George Weigel argues that the current crisis in the Church is the direct result of a post-Vatican II relaxation of traditional Catholic mores. This, in his view, has led to a "purple priesthood" dominated by active homosexuals and widespread renunciation by the laity of Catholicism's founding principles.
Weigel is Senior Fellow and John M. Olin Chair in Religion and American Democracy at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C., and is consultant for Vatican affairs at NBC. He is the author of a biography of Pope John Paul II, entitled *Witness to Hope*, and has written or edited 14 other books. His most recent publication is *Courage to be Catholic*.