Broken Trust: Stories of Pain, Hope, and Healing from Clerical Abuse Survivors and Abusers

Collecting the personal accounts of both survivors and abusers, this document serves to create–for the very first time–an open dialogue about the clerical abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church in the United States. Presenting profound psychological insight, a panel of therapists and experts give a powerful voice to the long-silent survivors, revealing the pain, trauma, shame, and devastation experienced at the hands of those most trusted. Additionally, five convicted priests account for their personal betrayal, oftentimes told in voices mixed with anger, repentance, and even self-delusion, as they explain the dark forces that led them to abuse, and share their own road to recovery. Providing a transparent glimpse into the horror of abuse, Catholics, counselors, and therapists alike will find the insights offered in these first-hand accounts to be a powerful tool for learning from the past, and preventing such atrocities from happening again.