U.S. bishops plan PR campaign to soften image

eternalrest · #1 Jun 17, '12, 12:35 am

Quote:

ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops announced plans on Thursday for an ambitious public relations drive to soften and shape their image and reach out to the younger generation using social media.

In a lively session at their national conference in Atlanta, several bishops expressed dismay that they are slow to get their talking points across and are perceived as too confrontational.

The recent Vatican crackdown on the largest organization of U.S. nuns turned into a public relations "debacle" for the bishops, said Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston.

He complained that the Vatican's decision to put bishops in charge of rooting out "radical feminist" elements within the nuns' group was linked in the secular media to unrelated events, such as the bishops' investigation of the Girl Scouts, with negative consequences for the church's image.

The bishops are looking into concerns that the Girl Scouts sometimes work with groups that promote access to contraception. The U.S. church's image also has been hurt sex abuse scandals.

"Our church, both in the States and at the Holy See, does not do a good job of communicating around controversial topics," O'Malley said. "We need more help and more sophistication in our messaging."

Added Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Washington, "We need to teach in a way that's not combative, but inviting."

While several bishops said they wanted to push their views directly to the public, without mediation by the press, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, urged his brethren to remain open to all forums of communication.

"It's important to engage people who have positions that are possibly different than ours, so that we can build coalitions," Kicanas said. "We shouldn't always be overly sensitive about criticism."

The bishops' public relations campaign is still in the early stages but tentative plans include appointing a high-profile, always-on-call spokesman and creating a more active presence on Twitter and Facebook. Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City also announced the launch of a private social network for bishops only - a sort of Facebook of the magisterium.

The campaign "will be a tremendous expense," said Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta. "But the greater cost, I believe, is not doing it."

The bishops are moving to post more Catholic resources online as well. On Thursday, they announced that the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which has sold nearly 1 million print copies, has been posted on the Conference of Catholic Bishops' website in e-book format.

Outreach efforts also include a Spanish-language video, now in production, that will take the form of a tasteful soap opera, tracing one family's interactions over generations. The drama aims to promote traditional marriage and combat rhetoric that frames gay marriage as an issue of equality, civil rights or justice, said Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland.

The Spanish video is part of a broader campaign promoted with the slogan "Marriage: Unique for a Reason." It includes several English-language videos already distributed to dioceses.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/s...,5211869.story

ringil · #2 Jun 17, '12, 7:29 pm

This is a good idea. The Bishops are coming across a bit "hard" recently. I bleieve "inviting" is a good choice of words as stated by Cardinal Sean. One of my favorites.

Prague · #3 Jun 18, '12, 9:40 am

I also think this is a good idea and long past due. Go for it!

Moore11 · #4 Jun 19, '12, 3:48 pm

My fear is that Softening the image will be taken as "weakening" at a time when we need them to be stronger than they ever have been. Personally, my image of them has always been as soft and too meek. Perhaps this is signaling that they dont have the stomach for the fight.

YoungTradCath · #5 Jun 19, '12, 4:14 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moore11

My fear is that Softening the image will be taken as "weakening" at a time when we need them to be stronger than they ever have been. Personally, my image of them has always been as soft and too meek. Perhaps this is signaling that they dont have the stomach for the fight.

I feel the same way. I feel that their image has always been far too meek. There is a fine line between doing things with charity and being too afraid to do them at all. That phrase, "You're so uncharitable," is thrown around like candy in some Catholic circles to the point where we become impotent and completely ineffective.

So I do see immense benefit in having a good, positive, charitable countenance. But if this means that USCCB suggestions and statements will become even more watered down, then I'm not so sure this is a good idea. To be nice--versus to be truly charitable, something else altogether--is to not think. I think it is clear that the Church, in this country especially, has been far too willy nilly and caught up in the post-Vatican II silly season for far too long. We see lots of "creeping constriction," as I call it, which is a good thing. I can't help but wonder if this plan will effectively reverse some of that in practice.

Oh well, let us pray that this will be a good idea, if indeed it is followed through.

wynnejj · #6 Jun 20, '12, 8:45 am

I'm reminded of the father who forbid his son from hanging out with a gang. The boy said, "If you don't like my friends, then you are not my friend.". The father said, "I was put on this earth to be your father, not your friend. As a father, I forbid you to hang out with that crowd. Maybe we're not friends now. When you get older, we can decide whether we want to be friends. Right now I'm your father." This was told by a son in testimony to the deep friendship that he enjoyed with his father as he grew older.

**Joe 5859** · #7 Jun 20, '12, 8:59 am

I started a thread on this last week: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=685430

I think the Tribune headline is a bit misleading. "Softening their image" is really only one consideration and (in my estimation) not the most important one. A lot of it is also driven by the desire to react more swiftly to breaking news. I remember seeing a lot of people here at CAF getting antsy that the bishops weren't responding in real time to Obama's HHS mandate "compromise". Cardnal Dolan does have his own diocese to run.

I know there is much to be uneasy about (and I'm sure many bishops raised exactly those concerns that we could reiterate here). It will be interesting to see what (if anything) comes of this.

Yerusalyim · #8 Jun 20, '12, 6:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moore11

My fear is that Softening the image will be taken as "weakening" at a time when we need them to be stronger than they ever have been. Personally, my image of them has always been as soft and too meek. Perhaps this is signaling that they dont have the stomach for the fight.

I concur, I only recently started having respect for these men as a group thanks to the efforts of Bishops like Dolan. Don't tone it down. Two things have hurt the image of the Bishops...the ineffectiveness of dealing with the sexual abuse scandal and getting involved in discussions where they have no business..or little business...the "social justice" issues.

**Joe 5859** · #9 Jun 21, '12, 7:53 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yerusalyim

I concur, I only recently started having respect for these men as a group thanks to the efforts of Bishops like Dolan. Don't tone it down. Two things have hurt the image of the Bishops...the ineffectiveness of dealing with the sexual abuse scandal and getting involved in discussions where they have no business..or little business...the "social justice" issues.

I don't think they intend to not address what needs addressing, but I think it's a very real concern to have when a great number of people view the bishops as "anti-women" (because they're "cracking down on nuns" and "trying to restrict reproductive freedom").

The bishops aren't looking to back down on these issues. But it doesn't help promote the Gospel when no one is listening to you because they think you're out to get them. Coming up with different ways to articulate the message doesn't have to be a bad thing.

ringil · #10 Jun 21, '12, 4:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoungTradCath

I feel the same way. I feel that their image has always been far too meek. There is a fine line between doing things with charity and being too afraid to do them at all. That phrase, "You're so uncharitable," is thrown around like candy in some Catholic circles to the point where we become impotent and completely ineffective.

So I do see immense benefit in having a good, positive, charitable countenance. But if this means that USCCB suggestions and statements will become even more watered down, then I'm not so sure this is a good idea. To be nice--versus to be truly charitable, something else altogether--is to not think. I think it is clear that the Church, in this country especially, has been far too willy nilly and caught up in the post-Vatican II silly season for far too long. We see lots of "creeping constriction," as I call it, which is a good thing. I can't help but wonder if this plan will effectively reverse some of that in practice.

Oh well, let us pray that this will be a good idea, if indeed it is followed through.

This is totally unrelated but who is that very grim looking churchman on your signiture box? He looks like he could use a little "softening"

elgnosis · #11 Jun 22, '12, 8:28 pm

It's amazing that the simple term and concept of communicating and community is somewhat overlooked and its the very basic concept of communion that we partake on a weekly basis. Throughout the bible we see feast and festival and the natural thing we do is we communicate with one another to get to know each other better and learn about one another and we naturally feel good when eating and drinking amongst family and friends. All in all I think its a good step in the right direction that we learn to talk to each other instead of at or down at one another.

Moore11 · #12 Jun 23, '12, 6:36 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgnosis

It's amazing that the simple term and concept of communicating and community is somewhat overlooked and its the very basic concept of communion that we partake on a weekly basis. Throughout the bible we see feast and festival and the natural thing we do is we communicate with one another to get to know each other better and learn about one another and we naturally feel good when eating and drinking amongst family and friends. All in all I think its a good step in the right direction that we learn to talk to each other instead of at or down at one another.

I dont really buy into all that "feelings" stuff. I will tell you right now that Bishops are supposed to be our leaders. They are supposed to be like a father to the Church. (not an absentee father, or a "friend" father, not the kind of Father that asks his son to please stop playing in traffic, But the kind that gets that kid out of the street)They do not need to talk to me as an equal. They need to lead. And leading comes with authority. The Bishops have been taken to the mat by the media and have engaged in a battle in which they are way overmatched. Let them shepherd us, let them lead us spiritually by speaking the Truth and giving us the paternal figures we need. Not by telling us to get out of the street and then apologizing for doing so.

ringil · #13 Jun 23, '12, 1:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moore11

I dont really buy into all that "feelings" stuff. I will tell you right now that Bishops are supposed to be our leaders. They are supposed to be like a father to the Church. (not an absentee father, or a "friend" father, not the kind of Father that asks his son to please stop playing in traffic, But the kind that gets that kid out of the street)They do not need to talk to me as an equal. They need to lead. And leading comes with authority. The Bishops have been taken to the mat by the media and have engaged in a battle in which they are way overmatched. Let them shepherd us, let them lead us spiritually by speaking the Truth and giving us the paternal figures we need. Not by telling us to get out of the street and then apologizing for doing so.

But our Bishops are able to walk AND chew gum at the same time you know.

The Holy Father certainly preaches the truth but in a loving way.

I don't want my Bishops to preach like a John Corapi (Black Sheepdog) or Michael Voris for example. I suppose some would prefer that approach but not me.

Moore11 · #14 Jun 23, '12, 2:55 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringil

But our Bishops are able to walk AND chew gum at the same time you know.

The Holy Father certainly preaches the truth but in a loving way.

I don't want my Bishops to preach like a John Corapi (Black Sheepdog) or Michael Voris for example. I suppose some would prefer that approach but not me.

For the most part I agree. And I was not advocating a drill sergeant type of approach. But Corapi's way affected and helped many. If he stayed the coarse he would be a good example. he didn't fail because of his delivery but rather his ego.

The bishops gain nothing with.
"hey maybe you should not have abortions if you can help it." Followed by "gee, Im sorry I was so harsh there and hurt your feelings."