Anti-Catholic Media Coverage

Zski01 · #1 Jul 12, '04, 9:58 pm

This link reports of a seminary in Austria plagued with alleged child porn.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe....ap/index.html

It sad and a true setback for the Faith, but what is sadder is that CNN puts this on the front page but when a Protestant minister is caught doing the same thing in a huge child porn ring bust (earlier this year), it hardly makes the news. I see a huge double standard with the way the media presents Church "problems."

Bud Stewart · #2 Jul 13, '04, 5:03 am

Our Church is held to a higher standard, and we should be.

shannin · #3 Jul 13, '04, 7:47 pm

You are right in saying that the Church is held to a higher standard. I never thought of it that way. However, there are a lot of people out there that have a total misunderstanding of the Catholic faith and the media does not help.

Blessings,
Shannin

PioMagnus · #4 Jul 13, '04, 8:14 pm

I agree that the Catholic Church has a duty to be at a higher level of holiness (that didn't come out right, but I hope you get what I mean).

However, that does not mean we are not discriminated against. I firmly believe that Catholics are mis-represented in the Media very, very strongly. Also, as far as "impartial" news coverage goes--well, there isn't any, not anywhere.

In Him, through her,
Pio Magnus

elgom · #5 Jul 13, '04, 8:23 pm

We need to be cleansed of all of our impurities and brought back to the Father in humility and sorrow. God chastizes those he loves.

I know there is a lot of anti-Catholic press, but God uses this for the good of his Church. The new springtime is coming and will be beautiful.

Pray, Pray, Pray That's what our Holy Mother keeps telling us.
Our Holy Father says "Do not be afraid." and
Jesus wants us to persevere to the end.

Let's try not to let it get us down.

stellina · #6 Jul 14, '04, 7:38 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgom

We need to be cleansed of all of our impurities and brought back to the Father in humility and sorrow. God chastizes those he loves.

I know there is a lot of anti-Catholic press, but God uses this for the good of his Church. The new springtime is coming and will be beautiful.

Pray, Pray, Pray That's what our Holy Mother keeps telling us.
Our Holy Father says "Do not be afraid." and
Jesus wants us to persevere to the end.

Let's try not to let it get us down.

Well put. It's a little too easy to get depressed these days.

By the way, there's a lot of angry posts about this news item over on the Apologetics board, as if the Associated Press is always accurate & fair. Just more evidence that we need to look harder at sources for these reports.

Irish Melkite · #7 Jul 20, '04, 8:23 am

The media coverage is deserved in this instance. Our laundry is way too dirty to be washed in private. Zenit reports that the Holy Father has appointed Bishop Klaus Kung of Feldkirch, Austria as Apostolic Visitator for the Diocese of St.Polten, Austria and in particular for the diocesan seminary.

Many years,

Neil

asquared · #8 Jul 20, '04, 6:03 pm

a truth teller is a prophet, whether or not you like the source. whether or not the media are reporting the entire truth, pretending it doesnt happen and minimizing the damage is what got the Church in trouble in the first place. The cover up is worse than the original offense and compounds the damage.

St. Ambrose · #9 Jul 20, '04, 6:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zski01

This link reports of a seminary in Austria plagued with alleged child porn.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe....ap/index.html

It sad and a true setback for the Faith, but what is sadder is that CNN puts this on the front page but when a Protestant minister is caught doing the same thing in a huge child porn ring bust (earlier this year), it hardly makes the news. I see a huge double standard with the way the media presents Church "problems."

On a positive note, though... I heard the radio program with Deal Hudson on EWTN radio this week. He was interviewing the priest in charge of vocations for Washington D.C. Deal asked him what the impact of negative media coverage was on vocations. Ready for the answer? In his opinion, it had a POSITIVE impact. This year they had 15 seminarians enter and that was the most they'd had in several decades. He said that not only has the quantity increased but the quality as well. Many of the candidates reported feeling that now more than ever was the time for good men to answer the call.

nobody · #10 Jul 20, '04, 7:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by St. Ambrose

On a positive note, though... Many of the candidates reported feeling that now more than ever was the time for good men to answer the call.

Yes, I can relate to the feeling: the news reports of bad foster parents was part of the inspiration for me to become one.

However, I am very sad about all the lay people the Church is losing because of all this (including some very close to me), so I hope & pray the tide turns quickly.

Makerteacher · #11 Jul 21, '04, 12:54 pm

Can't recall who said it but I know someone once stated that "Anti-Catholicism is the last remaining socially acceptable form of bigotry. "

That said, I agree that the media coverage of Catholic priests in sexual scandal is greater than coverage of other denominations, or other professions entirely. After all, most kids are abused by family members: but that's not shocking anough to make the news. Nor do the thousands of school teachers who are abusers make the news. I feel no stigma at all being a school teacher, even though statistically I am more likely to be found abusing a child than my parish priest would be.

Abuse is utterly unacceptable no matter who does the abusing: I'd like to see it covered that way, but I don't hold out much hope for anything remotely approaching "fair" coverage from today's mainline media, which is pretty blantantly anti-Christian and especially anti-Catholic.

I guess we can take that as a sort of backhanded compliment of sorts.