The Priestly Sins

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Not since his bestseller, "The Cardinal Sins," has Father Andrew M. Greeley crafted such a powerful and relevant narrative about the Catholic Church. This novel follows Father Herman Hoffman, a talented and naive young priest from the Great Plains, during his first summer in a parish. He becomes embroiled in a crisis after witnessing child abuse in the rectory. When he reports it to the pastor, the victim's father, and local police, he faces rejection from the archbishop. Hoffman is vilified for speaking out against a priest deemed "cleared" by authorities and learns the harsh realities of being a whistle-blower in the Catholic Church; he is confined to a mental-health facility and then sent away for graduate studies. In Chicago, he meets Monsignor Blackie Ryan, who helps restore his confidence. Upon returning home, he demands a parish of his own, and though reluctantly assigned to a struggling church, his passion revitalizes it. However, his newfound peace is disrupted by a subpoena to testify in court, forcing him to confront the powerful establishment intent on silencing him and his fellow priests. Hoffman risks exile from both his parish and the priesthood. Drawing from his own experiences, Greeley presents an unflinching portrayal of flawed yet human priests, making this one of his most compelling works in decades.