"The Catholic Church does not need the approval of men, for it is the work of God." (St. Josemaria Escrivá)

The Apostle John says of the Pharisees and those beholden to them: "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:43)

One of the greatest temptations of Catholics in public these days is that posed by the electronic media. There is a great pressure to self-censorship and to compromising one's message in order for it to play well in the grand stands of the public arena.

Those entrusted with sharing the treasure of the Gospel would do well to remember the unforgettable lines from Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons, in which Sir Thomas More tells the young status-seeking Richard Rich (who would eventually betray him) that he should pursue being a teacher rather than a lawyer, because he would thereby more easily avoid the temptations of power and its trappings:

Sir Thomas More: Why not be a teacher? You'd be a fine teacher; perhaps a great one.

Richard Rich: If I was, who would know it?

Sir Thomas More: You; your pupils; your friends; God. Not a bad public, that.