William Hamilton

Perverted Integrity: the Catholic Church's Human Rights Scandal in Argentina's Dirty War, 1976-1983 William Hamilton

Few doubt that the sex abuse scandals in Europe and the U. S. damaged the moral authority of Catholic Church. Hamilton examines a similar moral calamity that took place three decades ago in Argentina, when the Catholic bishops provided moral and theological justification for the military?s infamous ?Dirty War against Subversion? (1976-1983). Careful analysis of pastoral letters, sermons, press releases, and policy statements exposes the depth of the church?s compromise. In Argentina, as well as in Europe and the United States, church officials ignored or denied the allegations of criminal abuse, dragged their feet in taking action, withheld documents, refused to cooperate with investigations, and waged fierce battles to maintain the integrity of the institution. Church documents from Argentina reveal the bishops' complicity in their support of disappearances, torture, and murder and their subsequent efforts to protect their privileges and salvage their moral authority in response to public outrage.