Sexual Abuse by Priests Caused by Ancient Reform with Near-opposite Intention, Argues New Book

By Vincent J. Miles
Sacramento Bee
November 30, 2012

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/29/5018216/sexual-abuse-by-priests-caused.html

A new book about the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church delivers a highly unusual verdict: that the surge in abuse by priests during the late twentieth century was caused by an ancient reform intended to eradicate rather than encourage clerical corruption. The book further concludes that the decline in abuse more recently is the fortuitous result of a modern reform with no obvious connection to sexual abuse. Entitled Boys of the Cloth: The Accidental Role of Church Reforms in Causing and Curbing Abuse by Priests, and published by Hamilton Books, the book is now available from online booksellers in the US, UK and other countries.

The book's unusual verdict stems from the unique perspective of its author, Vincent J. Miles, who spent seven years in a Catholic minor seminary training for the priesthood before changing direction completely to become a scientist and business executive. "My original intention was simply to write a memoir documenting the lost way of life inside minor seminaries," said Miles, "but I then discovered that these institutions had been blamed for predisposing priests to molest children. Having trained as a scientist I wanted to understand why they might have had this effect, and my research into that question ultimately led me to contrarian conclusions about the entire abuse crisis."

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About Vincent J. Miles

After spending much of his youth in Liverpool's minor seminary, Vincent J. Miles embarked on a very different career as a molecular biologist and biotechnology executive. He holds B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from University College London and is currently a venture capitalist in the Boston area.

CONTACT:

Vincent J. Miles +1 617 335 8500 author@boysofthecloth.com