Fr. John Zuhlsdorff (WDTPRS), whose photoshopper developed this logo, is doing a terrific job of going through the details of some of these key media "reports" attempting to implicate the Holy Father in the outed news about clerical sex scandals. Here are just two from yesterday (April 9, 2010), and a short post commenting on the "uphill battle" against the likes of MSM: (1) "AP throwing more spaghetti at Pope Benedict: this time from California"; (2) "Cardinal Prefect [NOT RATZINGER!], Canadian hierarchy knew of abuse, covered it"; and (3) "An uphill battle," where he writes: "For every 100 bigoted or stupid words written in MSM stories alleging that Pope Benedict was part of the problem and not the driving force towards a solution, fair-minded people with actual reasoning skills have to write or read 1000 to correct the errors and, in justice, uphold the truth and a man’s reputation." (Note: many of his commentators are well worth reading as well.)Related:
- A fine analysis by Father Dominic Legge, OP (Headline Bistro, April 9, 2010).
- "French Intellectuals Pen 'Appeal to Truth' In Support of Benedict XVI" (Rorate Caeli, April 9, 2010, from Andrew Cusack's blog, April 4, 2010).
For some of us, what is going on in the media, and the tendency to partial truth and outright lie, is extremely damaging and hits several old triggers that are common to many who have survived abuse, and done so reasonably well.
ReplyDeleteIt is not necessary to say much but I do think the voices of some of the survivors need to be heard as well as those whose outrage is many times removed from the actual experience.
It has been my experience that personal guilt is far more devastating than any reserved rage against the perpetrator. I am sure there is rage in some, but I'd not believe a report that said that was the most debilitating response.
http://irenikontheskete.blogspot.com/2010/04/faith-foul-deeds-and-falsehoods.html
Elijahmaria,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about most of those making the noise not being the guilt-ridden victims. The latter need compassion as well as justice for their predators. The former need to be met head-on with truth.
Dear Pert,
ReplyDeleteIndeed! For Catholics, in particular, we can say forthrightly that compassion and forgiveness and empathy is the Truth. It is part of the Great Command, and it is not well known to the exclusively secular segment of any and all peoples.
It is part of the reason that there was victim-related complicity in the disposition of sexual predators,in the days when it was believed that these men and women could be released from that particular bondage to sensual degradation.
Catholics have good hearts and minds and they were willing to give a fellow human being another chance. They were also caught up in the guilt that I mentioned earlier, thinking perhaps they had been materially complicit or failed in some way to protect their own.
There are those others in the world whose cosmologies are sufficiently theological that loving the sinner makes sense to them. They too can grasp the theology of empathy and compassion and mercy even if they miss the theology of Incarnation.
The Pain Stream Media grasps none of it, and in fact rejects it, save as a curiosity, and that I believe is purposeful, calculated and in fact does grave and criminal harm to the survivors and victims of sexual predation.
To a survivor of sexual exploitation, any kind of lie or separation from reality is a kind of rape. It is an appropriation of the experience of the one who suffers, for material and political gain. It is hate speech that has direct impact on the abused.
Where do we begin a counter-measure that will be heard by more than a few friends and family, I wonder?
EM