“In a fallen world, it was hard to do unambiguous good.”

Stability. Hobart, February 2021.

Crimes of the Father by Thomas Keneally

As a lifelong and devout atheist, I've always viewed the Catholic Church through a sceptical anthropological lens. Given the very many crimes and betrayals committed in her name since the very beginning, I am often paused for thought about why anyone might remain wedded to such an organisation.

It's in this spirit that I approached Tom Keneally's Crimes of the Father. This is a meaty book that explores faith, the church and conscience. The central character - Father Frank Docherty - remains a man of faith. Both a priest and practising psychologist, his professional areas of speciality are the abused and the abusers.

Through a confluence of events, Docherty is drawn into the lives of several victims of abuse by an eminent Sydney cardinal, who himself sits on a commission investigating sexual abuse within the Church.
In this milieu, Keneally delves into an exploration of faith, loyalty, identity, and some of the most critical issues that face the Church. I found it riveting. While I am certain that the author's tendency to take the liberty to cite and unpack some of the key pieces of religious dogma that he believes has contributed to the tarnishing of the church, I found the diversions a positive (if somewhat dry) contribution to the narrative.

Although slow-moving at times - not to mention extremely dispiriting - the book makes a welcome contribution to an understanding of quite how and why the Church has so steadfastly maintained course directly into the iceberg of its past horrors. That I enjoyed it so much is a testament to Keneally's ability to explore issues of faith, law and conscience with a deft and sensitive hand.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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