NORTH CAROLINA
Old Gold and Black
Posted by Austin Cook on Apr 6, 2014
With revelations of sexual abuse and subsequent cover-ups still surfacing and a crisis of faith spreading throughout the world, the Catholic Church faces many challenges in the years to come that are already shaking the institution to its core.
Despite signs of reform under the new leadership of Pope Francis, the Church is at a true crossroads, and few people are as insightful into this topic that journalist Jason Berry, who spoke to an audience on campus April 2 in Farrell Hall.
“This is one of the great stories of our times,” Berry said, referencing the stark challenges that the Pope faces both within the Vatican and throughout the world. “The guy parachuted into a vipers nest.”
Berry, originally a journalist from New Orleans, has pioneered investigative reporting into the sex abuse scandals that have plagued the Catholic Church for decades. Hailing from a culturally diverse and fascinating part of the country, Barry began his career covering New Orleans’s deep Cajun roots—but it took an unexpected turn when he started looking into allegations of sexual abuse by a local priest.
When he published a series of stories exposing the abuse in local papers, Berry faced a backlash from the local Catholic community of which he himself was a member. But despite the criticism he faced, Berry continued his reporting. “You can attack the messenger all you want,” he said.
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