News of the papacy and the upcoming conclave dominate every media website, newspaper and social media outlet right now. Here is how to tell if you are reading a balanced article. Are the only quoted sources in it from the left? Villanova’s Massimo Faggioli. Father Thomas Reese, LGBTSJ. Father James Martin, LGBTSJ. Georgetown’s John Carr. Former USCCB official John Gehring. If a reporter consistently features these men, without balance from a conservative or traditional viewpoint, it is called Media Bias.
Showing posts with label Mainstream Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mainstream Media. Show all posts
The Atlantic on TLM Catacombs
Francis X. Rocca, who wrote many good pieces about or mentioning the TLM for the Wall Street Journal as its Vatican correspondent, has a new article today in the Atlantic.
Below is an excerpt. To read Frank’s full article click here.
Perhaps counterintuitively, this return to tradition seems to be led by young Catholics, who make up a disproportionate share of Latin Mass devotees. According to a recent survey that Cranney and Bullivant conducted of parishes that offered the traditional Mass, 44 percent of Catholics who attended the old rite at least once a month were under the age of 45, compared with only 20 percent of other members of those parishes. Patrick Merkel, a senior at Notre Dame who attends Latin Mass on campus, believes that the traditional rite appeals to young people because, unlike most things in their lives, it doesn’t change. “A Latin Mass in small-town Wisconsin is the same as in London or New York,” Merkel told me. “It is always the same consoling home to return to.”
Wall Street Journal: Why Christmas music starts so early
My thanks to the Wall Street Journal, which published my op-ed on Christmas music.
Some excerpts:
Radio Has the Christmas Season All Mixed Up
The lyrics of holiday pop songs tend be anticipatory rather than celebratory, which is why stations pull them on Dec. 26
By Kenneth J. Wolfe, Wall Street Journal, November 25, 2024The Christmas season gets going earlier and earlier in the U.S., often before Thanksgiving. Artificial pine trees and colorful string lights start popping up at the beginning of November.
Paprocki defends Saint Michael prayer in Wall Street Journal
A retired priest, Rev. Gerald Bednar, in the Diocese of Cleveland -- the former vice rector of the seminary there -- had a letter to the editor published in the Wall Street Journal, taking an opportunity to oppose reciting the Saint Michael prayer after Mass, which is done at nearly all traditional Latin Low Masses, as well as a growing number of novus ordo liturgies in conservative parishes.
Father Bednar's letter from a few days ago follows. So does one, published in today's paper, from His Excellency Thomas John Paprocki, bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois.
Our thanks to Bishop Paprocki for a succinct response and defense.
***
Wall Street Journal; October 22, 2024
St. Michael Is Out of Place At the End of Catholic Mass
Benedictines of Norcia in today's New York Times
A lovely news article appears on page A4 of today's New York Times, online here, featuring the Benedictines of Norcia and their resilience following a magnitude-6.5 earthquake in 2016.
Elizabeth Povoledo, based in the Times' Rome bureau, wrote the feature article, with photos by Alessandro Penso. Abbot Benedict Nivakoff, OSB, discussed the delicious beer brewed there and how a percentage of the restoration effort has been aided by sales of Birra Nursia.
The Associated Press on the future of the Church
There have been numerous mainstream media articles on how traditional Catholics (and conservative Catholics favoring tradition) are the future of the Church, particularly in the U.S. Many such articles, however, were during the Benedict XVI papacy and following his 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. A handful of positive articles since Pope Francis' TLM suppressions have been published in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
Financial Times on the Catholic Counterrevolution
The salmon-pink-colored pages of the Financial Times are usually not a place to find anything mentioning the traditional Latin Mass and -- gasp -- a Catholic counterrevolution. So it is well worth the read from today's paper to see a columnist touch this point.
Excerpt below.
Jesuit Father Thomas Reese: Lazy, or Liar?
Religion News Service, the center-left media agency that now dominates secular newspaper coverage of religion, carries a column by Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, called Signs of the Times. It is almost always predictable viewpoints from the Jesuit who is so liberal that he was forced to resign as editor-in-chief of America Magazine thanks to Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. One column by Reese called for a ban on young Catholics attending the traditional Latin Mass.
 |
| Thomas Reese, SJ, in the center of his DC Jesuit community |
In his latest column Reese decided to travel back to April 2007 and make up a story that traditional and conservative Catholics looked the other way when Pope Benedict XVI did something liberal, using Benedict's opinion that Limbo may not exist. According to Reese, had Francis done the same thing as Benedict (which was to agree with the Vatican's International Theological Commission's report dismissing Limbo) the right would have criticized him.
His first paragraph stated: "Many conservative Catholics are upset with Pope Francis, who they complain is changing church doctrine, but they hardly blinked when Pope Benedict got rid of Limbo, a Catholic doctrine that had been taught for centuries."
The problem with Reese's narrative is he is either very lazy, or he lied on this one.
In fact, one of the most widely published articles on the April 2007 issue concerning Benedict and Limbo, written by two Los Angeles Times reporters and syndicated in many other publications in print and online, quoted Reese himself, who praised Benedict as "not afraid to look at something that has been taught in the church for centuries and say it is not at the core of Catholic belief." Yet there was more to the same article.
Four paragraphs after Reese's quotes contained a section titled "Conservatives skeptical." It stated:
Yet another Washington Post article on the DC Latin Massacre
If you are a liberal archbishop of a prominent archdiocese, the last thing you probably want to see is the liberal newspaper in your city run three pieces in the last few weeks on your DC Latin Massacre. Especially when all of the media coverage shows clear sympathy toward practicing Catholics being evicted from their parishes.
Today's Washington Post has an article by a reporter, William Wan, who visited Saint Mary Mother of God parish in DC yesterday morning. Planning his article on Friday and doing the necessary research on the issue that afternoon, his trip to Saint Mary's -- to actually talk with TLM parishioners -- was something DC Cardinal Wilton Gregory refused to do himself. Wan spoke with about a dozen communicants before and after the 9 a.m. traditional Latin Mass. His article shows the sincere reactions of several parishioners to Cardinal Gregory's decree suppressing TLMs at parishes effective in less than two months.
The article published today in the Washington Post follows pieces in the same publication here and here.
Washington Post coverage of DC Latin Mass ban
The Massacre this morning in Washington, DC, has led to a news article in the Washington Post, complete with a photo of a smug Cardinal Gregory.
One can assume the cardinal did not expect this issue to land in the Post twice in the last three weeks.
Catholics Archdiocese of Washington to ban Latin Mass in parishes
Washington Post: Front page Latin Mass article
Last Sunday the Washington Post printed a front page article on the traditional Latin Mass, complete with a beautiful photo of High Mass at a Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter parish. The second such major mainstream media feature on the TLM -- following the Wall Street Journal earlier this month -- the coverage has featured Catholics who attend the Latin Mass and their reasons for doing so.
Both the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal pieces were written by the papers' Rome/Vatican reporters. This is an important detail, as reporters based in Rome who cover the Vatican closely are often more knowledgeable about Catholic news and issues than U.S.-based religion reporters (although there are exceptions to this rule) at mainstream newspapers, who are usually obsessed with social issues from their leftist point of view. In this case it meant the D.C.-based religion reporters at the Washington Post were not at all involved -- definitely a good thing considering their previous articles and bias concerning just about anything traditional or religious.
Chico Harlan, of the Washington Post's Rome bureau was the sole writer for the article. He spent time in Lincoln, Nebraska, to get a sense of how TLM communicants worship. How they socialize. How they communicate. And it turned out well. He reported, pretty fairly, what he saw.
Harlan spent a considerable amount of time in Lincoln with Rorate Caeli contributor Peter Kwasniewski, who is featured prominently in the article.
Moreover, the Washington Post hired a freelance photographer, Madeline Cass, to take numerous photos during Mass and of various scenes in Lincoln. Her work is simply amazing, adding beautiful images to Harlan's piece. In addition to the photo of the Mass on the front page, several other photos ran inside the paper and online.
This is not to say the article is perfect -- remember, we are talking about a major mainstream newspaper. But for a front page Sunday story, this is a positive snapshot of a TLM community.
The Washington Post article, like the Wall Street Journal's, is behind a paywall, so we cannot copy and paste the entire piece. But here are some excerpts:
Wall Street Journal: "The Power of the Latin Mass"
The Wall Street Journal's Rome reporter, Francis X. Rocca, published a piece online today that will run in Saturday's paper, looking at what the traditional Latin Mass means to those who attend it.
It is an honest, opinion-free report of Catholics, young and old, who prefer the TLM. Rocca has consistently written articles for the WSJ that feature a diversity of views and people -- the opposite of other mainstream media, such as the New York Times or Reuters, which rely on the same tired sources. Seriously, look at most other mainstream news articles on Catholic issues and you will likely find John Carr, Thomas Reese, John Gehring, Massimo Faggioli or James Martin in just about every article. Mainstream media are notorious for either an obvious slant or one-sided perspective from this small group of men who feed lazy reporters by completing their preconstructed narrative concerning traditional Catholics.
Those in Lincoln, Nebraska, know the Washington Post was on the ground there recently for an upcoming article. Hopefully the Post matches the WSJ's fair treatment of Catholics who attend and love the traditional Latin Mass.
The Wall Street Journal has a pretty firm paywall, so we are not at liberty to copy and paste the entire piece by Rocca. But here are a few excerpts from it, highlighting those who were interviewed:
Cardinal Tobin instructs whistleblowers to shut up
A letter from Joseph Cardinal Tobin, archbishop of Newark, was sent to all archdiocesan priests on Friday following an explosive investigative report earlier that day on former Newark Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and a homosexual subculture that still exists in northern New Jersey, from the seminary to the priesthood. The report, by Ed Condon of Catholic News Agency (CNA), featured six priests from within the archdiocese speaking on background for the story.
Tobin's letter of response, according to CNA, stated "no one -- including the anonymous 'sources' cited in the article -- has ever spoken to me about a gay subculture in the Archdiocese of Newark."
The Catholic Herald today highlighted a very important point made in the cardinal's letter. In it, Tobin instructed clergy not to speak to the media, a remarkable reaction considering the cardinal's extreme friendliness with reporters who swoon over his breaks from Church teaching and tradition.
Instead of speaking on background or on the record with reporters about what they have witnessed in the Archdiocese of Newark, Tobin said priests should send any media inquiries to the archdiocese's communications office.
Rorate tried, earlier this year, to work with that office. It is where investigative journalism goes to die.
After Cardinal Tobin sent a tweet that said: "Nighty-night, baby. I love you" while boarding a plane in February, the tweet was widely reported before Tobin deleted it. He claimed it was meant to be a text message to his sister. The media did almost no follow-up on the bizarre explanation, instead believing every word the cardinal said, as if it was perfectly normal for a 65 year old man to write like that to his sister.
That same month, this writer contacted the director of communications for the Archdiocese of Newark, following the protocol Tobin dictates. Questions were as follows:
1) Which of the cardinal's sisters was the writing intended to reach when accidentally tweeted?
2) Were they texting immediately prior to the cardinal's flight, and is there proof of any such texts? (If so, will those texts be released?)
3) Will the respective sister be confirming any such texting back and forth before the flight?
4) Has the cardinal addressed his sister as "baby" before this incident? (And will she confirm this?)
New York Times publishes op-ed on TLM in Nigeria
We continue to believe one of the greatest benefits of the otherwise dreadful Francis Effect is the unification of traditional and conservative camps within the Catholic Church, recognized by even the mainstream media. Today, a senior editor at First Things has an op-ed on the traditional Latin Mass movement in Nigeria. Published in the New York Times. Take a moment to unpack all that.
The piece, printed on page seven of the "Sunday Review" in today's New York Times, looks at the ordination of Father Charles Ike, FSSP, a charming, smart, friendly priest ordained for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in Nigeria on the feast of the Assumption seven weeks ago. The op-ed then gives a snapshot of the history of the TLM restoration and perspectives from communicants there.
The Subverters of the Word of God
The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have said nothing secretly." (Jn 18:19-20)
***
May their names live in infamy forever and ever for their intent to assemble secretly to discard the clear words of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the name of Him Who Himself is Love, and to favor a certain kind of press to make their new doctrine known to the world:
BISHOPS:
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop of Munich and Freising
Archbishop Georges Pontier, president of the French Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop of Marseille
Bishop Markus Büchel, president of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference, Bishop of St. Gallen
Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück, Germany
Bishop Heiner Koch of Dresden-Meißen/Meissen, Germany
Bishop Felix Gmür of Basel, Switzerland
Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey of Sitten/Sion, Switzerland
Bishop Bruno Ann-Marie Feillet of Reims, France
Bishop Jean-Luc Brunin of Le Havre, France
PROFESSORS/PRIESTS:
"Here's a photo newspapers won't show: An empty St. Peter's Square for Wednesday's General Audience"
HERE IS A PHOTO THAT THE NEWSPAPERS WILL NOT SHOW
Antonio Socci
Feb. 11, 2015
Op-Ed: "Obedience"? "Respect"? We tolerate no lessons from those who morally assassinated Benedict XVI!
We are very honored to post this new article by a very wise, knowledgeable, and highly influential cleric, writing under the pen name of don Pio Pace.
The Great Fear of the Conformists:
We Take no Lessons from Those Who Morally Assassinated Benedict XVI!
by don Pio Pace
For some time now, Modernist, Liberal, or self-defined "Moderate" and even "mildly conservative" papers and blogs have railed against the "merciless war" waged by Orthodox Catholics on Pope Francis and his orientations.
We are right in the middle of the parable of the mote and the beam! Didn’t they criticize, without a moment of rest, John Paul II and his attempt at a minor "restoration", these good souls now giving lessons? Didn’t they destroy Benedict XVI up to the level of what can only be called his moral assassination? Benedict XVI, about whom liberals said among themselves, on the day after his election : "This won’t last more than a couple of years!" Benedict XVI, to whose enemies Abp. Piero Marini gave openly the battle cry: "Resistere! Resistere! Resistere!" They would like then to give us lessons, those who, through their incessant and brutal attacks on Benedict XVI, by Catholic or by mainstream media, by leaks of documents, by financial pressure, by destroying him on what he did or on what he didn’t do, on what he said or on what he didn’t say, prompted him to present his resignation. They want not only to annihilate us as they did with him, but they want us to thank them for being executed, find hilarious that we are being slaughtered, and also apologize to them for the fact that our blood may be staining their spotless clothes...
Now, these good apostles have suddenly discovered the virtues of "obedience" and "humility", preaching to us about "respect" for Peter, as if, by stating the Truth – not always easy to hear, and in a much milder and more proportionate fashion than they ever did – we were lacking in this obedience and respect. Yet it is precisely due to our faith in Peter and due to our unconditional obedience to the Church and her entire Tradition that we must speak up as we do.
The truth is that they are afraid.
I see three reasons for this.
Pope's 3rd "conversation" with Italian liberal journalist E. Scalfari
- Vatican spokesman blames Scalfari, Repubblica criticizes the Vatican
- Don't shoot the Messenger
 |
| Dosso Dossi Jove, Mercury and Virtue Wawel Castle, Krakow |
¡Qué lío! - what a mess!
First, the account of the media commotion (there seems to be one every single day) involving declarations by the Pope through unofficial means. The summary in English is by La Repubblica, the secularist newspaper co-founded by Italian liberal and atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari himself -- our comment at the end.
________________________________
Francis says 2% of priests are paedophiles
Once again, Pope Francis appears to be out of step with conventional wisdom in the Vatican. In his third conversation with Eugenio Scalfari, La Repubblica’s founder and former editor-in-chief, the pontiff implied that there was room for manoeuvre on the issue of celibacy, that there were paedophiles among the cardinals, and that not enough priests condemned the mafia. But the Vatican immediately issued a statement suggesting he had been misquoted.
The Pontiff recalled that celibacy for priests was not instituted until the 10th century, “900 years after Our Lord’s death”, something which the church usually prefers to overlook. He also recalled that clerics could marry in some Eastern Catholic Churches. There were solutions to the “problem” of celibacy, “and I will find them.”
This unusually open approach to the issue follows on from his comments in May, when he told reporters on the plane returning from Israel that “celibacy is not a dogma”. He added: “It is a rule that I appreciate very much… but since it is not a dogma, the door is always open.”
A win-win situation for Holy Innocents proposed in the New York Times
Monday's print edition (online Sunday evening) of the New York Times carries letters to the editor in response to the paper's front page article on Holy Innocents in the Archdiocese of New York.
The second letter to the editor is from a dear Rorate contributor, echoing the point previously made by us in our post on the situation:
Does the Latin Mass Have a Future in New York?
To the Editor:
The arguments by the Archdiocese of New York in favor of closing Catholic churches are always about two issues: parish finances operating in the red and a shortage of priests.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)