I am still reading this book because it’s hard to find all the time I want, but I love what I’m reading. The author is very detailed and knowledgeable. He writes in an engaging manner, and explains clearly how things tie together. The subject matter is very serious, but every Catholic and other Christians should know what is going on behind the scenes. It affects all of us, and it explains what we can do to remain faithful and follow God’s plan for each of us.

I delayed reading this book, being off-put by the title. With the bad news about the church's problems breaking daily, did I really need to plunge into a full length book on the subject? Well, yes. I did. While the recounting of sin and betrayal is profoundly disturbing, the last half of the title, 'and What Can Be Done about It' makes all the difference. The book is a call to action to the lay men and women who have been duly scandalized by the cowardice of the hierarchy in the church. Lawler has given us a wonderful list: "do this- don't do that". It should be posted in every church building in the country. I was really moved and uplifted by the feeling that there is something that I can do, and that to a certain extent I have already been doing it. It is good to be directed and ratified. Buy the book, it is far more than journalism!

Phil Lawler of Catholic Culture, the former editor of Catholic World Report and veteran journalist,

has come out with another timely book. He has previously written the Faithful Departed about

his Boston Archdiocese and at the beginning of this year released Lost Shepherd, a critical reflection

on Pope Francis. Now he has The Smoke of Satan, a title that makes reference to Paul VI's reaction

to the crisis after Vatican II that the Church had been infiltrated by harmful elements, not from the

outside but from within.

The title is provocative, maybe even more than Dictator Pope, and not inaccurate, but the book

is not all negative. But we have to begin with acknowledging the situation, just as the individual

has to acknowledge his sin. The director of TAN publishing said it's one of the hardest books his

family has ever had to publish, but it's necessary.

Lawler has reflected extensively on the 2002 crisis, but it has blown up again in the summer and

fall of 2018. First there was the resignation of Cardinal McCarrick, the retired archbishop of

Washington, due to an accusation that he abused a minor when he was a young priest in

New York. But after that came out, it was revealed that "everybody knew" of his misconduct

with adults and harassment of seminarians at his beach house as an Archbishop who was

responsible for their future and their prospects of getting ordained. This was in June and

July. In August, there was the Pennsylvania grand jury report on the abuse in six of the eight

dioceses, the largest being PIttsburgh. Although the cases were mostly from decades ago,

the details were shocking and provoked an even greater reaction among laity than the

events of 2002 in Boston and elsewhere. Then at the end of August, Archbishop Vigano

testified that Pope Francis and many Cardinals and bishops including the Roman Curia

were well aware of the McCarrick case and continued to promote him. Vigano himself

informed Pope Francis in 2013. Three secretaries of state are involved-Sodano, Bertone

and Parolin, and the timeframe covers the papacies of John Paul, Benedict and Francis.

Lawler gives an evenhanded analysis of Vigano's report, noting its apparent inconsistencies

but eventually finding them consistent with how Pope Francis, Pope Benedict and Cardinal

McCarrick operated in other contexts. For instance, Benedict imposed sanctions on Fr. Marcial

Maciel privately at first. McCarrick didn't cooperate honestly with Cardinal Ratzinger's directives

on pro abortion politicians, etc.

All that happened in the last five months. Lawler now looks at the bigger picture, the crisis

of the past half century, which he's already looked at in previous books. Since Vatican II

there's been a failure in many bishops, priests, schools, universities, nuns, to teach the

Catholic faith and to celebrate liturgy reverently. This is especially the case in the area

of sexual morality, where the majority practice birth control and still remain in the Church.

The problem isn't that we're sinners, but that there's no sense of sin at all among many of

the people, and bishops and priests have failed to challenge. There also is a sense of

hoping for the most innocent explanation, e.g. if a couple is living together maybe they're

in separate apartments, or the priest just stumbled into a gay bar for some other reason.

But after the experience of all these years, this naivete has been harmful. Keeping quiet

about one's fellow clerics is indeed clericalism, but also fits into this laxity. In more recent

years, this has gone to a new level with the LGBT agenda, embraced by many Catholic

institutions, most recently Fr. James Martin. Sex is disconnected not only from having

children but from the differences of male and female. Then the transgender agenda

redefines the sense of being male and female at all and disconnects it from our biology.

Oddly, the progressives who claim to support science are not in touch with biology here.

By the 2018 definition of antigay bigotry, that right wing reactionary Barack Obama wasn't

enlightened until around early 2012-good thing he had a conversion in office! It's one

thing if secular society is nuts, but this is being supported by leaders in the Church

and it's not what Christianity has been for 2000 years.

The end of the book might be described as a Benedict Option, and though Rod Dreher

isn't named he's probably pleased with it. The laity need to find parishes that are

reverent in liturgy and teach the truth about faith and morals. Then they need to

build the practices, adoration etc. that will strengthen the family and youth life.

Lawler's references provide a strong resource for delving into the riches of Catholic

tradition. Just follow the names he drops, lots of Ratzinger, Fulton Sheen, Dietrich

von Hildebrand, Eamon Duffy, Thomas Day, Remi Brague, George Weigel, Ralph Martin,

George Rutler in the forward. Even the nonbeliever Camille Paglia is mentioned in her

artistic appreciation for the riches of Catholic tradition. In terms of American history,

John and Abigail Adams are always inspiring, and even though he didn't like Catholicism

he admired and respected its beauty and majesty.

The book has the advantage of being brief (unlike me!) and coming out just

months after the events that it responds to. However, it is both current and

applicable to the broader crisis of the past 50 years. Lawler has already spoken

his piece on Pope Francis, so this book doesn't dwell on him, and is not only

negative but positive in showing some of the evangelistic impulses of Bergoglio.

What a great author! Writing a book about a current problem is not always welcomed by the subjects in question. But this is a problem that has been going on for so so long... good for Lawler for having the courage to put his thoughts in print. I love that he cares so much. We need more people like him in this world. All Catholics should be reading this book. It's so very true that we are all guilty of trying to either hide or soft pedal our sins BUT sooner or later, they come home to roost and then decisions have to be made to deal with them. Sweeping problems under the rug, so to speak, is definitely NOT the answer to these problems. Pray that the Pope will hear the Holy Spirit speaking to him before the death of the church. God forbid....

This book is by far the MOST cogent, compelling and on-target treatment I have EVER read on the many ills that have plagued the Catholic Church since at least the 1960s. As a small child and altar boy, I remember the Latin Mass and when it was replaced by the Novus Ordo.

The most outstanding part of this books starts AFTER the fine treatment of the sexual abuse scandals. Starting with Chapter 4 (“The Habit of Denial”) to the end, the author paints a picture of a Church in disarray due to secrecy, ignoring problems, its often paltry use of the rich resources of Catholic Tradition and its appalling reluctance to catechize the Faithful and BOLDLY address the grave moral evils that have grown exponentially for decades.

I started this book a little frightened. The truth can be told in very different forms, I was hoping to get a good look at the things happening in my beloved Church but dreading the frustration and sadness that would come from that. Thankfully the author was able nor only to speak the hard truth of the hardships but also the truth of the mystery of the Body of Christ. This book is inspiring.

Although written quickly in order to respond to contemporary events (he makes reference to events occurring in the past month), Lawler's book reads like it was the product of decades of work. I would recommend this book to any Catholic. It presents a clear and compelling diagnosis of the problems in the Church (as well as the broader society) and a useful prescription for bringing Her back to health.

Lawler calmly, and with a precise and orderly report, takes down the Catholic hierarchy. Like a religious wreck from which you cannot look away. If enough Catholics read this, it is hard to fathom how the bishops in the United States can survive this exposure. This book should start a revolution. I pray it will for the survival of Holy Mother Church. God bless Philip Lawler for his courage to write this and may God protect him.

This book wasn't written by a crank/ basement-dwelling kook/ conspiracy theorist. It was written by Philip F. Lawler, an experienced Catholic journalist.

The book was written and published in 2018 - The Summer of Shame - in the light (and heat) and shock of the revelations (made public by former US Papal Nuncio to the USA, Archbishop Vigano) about the heinous activities of one (now ex-) Cardinal Theodore McCarrick (and others) and how deep in the brown-steamy-stuff the Vatican is in the same catalogue of scandals … PLUS how these shenanigans have been covered up, as though the Catholic Hierarchy have been/are using the same roll of fabric that has been woven to make the Emperor's New Clothes to do 'covering' with.

The main title of the book, The Smoke of Satan' refers to Pope Paul VI, who said in 1972: ''Through some fissure the smoke of satan has entered the temple of God'. This is much-quoted by (mostly fed-up, angry and frustrated) faithful Catholics on many occasions - especially when more news of sexual abuse (as well as other types of scandal) are brought about by members of the hierarchy when the same are caught bang to rights.

The rest of the title is: How Corrupt and Cowardly Bishops Betrayed Christ, His Church, and the Faithful ... And What Can Be Done About It. Hmmm … just the bishops, Mr. Lawler? OK, if you included the titles of the rest of the hierarchy, it would be a very long title indeed - but I get the picture!

As I read it a bit at a time, (and then revised what I've already read, to commit it to memory) I made pencilled margin notes and comments. I could not stop nodding my head after practically each paragraph and every page. I did this because there are many pew-sitting Catholics out there who would both argue the toss and go into denial mode, then end up accusing you of Church-bashing or Pope-bashing (which is ridiculous) .. if you pointed out, in black and white, why and who's responsible for the crisis.

What this, and other books that have been subsequently published since then (Dr Taylor Marshall's Infiltration, for one), are doing is figuratively - and with great effort - showing someone in denial the damage that has been done, that is still being done = right before their eyes; It is done out of love and concern, not out of any hate or spite or to score points.

Nobody's gloating with the line 'I told you so.' Even if you are reminded that you were told, it is said out of profound sadness.

Although the relevance of and about these matters examined in the book are focused on the Catholic Church in the USA, it doesn't mean to say these matters don't affect the Catholic Church throughout the world. It most definitely does. It is not only about the clerical pederasty that has infested seminaries and parishes for decades; it is about other hidden and 'hidden-in-plain-sight-crimes' - as well as breathtaking examples of sloth by those in the hierarchy who have undermined the moral authority of the Church.

The crisis has been simmering for decades but it accelerated in the Church from the 1960's onwards, involving not only the outward social changes but those brought about by the so-called 'Spirit of Vatican II' (there is a difference between that and Vatican II, so I'm told). The 'Spirit' of which, in turn, brought about cosmetic as well as liturgical (and other) changes that have effectively upset the faith and the lives of Catholics - done in such a way that millions have abandoned the practise of their Faith, including attending regular Mass, etc.

This book doesn't pull any punches. Hopefully, there will be a revised and updated edition in the future that would delve further into the subsequent ''bombshells'' dropped by Vigano since it was published.

Ever wondered what the heck happened to the Catholic Church? Wonder no more!

I am enjoying this book

Muito bom, nos faz refletir sobre o papel do leigo na Igreja e lança ideias de como atuar. Também nos faz pensar sobre o atual pontificado e sua leniência em relação a essa terrível crise vivida pela Igreja.

OK but far from as good as he can write. Focuses on sex way too much and not enough on the issues of priest issues. I had to struggle to finish reading.

Well written,easily read,practical. A sad account of where we are, a hopeful account of what we can do. Do read it.