Letting Go of Guilt: New Book Heralds Good News for Catholics

Denver, CO, January 26, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Father Maurice G. McNeely is a retired Catholic priest who has written a refreshingly honest book titled Catholicism without the Guilt to address the inordinate amount of guilt, worry, and fear that he has witnessed for almost half a century in practitioners of the Roman Catholic faith. The result, he says, of what was taught in Catechism, religious education instruction, parochial school, or in the home continues to negatively impact the lives of so many. “I think that many of the clergy,” Father McNeely writes, “and even our parents thought it was a good thing for us to have guilt. They were going to get us to heaven if they had to send us to hell to do it. That kind of argument just doesn’t make sense, but we were too afraid to question such things.” 

Questioning is what Catholicism without the Guilt is all about. It is Father McNeely’s response to the requests for answers that he has received from his parishioners over the many years of his priesthood. Through his book Father McNeely addresses all sorts of issues facing the a Roman Catholic today, even those that might be considered “taboo.” He speaks about other belief systems; about sex and sexuality; marriage and divorce; gambling, alcohol, and the use of profanity. His book is also a clearly written, loving effort to bring about a greater understanding of Catholicism and its sacraments. 

“I love the Catholic faith with all my heart and soul,” Father McNeely says, “and I would never intend any disrespect toward it. I hope Catholicism without the Guilt will reinforce the idea of God’s unconditional love for each of us and to let us know that we can always question the Catholic faith without any form of retribution, that our personal conscience is supreme, and that we should feel free to follow it.” 

Praise for Catholicism without the Guilt –
“A professor I once knew had this to say about the teaching of others: ‘Challenge them; make them think; cause them to laugh. That’s the atmosphere that leads to wisdom.’ If that’s true, Father McNeely has indeed provided the atmosphere. The wisdom part is up to us.”
Fr. Paul L. Bianchi 

Father McNeeley says he is neither a scholar nor a theologian, just a simple parish priest, who is now retired. 

Book Statistics
ISBN(s): 1598007645
Retail Price(s): U.S. $24.95; CAN $30.95
Size and Format(s): 5.5 x 8.5 Hardback w/jacket
Page count: 196
Availability: Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, www.outskirtspress.com/

Author Contact:
Father Maurice G. McNeely
3700 Las Vegas Blvd S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Cell phone: 808.371.1703
Email: frmackey1@juno.com

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