A Perverted Integrity

Few doubt that the sex abuse scandals in Europe and the U.S. have inflicted damage to the moral authority of Catholic Church. Hamilton examines a similar moral calamity that took place more than three decades ago in Argentina, when the Catholic bishops provided moral and theological justification for the military's infamous Dirty War against Subversion (1976-1883). The author analyzes the integrity of the hierarchy's pastorals, sermons, press releases, and policy statements. In both situations—in Argentina and in Europe and the U.S.—Church officials at first denied or ignored the allegations, dragged their feet in taking action, withheld documents, refused to cooperate with investigations, and waged fierce battles to maintain the integrity of the institution rather than secure justice for the victims of abuse. Church documents from Argentina reveal the bishops' complicity in defending the Junta's campaign of disappearances, torture, and murder as well as subsequent efforts to protect the Church's privileges and salvage its moral authority in response to public outrage.