What are your thoughts on this very personal story of one man and his family's confrontation with the church that betrayed them?

Dear FRONTLINE,

This outstanding and wrenching film should be seen by young girls and boys along with their parents, teachers, guidance counselors, religious and communal leaders etc. in an effort to encourage the surfacing of the truth and the finding of the voice which sadly took Paul most of his life to find and uncover. Paul and his family are to be commended for their openness and candor. We all benefit from shedding a constant bright light on the subject of child abuse by adults in positions of trust and power.

West Orange, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think it was a brave film to make for someone who has had to live with this kind of atrocity and loss. I was raised Catholic but have not been a practicing Catholic for some time now. Recently I was feeling the need to start attending mass again. I have been to churches of other faiths but similar to your parents you tend to be drawn to that which is familiar to you and I truly do love the Catholic mass. I have to say though it would and is difficult to think of supporting a church who continues to have the audacity to still have these criminals as leaders in the church. I can't believe that this could be possible after all of the trials and public outcries for change. I also wonder what could be done to chip away at this existing corruption. I would love to see the parishioners take a stand on this matter and take an active part in confronting the leaders of the church. Perhaps this film will inspire us to find a way to return to the Catholic church to what it's inception is suppose to be about. Recently I listened to some of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches. I think it's time for Catholics to rise up in a non violent and intelligent manner.

New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

The story is told over and over but we can not be silent. We must never be silent when abuse of power and corruption continue to gain more power and money. We can not let such secrets remain hidden as difficult as they are to say and hear. I applaud this family and all others who have had the grace and courage to speak the truth. Thank you.

mary caplan
New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank You so much for making this documentary. I am a struggling Catholic who has lost my faith in the church because of the sex scandal. It is an issue for me everyday. I haven't been able to leave the church because like your parents said, It is how i was brought up. I miss going to church and feeling that feeling of peace and calm. Now when I go, i feel disgusted. I have written letters to church leaders, but haven't received any satisfaction. I think we need to start a new church and make fundamental changes, like priests can marry and women can be priests. I still love Jesus and I still believe in Him. I wonder too what Jesus would say and do about all of this. Thank you for your honesty and perspective.I am rethinking whether or not to have my teenaged children confirmed.

Plymouth, Ma

Dear FRONTLINE,

Joe Cultrera's powerful film is a reminder to all of us that the Church has not really confronted the criminality of the bishops in Boston and elsewhere who allowed the systematic abuse of boys and young men like Paul Cultrera. That Cardinal Law is in Rome, that Bishop McCormack is in charge of the diocese of Manchester, NH, and Bishop Lennon is head of the diocese of Cleveland are continuing affronts to justice, common sense, and the majesty of God.

Ed Gallagher
Norton, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for enduring the pain of remembering and facing past experiences that never should have happened and having the courage to share it all with us. Just as President Bush hasn't really found "a new way forward," the Catholic hierarchy hasn't either: priests, bishops, cardinals just being moved around hoping that it will all just go away. But it won't. Especially when we have brilliant documentaries like "Hand of God."

Ron Barron
Milford, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Congratulations on having the courage to present this verythoughtful and disturbing insight into a human tradegy. The horrific consequences of evil and how it often masquerades as authority and the weakness of some people who pretend to higher intentions.

Jack Barrett
Jenkintown, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am disgusted with the men of the church who covered up these horrendous crimes against children. They will burn in hell for their sins; the victims and their families have my prayers. I am thankful for this production. As a cradle Catholic living in Kansas, I have been somewhat sheltered from the personal side of this tragedy, as have many others. This film needs to be shown again and again. I love the teachings of the church; I love the faith I have been given. But I hate these monsters who corrupt. They are not working for God.

Salina, KS

Dear FRONTLINE,

What happened to those men back then is very wrong and the story makes me sick to my stomach and disgusted with the Catholic System and Churches. The Churches is not always a safe and definitely the right place especially for young children. What Joe said that we do not need church and priests to connect with God that if you believe in God. We should stop calling these catholic priests "fathers".

Good Film, true story, and presented from the abused person is direct and moving!!Keep exposing other Priests and Churches or whoever responsible for abuses.

Vinsen Karki
kansas city, Kansas

Dear FRONTLINE,

The last half hour, where we hear how corrupt and useless the Catholic church is, was really intolerable. A very powerful first-person account revealing a dark chapter in the Church was ruined by the diatribe of intolerance and hatred for religion we viewers had to endure at the end of this piece. I think this is where a little editing by Frontline, and devotion to the facts, could have made this a powerful report.

Michael Cali
Edison, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

I really did not want to watch Hand of God because the Catholic Church has been so vilified but I felt compelled by the subject and so I did. I was aware of what had happened and how the Bishops had failed to protect children while protecting the institution instead. They behaved worse than the Enron executives, indeed there is no comparison. They failed miserably in their leadership. But as Garry Wills said in his book Why I Am A Catholic, my faith is not in the Bishops or the Pope or even in the priests or religious. It is in the teachings of the Church which has withstood bad Popes as well. The Church with the blessings of John Paul has attempted to scape goat homosexual priests with the sin of pedophilia ignoring all scientific evidence to the contrary. It was painful to hear Pauls story but thank God he had the courage to tell it and fight for the truth. Would that our Bishops were made of purer moral fiber.

Albert Clerc
Austin, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

Having just viewed "Hand of God", I am congratulating you on telling the story of Paul in depth, but am most definitely chiding you at the truly unnecessary images and several of the graphics (and juxtaposition of them as well)that were displayed....This story could certainly have stood quite well on its OWN without the overt bias against the Roman Catholic Church inserted - extensively.

It actually distracted from the story line, which made it less effective in fact.The final clips of Benedict were truly misplaced, and highly insulting speaking personally.

Frontline, you've done some outstanding programs, but this could have been SO much better if it had been done with greater taste and dignity, albeit on a terrible chapter in Church history.

Ann Hessenius
Boston , MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

This was a depressing and infuriating documentary. I've read about issues with pedophiles in newspapers and have seen snippets of television that deal with the subject. This film, however, more powerfully captures the painful arrogance of the Catholic hierarchy that for too many years has allowed the destruction of innocent children who have grown into tormented adults.

richard kelly
knoxville, tennessee

Dear FRONTLINE,

And you wonder why Catholics are losing their faith! We were raised 12 years in this religion and then let down by the CEO's of the church. Shame on them for taking our religion from us. I have a problem looking & listening to any priest now. We have religious in our family, deceased, and wonder what they knew. Did they support such stuff. Very disappointed in the religion now and am at a great loss.

hobe sound, florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

I grew up on the North Shore of Boston, attended Catholic High School, college and graduate school. I have followed the clergy abuse scandal closely and with a heavy heart. I have very mixed emotions: anger, sadness, shock, disbelief, disappointment. In a way I am happy that the victims have come forward. I'm sure it brings them some sort of healing, relief and closure and it has brought about a sort of purification in the Church itself. I credit the Catholic Church for publicly facing this shameful hour in her history and making great strides to offer restitution and for her public efforts and commitment to protect her children. Sadly, our world has a sort of morbid preoccupation and fascination with sex (think for a moment of the pornography industry in our country ) and I am going to guess that this story is only touching the tip of the iceburg. And by that I mean that child sexual abuse is not limited to the Catholic church and her clergy. I will be interested to see if other institutions like our military, education (NEA) and our healthcare systems will follow the Church's example of complete and full disclosure and financial restitution. I have a feeling that they do not take a back seat to the Church in this arena. Daily, I offer my humble prayers for the victims of child sexual abuse and for the purification of our priests and religious.

Jacksonville, FL