Altar of Secrets: Sex, Politics, and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church is the first of its kind in the country. Journalist Aries C. Rufo shows a Church that is cloaked in secrecy. It keeps the wrongdoing of its bishops and priests – in sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement – within its confines and lets them get away, unpunished. Accountability, after all, is not a strong suit of the church. Rufo also delves into how the church influences policy, as nowhere among Catholic countries in the world is the Church deeply involved in the shaping of policy than in the Philippines. Overall, reforms are taking place, but these are highly dependent on the Church leaders, the bishops who try to change mindsets and systems.
