The book discusses the changing relationship between American Catholic Bishops and civil authorities in the United States, as civil authority has eclipsed traditional Catholic ecclesiastical privilege and clerical exemption resulting from the hierarchical mismanagement and cover-up of clerical sexual abuse in the United States.

1. Warnings and Denials: Gauthe 2. Revelations and Scandals: Geoghan and Shanley 3. Challenges and Complexity: Canon and Civil Law 4. Too Little, Too Late: The Hierarchy Responds 5. Pushback and Payback: The Laity and The Lawyers 6. From Crisis to Compassion? The Future

Dr. Jo Renee Formicola is Professor of Political Science at Seton Hall University, USA. She is also the sole author of three other books on Catholic politics. She is the co-author of two books, the editor of several volumes, and has published extensively in journals on Church-State issues.