Comments on: Thanks, Carl

By: Cathleen

Cathleen — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:35:48 +0000

Benedict has some nerve not living up to the MSM’s preconceived notions. Sheesh.

I’m going to the mass at Yankee Stadium and volunteering at the youth rally at St. Joseph’s seminary. I don’t expect to see him in either place any closer than one sees the pitcher from the upper deck, but I’ll be thrilled to just be there.

By: Carl Olson

Carl Olson — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:59:06 +0000

Thanks, Amy, for the link. I am doing better now, especially since I am wising up and reading the brilliant Dr. Schindler instead of USA TODAY!

By: The Sheepcat

The Sheepcat — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:12:52 +0000

If I were getting paid to report on cricket, I would owe it to my reader to learn something about that subtle and–to my untutored eye, baffling–sport.
But yes, it’s hard to write well about religion for the popular press. Heck, it’s hard to write well about religion, full stop.
Carl, well done.

By: Janice

Janice — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:35:29 +0000

I wish David Schindler were the go-to guy. More than anyone else, he can really distill Benedict’s thought. Bloggers typically hype the usual points, but Schindler gives us a lot more.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:17:55 +0000

I think the Vatican should start releasing it’s English language documents in Olde Englisc, Chaucer-style.

“We hold ye peoples bounden by the lawes o’ nature: never be ye playinge withe the stemme celles.”

I mean, if Fr. Reese wants 13th Century, we can give him 13th Century, no?

By: Memphis Aggie

Memphis Aggie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:09:27 +0000

I don’t think the concepts are that hard to grasp, if you have respect for the subject. The secular media doesn’t respect Catholicism (or Christianity in general), so they don’t learn the subject or pursue lines of thought that might defend it. How much if that attitude is conscious is anyones guess.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:01:43 +0000

Charisma ? I almost want to say ( through clenched teeth ),
“Neither the church nor the pope lives on charisma alone …”

By: Randy

Randy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:17:55 +0000

The problem is they want to report on religion at a high level. They don’t want to understand it in any depth. It can’t be done. The way of thinking is so different. They know politics so they assume the church works roughly the same way. Tradition as binding is hard to grasp. Converting from a protestant faith I found it hard. What chance do secular reporters have?

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:37:25 +0000

The secular American media is always going to view the Church through the prism of secular American values. Secular American culture calls for libertinism, rejection of tradition, and radical individualism in all forms, including in self-expression. The church calls for self-love through conquest of carnal passions. It upholds the primacy of the Tradition of the historic faith. It teaches that humans only fulfill their personhood as part of a community. The world wants the Church to conform to it and therefore to stop being the Church, and to die. This won’t change in the current age.

By: Janice

Janice — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:11:11 +0000

This hermeneutic is so overdone by now it’s practically white noise. Other than the news media, who takes Thomas Reese seriously any more? Even at his web site, most of the comments are ones of ridicule.