Sacred Silence: Denial And The Crisis In The Ch... -

: Transition from institutional secrecy to open, honest dialogue.

The book is widely regarded by reviewers from platforms like Liturgical Press and Publishers Weekly as a courageous and prophetic work that seeks to heal the Church by confronting its "ugly, gaping wounds" with truth. Sacred silence: denial and the crisis in the ch...

is a 2002 book by Donald Cozzens, PhD, an American Catholic priest and author who explores the institutional failures and culture of secrecy within the Catholic Church. The book critiques how "sacred silence"—traditionally a form of prayer and reverence—has been misused as a tool of denial to avoid addressing major crises. Core Themes of the Book : Transition from institutional secrecy to open, honest

: Acknowledge the historical and personal forms of denial that have sustained the status quo. Rather than merely criticizing, Cozzens proposes a path

: He analyzes how the "cult of clerical secrecy" and systemic denial allowed for the continued exploitation of children and adolescents, often minimizing the gravity of allegations to protect the institution’s image.

Rather than merely criticizing, Cozzens proposes a path forward based on . He believes that for the Church to regain its credibility and moral authority, it must: