidelity of the Gospel and the teachings of the church.

In this book, Mr. Weigel plays the honest centrist, even though he usually fits more comfortably in the traditionalist camp. There is no pitiful blaming of "media hype," a claim common among traditionalists. Also, there is none of the tired "us-them" or "noble laity vs. the evil heirarchy" silliness of the Catholic left. Instead, Mr. Weigel's essential thesis of the Chruch is the same as Christ's - a family of believers, each with his or her own role in the plan of salvation, and each called through his or her own baptism to a life centered on Christ.

Mr. Weigel's assertion that seminarians must first be mature disciples of Christ seems intuitive, but is unfortuantely quite revolutionary. Similarly, his call for bishops to be apostles instead of managers should be equally obivious. The fact that Mr. Weigel is compelled to rebuke the Church leadership on these points shows the true crisis in the Church today. The book ends with a cause for hope - the culture that created this tragedy is on the wane. . .an assertion that has been proven recently in the surge of new seminarians over the past few months.

Thank you, Mr. Weigel, for giving us an excellent plan for true reform!

Best of all was George Weigel's passionate call to holiness through love of Christ and fidelity to His teaching- not just for the laity but priests and bishops alike. I finished the book with great hope and certainty that this crisis will eventually bring renewal.
I heartily recommend this book to all who are even only remotely interested in the Catholic church.