Fall from Grace (novel)
Encyclopedia
Fall from Grace is a 1993 novel
by Father Andrew Greeley
. It is a novel about sin and corruption in Chicago
and the cover up of child sexual abuse
in the Roman Catholic Church
.
and so divorce is out of the question. The scandal has to be covered up, as do scandals in the church run by her brother Bishop James Leary.
Kieran O'Kerrigan is a psychiatrist
and Kathleen asks him to undertake AIDS
tests on her and her three children. Kieran starts to uncover the abuse that Kathleen is receiving from her husband and the two start to fall in love. Kieran also gets drawn into the child sex abuse scandal.
Gerry Greene is a popular parish priest and school principal. He was implicated in a police report from several years earlier concerning the sodomy of two twelve-year-old boys in a Chicago suburb by a priest. He was never prosecuted but was just moved to another parish.
New allegations have surfaced concerning the assault and attempted rape of two fourth grade
rs. One boy's parents were paid off and moved away, but Kevin and Helen O'Malley were determined to seek justice for their abused son Jack. Jack was repeatedly abused, physically and sexually, by Greene, yet the Church's lawyers try to bully his parents into withdrawing the charges. Kieran visits the O'Malleys and finds Jack an 'adorable little boy' and believes him and his parents. Kieran learns that Jack only told when Greene demanded that he bring in other children he fancied. A janitor is then found who claims to have witnessed Greene raping boys in the basement. Kieran also learns that the boy whose family was paid off has developed serious behavioral problems.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Father Andrew Greeley
Andrew Greeley
Father Andrew M. Greeley is an Irish-American Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist and fiction writer....
. It is a novel about sin and corruption in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the cover up of child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Plot introduction
Kathleen Donahue lives a perfect life until she receives a telephone call exposing her happy marriage as a sham. Kathleen's husband Brien is trying for SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and so divorce is out of the question. The scandal has to be covered up, as do scandals in the church run by her brother Bishop James Leary.
Plot summary
Kathleen meets a former lover and he is her only chance of salvation.Kieran O'Kerrigan is a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and Kathleen asks him to undertake AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
tests on her and her three children. Kieran starts to uncover the abuse that Kathleen is receiving from her husband and the two start to fall in love. Kieran also gets drawn into the child sex abuse scandal.
Gerry Greene is a popular parish priest and school principal. He was implicated in a police report from several years earlier concerning the sodomy of two twelve-year-old boys in a Chicago suburb by a priest. He was never prosecuted but was just moved to another parish.
New allegations have surfaced concerning the assault and attempted rape of two fourth grade
Fourth grade
Fourth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fourth grade is the fourth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 9 or 10 years old, depending on their birthday. It is a part of elementary school. In some parts of the United States, fourth grade...
rs. One boy's parents were paid off and moved away, but Kevin and Helen O'Malley were determined to seek justice for their abused son Jack. Jack was repeatedly abused, physically and sexually, by Greene, yet the Church's lawyers try to bully his parents into withdrawing the charges. Kieran visits the O'Malleys and finds Jack an 'adorable little boy' and believes him and his parents. Kieran learns that Jack only told when Greene demanded that he bring in other children he fancied. A janitor is then found who claims to have witnessed Greene raping boys in the basement. Kieran also learns that the boy whose family was paid off has developed serious behavioral problems.
See also
- Roman Catholic sex abuse casesRoman Catholic sex abuse casesThe Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
- Cases of child sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church