Russell Shaw: Nothing to Hide
Just a quick post today.
I was amused to hear Raymond Arroyo and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus discussing the last-minute decision to broadcast the Address to the Bishops of the United States. Apparently, the U.S. Bishops didn’t want cameras present in the Basilica of the National Shrine during the Holy Father’s address in Washington, DC last April . . . but the Holy See insisted that it be aired for all to see and hear. Russell Shaw devoted a book to bishops and secrecy released that same month. He’s the former communications director for the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops.
I just read an article by Julia Duin of the Washington Times reviewing Shaw’s, Nothing to Hide, (Ignatius 2008), which addresses the issue of access. Anyway, the article is worth a read, and info on the book follows.
“As the premier Catholic communications professional in the United States, Russ Shaw is a longtime critic of clericalism, excessive secrecy, ‘happy talk’ and spin control in Catholic culture. He’s also an articulate and engaging writer with an unparalleled record of service to the Church. Nothing to Hide is a provocative, important book that explores the boundary between appropriate confidentiality in the Church, and the kind of secrecy that cripples Christian community life. It’s a must-read.”
+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver
Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and the Communion in the Catholic Church
