The National Catholic Register carries an important
article by Jimmy Akin in response to the leaked bits of Pope Benedict's interview with Peter Seewald "Light of the World". Jimmy Akin comments:
The controversy erupted Saturday morning when L’Osservatore Romano unilaterally violated the embargo on the book by publishing Italian-language extracts of various papal statements, much to the chagrin of publishers around the world, who had been working on a carefully orchestrated launch for the book on Tuesday.
Here is a link to the full text of the
question and answer on condoms and Africa as published by Catholic World Report. Janet Smith has also written a
good piece for CWR.
10 comments:
The leaks may launch the book and achieve more sales than the planned launch. Imagine if the beatitudes could generate such interest. How did this topic replace them....is the real question.
Both Jimmy Akin's article and Janet Smith's article are very helpful in clarifying the Pope's actual words on the issue of condom use.
So the Pope has re-asserted Catholic teaching clearly and compassionately, without ambiguity but requiring his hearers to use at least two brain cells to understand that...
...and surprise, surprise it results in the usual gratuitous media distortion.
*re-cements unfashionable and counter-intuitive personal mindset about "good PR" being the very last thing the Church needs*
Fr. Tim,
I don't think the Holy Father should give interviews like this. It looks modern and media-aware, but there are elephant traps all over the place -- and we have just fallen into one.
I was highly annoyed by L'Osservatore's leak, but there was contributory negligence elsewhere. Pope John Paul's book "Crossing the threshold of hope" was an interview too -- but he wisely wrote out the answers instead of delivering them off the cuff.
We need a full clarification on the Aids and condoms issue to be issued by the CDF, which is consistent with previous magisterial teaching, to pour cold water over the media condom-fest which has erupted on the feast of Christ the King, of all days.
Much as I rate the Ratzinger pontificate as an A+ in most areas, media and public perception awareness is still a development area.
I did think about getting the Osservatore but then remembered a silly article they had about the Beatles and something else that puzzled me, so I decided not to bother. I have to say that when I used to read it (or not) before, I often found it boring, partly because of the setting-out. This "leak" suggests that there is really something wrong with the management.
May I just say that I shook my head and sighed in dismay when I first learned about the Pope’s comments since I felt (and feel) that they bestow upon us with a tremendous problem with the secular media and those Catholics who have longed for any recognition of condom use as a moral act. However I simultaneously see in the Pope’s words exactly what Dr Smith of Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, USA has suggested: that the Pope is speaking of “the psychological state of some who might use condoms”(Smith) since he states that the Church itself “does not regard it [condom use] as a real or moral solution” before he says that “there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a...more human way of living sexuality” . He might just as easily have said “a first movement in grace towards a human way of living sexuality”. The prostitute’s intention is after all, an interior, psychological thing, and a possible indication of his/her growth in grace leading ultimately to a full change of behaviour.
I feel sure the Pope is aware that he is one of the most controversial Popes of the last 100 years, which I think should be leading him and his advisors to recognise that he must be less amenable as Pope than he was as a Cardinal. Sometimes one’s personality traits (friendliness and openness) have to be held in check when one holds the highest office on earth.
@ Father Finigan
Selective silence and like reporting in every form of media, is the oldest black propaganda trick in the book.
This coming Tuesday a team of cross-party MPs will take on a side of ex-professional footballers at Millwall FC http://www.srtrc.org/news/news-and-events?news=1752
White players playing for the SRtRC Select XI - Manager: Leroy Rosenior, have been omiitted from the racist reporting of the event for effect HERE on http://www.hof.org.uk/showthread.php?t=14654
The continuing 'bermondsey male choir' HATEGEI$T is still targeting me as an individual, and the high profile FOOTBALL AGAINST RACISM IN EUROPE 1991-2010 development work, that both John Austin (the retired MP) & David Evennett MP (my current MP) have written to the Home Secretary about.
Here is the link to the ongoing neo-Nazi propaganda that followed Millwall's victory in the League 1 play-off final at Wembley from comment # 80 onwards http://www.hof.org.uk/showthread.php?t=7728&page=6
Mick Wearing of Bexley Community Safety Partnership recently became actively involved with this critical JUSTICE NOT VENGEANCE FOCUS, and I would recommend that you contact him about it as a matter of great urgency.
Since Regina v Hobson 1991 ILCC trial I have been the target of a libellous campaign originating at source from Old Addeyans FC.
John Austin former MP for Erith & Thamesmead passed my critical FOOTBALL AGAINST RACISM IN EUROPE 1991-2010 legal case focus to the Theresa May the Home Secretary after the May 6th 2010 election.
A boundary change at the last election led to David Evennett becoming my new Bexleyheath and Crayford MP, and as such he followed up John Austin's work by writing to the Home Secretary, after examining the material produced by Andrea Cunningham, the Met Police solicitor, who made up a file to replace the one sent by Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur to Tony Dawson's Bexleyheath Police Station, which then disappeared completely.
Theresa May's continued selective silence is extremely worrying with only 10 days left to go before FIFA select the host of the 2018 World Cup. (Contd)
(Contd)At the General Election former Met Police Inspector Michael Barnbrook, the malevolent neo-Nazi BNP Police Spokesman, stood as a candidate for MP in the Dagenham and Rainham Parliamentary constituency. Nick Griffin MEP, the BNP's leader stood as a candidate for MP in the neighbouring Parliamentary constituency of Barking. The BNP also put up candidates in all three London Borough of Bexley constituencies : Stephen James in Bexleyheath and Crayford : Kevin Saunders in Erith & Thamesmead : John Brooks in Old Bexley and Sidcup. The BNP Parliamentary AGENT FROM HELL 666, for Bexley's Parliamentary constituencies 999 +, was Mr Michael Barnbrook, 24 Holbeach Gardens, Sidcup, Kent DA15 8QW, which is on the doorstep of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School in Blackfen +
I would be failing in my professional 'duty of care' if I failed to identify, and actively oppose the evil on the doorstep of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School in Blackfen +, and in Greater London too.
I would therefore also like to dedicate my own anti-Nazi, You-Tube video performance at Barking & Dagenham Town Hall to England's 2018 World Cup Bid, & BEXLEY COUNCIL'S CULTURAL OLYMPIAD POETRY WORKSHOP:THEME SPORT You Tube - Roy Hobson's anti-Nazi performance in Barking & Dagenham 2007 (From Dark to Light Too) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS9cKgj4UB4
Our Lady of the Rosary ( http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/2010/10/celebrating-parish-feast-day.html ) pray for us in BNP leader Nick Griffin MEP's EU/GLA/LDA/ODA NEO-NAZI DEVELOPMENT TIMES Amen
PAPA RATZI ( http://www.thepapalvisit.org ) ORA PRO NOBIS!
Yours sincerely
Roy Hobson aka Our Lady's "Vesper" ON-LINE +
Charlton Athletic's player Roy Hobson 1971/72 aka Millwall's "Vesper" BBC Radio London 94.9 listener and supporter 2010/11
"COME ON YOU LIONSssssssss"
ROY HOBSON FRICES1990, FRICS1984,Grad Dipl QS
It was a pleasure to finally meet you on Saturday Father.
I didn't need to investigate to know that all the headlines were nonsense on Sunday. But it was a great opportunity to teach the children how to read any news story in our secular climate. Isn't there any obligation on newspapers to verify the stuff they churn out?? Or is that long gone?
I have long been aggrieved that it is nearly impossible to find a Catholic newspaper. Years ago I used to recommend L'Osservatore to anyone with the same gripe - I don't now.
God bless.
Fr. Hunwicke's comments are worth a perusal.
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