Here is the Pope speaking to users of the new media.
Pope on the new online world
Comments
30 responses to “Pope on the new online world”
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Very timely (or rather, a little overdue).
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I’ll summarize the article for anyone who doesn’t want to read the whole thing:
Pope: Everyone should act like Christians online.
Media: Hey Vatican, can we say this applies to conservatives?
Vatican: Sure, that’s fair.HEADLINE: POPE AGREES WITH OBAMA, RAILS AGAINST CONSERVATIVES
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Jared;
That’s the general template used by all media. If any comment by a news figure CAN be applied to conservatives, then it was, by logical reasoning(?) meant to apply ONLY to conservatives. And thus, the person who made the comment is in default agreement with all that has been said in opposition to conservatives as well. It’s called “co-opting” and it’s been done as long as there has been a ‘media”. This is the reason why any comments about “vitriolic rhetoric” on the radio AUTOMATICALLY apply ONLY to conservative talk-radio, even though a few minutes of tuning in to the variety of liberal (and incidentally, short-lived) radio programs will reveal a greater degree of such vitriol. The conclusion, and this is my point in relation to the article above, is that to a liberal (progressive, or whatever), vitriol means disagreement with their opinion, and “fairness” or “charity” or “neutrality” means accepting their views and silencing all opposition to them.
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The media is largely made up of conservatives. There’s a lot to conserve in the secular realm: profitability, popularity, and the cult of celebrity.
Conservative Catholic bloggers, by their own admission, dominate the hit counts. It would follow that most offenses against charity, honesty, respect, and peace come from conservatives–at least in this realm.
Some of these offenses are intentional in both conservatives and liberals, and some are due to inexperience, either in the media, or with their own emotions and communicating these.
This message should be read and accepted. It would be interesting if every blogger used it as a self-examination and posted said reflection for open comment. Then let our respective commentariats rate us on how we’re doing.
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The media is largely made up of conservatives
Todd…. really? I mean, really? Come on…. really? Do you ACTUALLY believe this, or are you trying to defend a point because it goes along with what you want to believe.
Have you actually watched the broadcast news, or most cable news (with the exception of FOX), or read a newspaper lately? Where was this overwhelming conservative media in 2008? Or 2004? Or 2000? Or 1996….. you get the idea.
You may be confusing the terms “majority of media” with the close, but very different term “majority of media consumers”. I would grant that the ratings and money are with the conservatives in terms of the very few conservative media outlets holding a disproportionate share of the ratings and audience. But the fact remains that the great majority of media outlets are rather liberal.
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Yes, Jeffrey, I really believe this. For every Rachel Maddow, there are several others: Brian Williams, Katie Couric, to name two who are obedient talking heads parroting the corporate line.
tv and print media are all owned by corporations, and their intent is not to disrupt the status quo, to keep the sales engine going, and shareholders happy.
The opposite of Fox is not MSNBC, but Pacifica, the Utne Reader, and Mother Jones. Like to tell me where I can watch them on tv? Where people are still reporting on BP and the Gulf Spill, where the death penalty is criticized, where jobs are the number one issue, not the federal deficit?
No, Jeffrey; the great majority of media outlets exist to make sales, and that is inherently conservative.
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Yes, I actually believe this.
The opposite of Fox is not MSNBC, but Pacifica, Utne Reader, and Mother Jones. I don’t see a true liberal voice on tv these days, aside from the occasional Rachel Maddow. And for every one of her, there are several conservatives, and even more talking heads careful to toe the corporate line.
Print and tv is all owned by corporations now, and their purpose is to make sales. From this progressive’s viewpoint, that is inherently conservative. Nobody wants to broadcast the ongoing problems with the Gulf Spill, or joblessness, or the death penalty. Maybe if we had more liberals talking their heads off, people would realize the Democrats are not so liberal after all.
Nope, this one’s on the conservatives. I suspect it will sting a bit today, and a bit more when that document actually comes out. But there you have it.
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Todd says…
“I don’t see a true liberal voice on tv these days, aside from the occasional Rachel Maddow”
OK… perhaps you and I have two different definitions of liberal. perhaps you mean the JFK type of liberal or you are using the term “liberal” as a technical term distinct from it’s acquired meaning.
This is old news, but http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19113455/ns/politics/ did a run down on political contributions by national TV journalists… 18 of the top 23 TV News anchors were contirbutors to Democrat and liberal causes. Of the five conservative or Republican contributors, 4 were from Fox network. So unless you exclusively watch Fox network, I have a hard time believing you can’t find a liberal voice.
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I would not characterize mainstream Democrats as being liberal. Dennis Kucinich before he became pro-choice, probably yes.
My brand of liberal would include populists like Jim Wallis.
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Todd said…
I would not characterize mainstream Democrats as being liberal. Dennis Kucinich before he became pro-choice, probably yes.
My brand of liberal would include populists like Jim Wallis.
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Point taken…your opinion is your opinion. I would say that it’s a bit out of the mainstream however. Most would say that it was Kucinich’s flip-flop on abortion that MADE him a true liberal. I understand what you’re saying though… that’s why I prefer to call them progressives.
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I’m gonna get into this when I’ve got more time.
I have been saying for some time that the Catholic web has to change, and it going to change.
Make no mistake about it, THIS. IS. HUGE
🙂
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it was certainly correct to direct the pope’s exhortation to some conservative Catholic blogs, YouTube channels and sites which, with some vehemence, criticize bishops, public officials and policies they consider not Catholic enough
This would seem to be aimed at a rather narrow category… perhaps the SSPX and related points of view? I wonder about sites that criticize bishops whom they consider incompetent and unable to complete a translation? Or who criticize very high ranking persons (the Pope perhaps?) who see wisdom in having two forms of the Roman Rite? Or maybe sites that criticize the hierarchy in general for adopting a “turn back the clock” agenda…. I see no shortage of those sites on the web either, and I think it might be unwise to believe that the Popes media Secretary was talking only about conservative blogs… I think he may have been wagging a finger at those blogs so as to say “this means you ALSO….”
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Criticising is okay. Vitriol and spite isn’t!
Speaking as somebody who runs a fairly busy site, I think that we all need to reflect on the Pope’s words and I think that they were intended for us all.
Having said that though, I think we all know very well that the Holy Father’s words were aimed – at least more so – at a certain section. Not ‘the SSPX and related points of view at all.’
It is fairly clear who the Holy Father had in mind and I think that if those sites try to run and hide and claim that it’s not about them, they are going to do their credibility a lot of damage in the long run.
Those sites can survive this, and I hope they do, as they bring something important to the debate. Today’s message wasn’t a death knell, but a challenge to change or become obsolete.
Given the fact that the Catholic web is changing dramatically, those sites will not enjoy the dominance in the coming decade that they enjoyed in the last. If they want to stay at the table, they’re going to have to understand that the Pope’s words today were aimed at them, and they are going to have to respond with humility.
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There is a lot of bile I have seen written in some “Catholic” blogs railing against those who don’t agree with their brand of Catholicism. Can they not see that they are sending out a very unChristian message?
I have tried to read them but their lack of charity makes me feel uncharitably towards them, which is not good for me!-
Margaret,
I think that is how a great many of us feel. People have been saying this for years and years. Even Bishops and Bishops’ Conferences have been saying it too, but it has fallen on deaf ears.
What is different today though, is that the Holy Father has said it.
..and that is a game changer!
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On such blogger is Steve Kellmeyer, who says some of the most outrageous and insensitive things imaginable. Just read his recent posting about Gabby Giffords shooting:
http://skellmeyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/partial-bullet-assassination.html
calling it a Partial-Bullet Assassination, and expresses hope that now she will change her opinion about abortion. Unbelievable!
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I’d never heard of Steve Kellmeyer till you mentioned him, but having just read his post, I don’t see how it rises to the level of outrage-provoking. Is there something wrong with hoping Rep Giffords will change her mind about abortion? There’s no appeal to consequentialism here, so what’s the problem? Rep. Giffords would not be the first person God allowed to be brought low for the sake of the Kingdom. I hope she makes a full recovery in both body and soul.
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Robert,
You might want to look at http://bit.ly/ihPrDM on Kellmeyer’s blog. It is not strident in language but succeeds in excommunicating about 90% of US Catholics. Speaking of the “typical Catholic Novus Ordo parish”: “every such parish is not Catholic in any real or permanent sense at all”!
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Jacques;
Kellmeyer has his views. They are certainly “out there”. Not typical of conservatives…and I know quite a few.
And he doesn’t succeed in excommunicating anyone…only in typing some HTML that expresses his opinion that he doesn’t believe some Catholics are as catholic as he believes he is. There’s no reason that you have to read what he thinks.. he will think what he thinks regardless of whether you visit his page or not. That’s why there is a small “x” in the upper-right-hand corner of the browser…it gives you that option.
This is also what the Pope was speaking about… be careful not mistake what happens “online” for reality. It isn’t.
BTW… maybe the multitude of “Anon” commenters could take the Pope’s words regarding false or deceptive online personae to heart…
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It’s the whole brain being stirred by a bullet compared to abortion that I find a problem with.
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Having said that though, I think we all know very well that the Holy Father’s words were aimed – at least more so – at a certain section
Jack;
Hmm… not sure I really know “very well” who the Holy Father’s words were aimed at. Who would you say it is? There are certainly a lot of “out there” points of view, and (as I think I tried to point out) a lot of harsh criticism of Bishops and the hierarchy on both sides of the political spectrum, only they tend to criticize different Bishops and take the hierarchy to task for quite different reasons.
Maybe I missed some big pivotal event that you’re referring to…so I’d really like to know who exactly the Holy Father was speaking about, in your opinion at least.
UPDATE: I found, and have read the entire message from the Pope. The irony is that the “online presentation” of the talk, reducing it to a few excerpts, serves to distort the message…. exactly the kind of thing that the Pope seems to be speaking of.
He speaks a lot about creating false online personas and using the cloak of the internet as a means of deception and creating “digital relationships” that give the false impression of a community rather than creating authentic relationships. I don’t find anywhere a sharp criticism of conservative bloggers, except in the comments by the Secretary for Media. In the article linked to above, the Secretary’s reply seems to be a response to a media question…. as it begins with “The risk is there….” which doesn’t refer to anything in the article but perhaps to a question from one of the press pool. But it doesn’t say what the question was. I would be interested in hearing what that question was that spurred that particular response.
If anybody else has the complete transcript for this particular address by the Holy Father, I would be interested in hearing where exactly this criticism of conservative bloggers is… I don’t see it, or anything like it.
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I think the best thing to do is to give you this excerpt from the AP piece:
“ Benedict didn’t name names, but the head of the Vatican’s social communications office, Archbishop Claudio Celli, said it was certainly correct to direct the pope’s exhortation to some conservative Catholic blogs, YouTube channels and sites which, with some vehemence, criticize bishops, public officials and policies they consider not Catholic enough.’”
I think you are right to say that all sides can profit form the Holy Father’s words, but what we have here is not you or I, but the Archbishop responsible for Social Communications at the Vatican saying clearly who the Holy Father’s words are directed at.
There’s not much wiggle room there really!
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Actually there is wiggle room. Here’s how it works:
The journalist asks: “Are the Holy Father’s words directed at conservatives who criticize the Pope?”
Archbishop: “Yes.”
Question not asked: “Are the Holy Father’s words equally directed at liberals who criticize the Pope.”
Answer not given: “Yes.”
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+JMJ+
As I said some weeks ago on this blog, I’d rather hear the Pope say it than someone else say he meant it.
we have … the Archbishop responsible for Social Communications at the Vatican saying clearly who the Holy Father’s words are directed at.
No, we have an unstated question with a very brief answer, and the reporter saying that the Archbishop’s answer indicated that the Holy Father’s words can be applied to conservative Catholic blogs. We don’t have a transcript of the Q&A, do we? Can we see the full question, and the full response, and the rest of the questions?
We do not have the Archbishop saying that the Pope’s words were “directed at” conservative Catholics, any more than they were “directed at” any other group of Catholics.
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Don’t mean to be a pain here, but I meant to ‘edit in” an example of what I meant by the “presentation” of this talk in excerpts does exactly what the pope seems to be warning about.
An example. The AP article cited above says the following:
“We must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its ‘popularity’ or from the amount of attention it receives… (clip)….
“The proclamation of the Gospel requires a communication which is at once respectful and sensitive.”But what has been clipped out?
The task of witnessing to the Gospel in the digital era calls for everyone to be particularly attentive to the aspects of that message which can challenge some of the ways of thinking typical of the web. First of all, we must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its “popularity” or from the amount of attention it receives. We must make it known in its integrity, instead of seeking to make it acceptable or diluting it. It must become daily nourishment and not a fleeting attraction. The truth of the Gospel is not something to be consumed or used superficially; rather it is a gift that calls for a free response. Even when it is proclaimed in the virtual space of the web, the Gospel demands to be incarnated in the real world and linked to the real faces of our brothers and sisters, those with whom we share our daily lives. Direct human relations always remain fundamental for the transmission of the faith!
The final pull quote, which is made to seem as though it is a consequence of the first quote appears several paragraphs later:
The proclamation of the Gospel requires a communication which is at once respectful and sensitive, which stimulates the heart and moves the conscience; one which reflects the example of the risen Jesus when he joined the disciples on the way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35)
The complete text is at
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20110124_45th-world-communications-day_en.htmlIf you can find a condemnation of conservative bloggers in here, please let me know where… perhaps he has embedded a cipher code of a Latin text that says this… who knows?
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Which of course would take a slavishly literal interpretation to decipher… :->
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For the last decade conservative Catholic bloggers have been condemning liberals from on high as cafeteria-ists or apostates.
Is it only when the edge of criticism is directed to Rome — from conservatives — that Rome starts to fret about moderation and charity?
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I dunno what you mean about conservatives criticizing Rome (I thought folks were taking issue with Catholics who consider themselves faithful to the magisterium of the Church calling out dissenters), but I think the main thing to keep in mind here is that the pope actually said nothing about conservative Catholic bloggers, specifically. The Associated Press found a way to ask some unknown question so that they could use the answer to invent a new speech by the pope and run with their predetermined headline. Happens all the time and folks fall for it, along the lines of “Forget what the pope actually said about condoms; forget what he actually said about blogging; if I’m of the opinion that condoms are ok and conservative bloggers lack civility, I’ll point the pope at it!”
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Thanks Jared;
It seems that the Holy Father’s words were more directed at the internet -surfing, I-Phone weilding, text-messaging “Yoots” than anyone else! The main message seemed to be to not allow “virtual relationships” to replace real relationships, either with other persons or with God.
I think the “conservative -blogger -vile-rhetoric” spin was a last-ditch attempt to resurrect the Tucson tragedy since that turned into a dismal failure in the “blame conservatives for all of our woes” campaign.
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The pope will have far more to fret abut when he sees what everyone from gay Catholics who’ve left the Church to SSPX loonies say about him in “The HuffingtonPost” religion section. It makes the “National Catholic Reporter” look mighty tame.
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