NOTE: I've gotten some feedback from a few people who can't seem to set aside their disdain for Bill Donohue to look at the content of the email that was leaked to him. If you don't like the man, fine. But be objective with regards to the information. The email was leaked to him, so he is the source. If he says 2 + 2 = 4, the objective reality is that 4 is the answer. No matter how much one dislikes him and no matter their reason, objectivity rules.
If you are a Catholic who has taken the time to know the teachings of the Church, you have probably been left scratching your head when you see catholic theologians quoted in a way that is contrary to those teachings. The press always seems to gravitate to some of the same theologians who pit people against the bishops and the Church. This is the pseudo-magisterium we talk about that so often competes with the U.S. bishops for authority.
Thanks to an email that was leaked to Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, we now see where some members of the media are getting their contacts. It seems that dissenting catholics are trying to stack the media deck against the bishops.
Here's the Catholic League news release:
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows (follow his embedded link to see the document):
June 21 marks the beginning of the “Fortnight for Freedom” events, the campaign for religious liberty being conducted by the nation’s bishops. Fair-minded persons may disagree with this effort, but there is something unseemly going on when those who work for a George Soros-funded group are quietly providing talking points to the media.John Gehring is an official at Faith in Public Life, and it is his organization that lives off the bounty of the left-wing atheist billionaire, Mr. Soros. On June 7, Gehring sent a memo to his buddies in the media (a copy of which was generously leaked to me—click here) instructing them on how to handle the bishops. They should begin by questioning the prelates why the Obama “accommodation” wasn’t good enough. “You have to ask why the bishops can’t take yes for an answer,” he wrote.Teaching them how to handle the “war on the Catholic Church,” Gehring advises, “Several bishops have used inflammatory and irresponsible rhetoric that conflates a process of working through complex policy issues with a fundamental attack on the Catholic Church.” He also frets over the politicization of the religious liberty campaign, an effort made possible, he neglects to say, because of the politicization of religion by President Obama.Not to be outdone, Gehring presses his lackeys to victimize the victim, beckoning them to ask the bishops—all of whom refuse to prostitute their principles—“Are you willing to sacrifice Catholic charities, colleges and hospitals if you don’t get your way on the contraceptive mandate?”Finally, Gehring provides a go-to list of Catholic activists who can be counted on to subvert the bishops’ message. It’s what we would expect from a George Soros group.
There you have it. How much do you trust something named, "Woodstock Theological Center" for authentic Catholic references and Catholic thought? Seriously? What a fitting name!
Just like with the HHS contraceptive mandate "accomodation," recall how the White House did not consult the U.S. bishops - the authentic representatives of the Catholic Church in the United States. Same thing here. The press needs to recognize that the bishops speak for the Catholic Church, not any other groups of catholics who are pedaling dissent and sowing seeds of division.
I hope the USCCB will issue a statement acknowledging this now that it is out in the open. How else is the damage even somewhat mitigated?
I have wondered how long the USCCB will take before it puts up a list of institutions which should not be used as a source of Catholic thought or reference due to their track records. I'd go so far as to say that certain theologians should be put on a USCCB "Do Not Contact" list. Certain names that appear regularly in the media, speaking as representatives of the Catholic Church (or at least perceived as such), and who sow the seeds of confusion and division among the faithful should be dealt with. Seriously.
Others covering this:
- Group funded by George Soros poised to attack US Bishops for the "Fornight for Freedom" (Father Z)
- Media Backgrounder: Theologians at Major Catholic Universities Will Help You Knock the "Fortnight for Freedom" (Matt Archbold)
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
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it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski
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